Salvage in the Solent

The Norwegian owned vessel was departing Southampton bound for Germany on Saturday evening when it developed what was described as a “severe list” by Ingar Skiaker, CEO of the vessel’s owners Höegh Autoliners. The Singapore flagged vessel had a Port of Southampton pilot on board and faced with the possibility of foundering in the main shipping channel between the mainland and the Isle of Wight, the decision was taken to intentionally ground the vessel on the nearby Bramble Bank by the pilot and the ship’s master.

The vessel settled on the sandbank with a list of around 50′ and a rescue operation got under way involving a Coastguard helicopter and four RNLI lifeboats. All of the crew of 24 plus the pilot were rescued with two of the crew suffering minor injuries in the operation.

Within 24 hours the vessel’s owners, Höegh Autoliners together with Hugh Shaw the UK government’s Secretary of State’s Representative for Salvage (SOSREP) and the Port of Southampton held a press conference. It was announced that Svitzer Salvage had been appointed to carry out the recovery operation and as is the norm with such casualties in UK waters it is expected that the MCA will oversee, through the SOSREP will be heavily involved in monitoring and approving the operation.

Early this morning (Monday 5 January) a team of salvage experts boarded the vessel to carry out an initial assessment of conditions on board and in particular to determine if any of the 1,000 or so vehicles on board, including heavy plant had shifted. Another priority will be to determine whether or not any of the vessel’s 500t of fuel oil has to be removed as an environmental protection precaution. It is expected to take several days to devise a formal salvage plan and while the stranding site is in sheltered waters all eyes will be on a period of bad weather forecast for later this week.

The initial response to the grounding included tugs from Solent Towage, a subsidiary of Østensjø Rederi, from the nearby Fawley oil refinery and Svitzer Towage who operate ship-handling tugs in the Port of Southampton.

The spectacular sight of the Höegh Osaka stranded on the bank at its steep angle of inclination has stark similarities to the case of the Cougar Ace, a similar vessel which in July 2006 developed a 60’ list while on passage from Japan to Vancouver. The vessel was righted and brought to safety by Titan Salvage but sadly one of the salvage team lost his life in the difficult and complex operation. The entire cargo of nearly 5,000 cars on board was scrapped.

The drone video posted below has been supplied with the kind permission of James Lumley

By Peter Barker