The MSC Kanoko makes her maiden appearance at the Port of Felixstowe. She was built in the Hyundai Heavy Industries, Ulsan, South Korea. She went through vigorous sea trials before being delivered to MSC on the 11th November 2019. Heading west on her maiden voyage she calls in various ports in China, Malaysia and finally Colombo in Sri Lanka loading with cargo for Northern Europe before transiting the Suez Canal bound for Felixstowe.
As she passes through the Dover Straights, she heads north west through to the Sunk where a Harwich Haven pilot launch meets the MSC Kanoko to board a pilot. At 05:50 the pilot boards and commits into the deep water channel inbound for Felixstowe. Once onboard, the pilot radios Harwich VTS to confirm that he was onboard with a maximum draught of 12.7 metres from her last port of Colombo. VTS says that there was a ready berth planned port side to Felixstowe berth 9 and continued with the height of tide which was 2.44m, 16cm above prediction, wind on the Landguard which was 3-5 knots coming from the south west 217° and traffic information. The pilot requests two tugs for berthing, first to make fast centre lead aft outside the harbour and the second bow to bow inside the harbour. Duty tug copies the tug order.
Svitzer Deben leaves the tug pontoon to be the aft tug. A small glimpse of daylight in the East slowly getting bigger as the second tug Svitzer Sky leaves the pontoon. The pilot speaks to the tugs and confirms that they would be doing a port swing off the berth. He also said that the bollard safe working load was 120 tonnes. Deben makes fast centre lead aft rounding the 90° Beach End turn, the sighting of a mast light appeared from behind the Landguard Fort. Gracefully entering the harbour the pilot straightens her up onto a Northerly heading at about 6 knots so the Sky could make fast on the centre lead forward. On the third attempt the crew managed to get a heaving line down for the Sky to make fast through the centre lead forward. The pilot runs the engine astern to reduce the headway before swinging to port. Using the bow thrusters in short blasts to get her into the swing position. The pilot gets the Sky to move onto the port shoulder and build to a 50%. Next it was the Deben to move out onto the starboard quarter and build to a 50% pull. Once they were settled they increased to 75%.
While swinging, the Somerset alongside Parkeston 4 was preparing to sail for Rotterdam. VTS gave them permission to break away but to crawl down the river to allow the MSC Kanoko to swing. After swinging, the pilot gets the Sky to ease and come in to a let go position and push up midships or just infront of the funnel.
The Somerset passes through the harbour with the Tulipa Seaways from Felixstowe Ro-Ro4 following a short while later. Just about alongside the berth, the crew forward threw a heaving line down to the mooring gang with the first spring attached.
She is expected to be alongside Felixstowe Berth 9 until AM Saturday 21st December
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