Svendborg Maersk loses a 'significant number' of containers

 A Maersk Line boxship lost a “significant number of containers” overboard in rough weather in the Bay of Biscay on 14 February.

The 8,160 teu Svendborg Maersk was battered by winds reaching 60 knots and waves reaching 10 m resulting the collapse of container stacks on the vessel and a “significant number” of boxes being lost overboard, Maersk Line said in a statement.

It added that a number of containers were also damaged due to the collapsed stacks. Minor damage was reported to the vessel and all its crew were safe and accounted for. Maersk did not say how many containers had been lost overboard or damaged.

“Local maritime authorities were informed about the incident and nautical warning broadcasted about floating containers,” Maersk said.

The Svendborg Maersk called at the port of Malaga on Monday for re-stowage of collapsed container stacks and repair to equipment damaged onboard the vessel. The vessel had been bound for Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Will add more info / pics later

AT least 200 to 300 containers were lost from the 7,200 teu Svendborg Maersk late last week when the ship was caught up in atrocious weather conditions as it crossed the Bay of Biscay.

The full tally could be higher, with the exact number of boxes swept overboard not yet known. The ship arrived in Malaga on Monday evening where officials from Maersk Line and the P&I club, plus stowage and lashing experts, are waiting to assess the losses and investigate exactly what happened.

Many more containers are damaged after the stacks in at least six bays tilted over during the hurricane force winds that lashed much of Europe on Friday. Svendborg Maersk was reported to have been rolling at up to 40 degrees.

The 1998-built ship was heading from Rotterdam to Sri Lanka at the time of the accident, and some of the lost containers were probably empty on the backhaul leg.

None of the crew was injured but will be given counselling.

This is thought to be the biggest loss of containers in a single incident that Maersk Line has ever suffered.

Departed Felixstowe on 07/02/2014 20.34pm

Valentines Day box crash for Svendborg Maersk

Maersk lines Svendborg Maersk, a 91,560 Gross Ton container ship loading up to 8680 TEU, and built in 1998, lost an undisclosed number of containers overboard, and suffered a small amount of damage while crossing the Bay of Biscay on February 14, St Valentines day.

http://www.shippingtv.co.uk/?p=1267