Salvage teams are preparing to refloat the ultra large container ship CSCL Indian Oceanduring a spring tide on Tuesday.
The CSCL Indian Ocean, grounded on the Elbe River near Hamburg on February 3, and several earlier attempts to refloat the vessel have failed.
The ballast water and most of the fuel have been removed from the vessel, and two dredgers have deepened the river at the scene. This, along with a spring tide on Tuesday, is expected to provide the conditions needed to free the vessel.
According to German media, the 399.6-meter (1,300-foot) vessel lost a starboard anchor and about a hundred meters of chain prior to the grounding while it was waiting to make the Elbe transit. The incident was not reported to local authorities, and the cause and significance of the loss is unclear.
CSCL Indian Ocean was en route from Felixtowe to Hamburg when it is believed to have suffered a blackout and steering failure which led to it grounding near Grunendeich.
The 19,000TEU CSCL Indian Ocean is owned by Chinese shipping company China Shipping Container Lines.
Posted on February 7, 2016, 1:48 am
German media dig deeper into the CSCL INDIAN OCEAN story, and found out, that the giant vessel lost starboard anchor before entering Elbe, on Feb 2, while waiting for Elbe transit on an anchorage west of Helgoland. CSCL INDIAN OCEAN lost starboard anchor and some 100 meters of chain under unclear circumstances, but obviously during heaving up anchor maneuvering. Missing starboard anchor could hardly help to avoid grounding, but the loss of anchor is an accident in itself, especially so when it comes down to one if the biggest ships in the world.
As for salvage, everything is going on as planned, next refloating attempt to take place in the morning Feb 9, with coming spring tide. Ballast water already has been pumped out. Fuel is pumping out, only minimal quantity required for ship’s maneuvering will be left. Two dredgers deepened the river bottom at the site.
Reader Christian Schachta sent photo of CSCL INDIAN OCEAN, made by him in the afternoon Feb 6.
Previous news:
http://www.news.odin.tc/index.php?page=view/article/2622/CSCL-INDIAN-OCEAN-grounding-Update-Feb-5-0500-UTC
http://www.news.odin.tc/index.php?page=view/article/2620/Ultra-large-container-ship-CSCL-INDIAN-OCEAN-hard-aground-Elbe
As for salvage, everything is going on as planned, next refloating attempt to take place in the morning Feb 9, with coming spring tide. Ballast water already has been pumped out. Fuel is pumping out, only minimal quantity required for ship’s maneuvering will be left. Two dredgers deepened the river bottom at the site.
Reader Christian Schachta sent photo of CSCL INDIAN OCEAN, made by him in the afternoon Feb 6.
Previous news:
http://www.news.odin.tc/index.php?page=view/article/2622/CSCL-INDIAN-OCEAN-grounding-Update-Feb-5-0500-UTC
http://www.news.odin.tc/index.php?page=view/article/2620/Ultra-large-container-ship-CSCL-INDIAN-OCEAN-hard-aground-Elbe