Software company SRT Marine Technology has used AIS data to recreate the last movements of Höegh Osaka before the car carrier grounded on Bramble Bank in the Solent
With Svitzer’s salvage operations underway and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch looking into the incident, it may be months before we know for sure exactly why Höegh Osaka came to such an abrupt halt.
The 51,000-tonne car carrier made headlines across the country when it grounded on Bramble Bank in the Solent on Saturday night (3 January).
But using AIS data, 3D visualisation expert SRT Marine Technology has recreated the last movements of Höegh Osaka before the decision was taken to intentionally ground the listing vessel.
In the video above, we can see how Höegh Osaka left Southampton Water and started to round Bramble Bank at 9:06pm, accompanied by the pilot boat SP Pathfinder.
Four minutes later at 9:10pm, the vessels’ movements show that a problem has arisen, with SP Pathfinder making an about turn to assist the listing car carrier.
From that point it takes a little over five minutes for Höegh Osaka to intentionally beach itself on the sandbank and come to a complete halt.
The AIS re-enactment also shows how the ferry Red Funnel passenger ferry Red Jet 4 passed the vessel at 9:23pm, just eight minutes after the beaching, giving its passengers a dramatic view of the unravelling situation.
The investigation into why this manoeuvre was neccessary will take months to complete. But in the meantime this visualisation of the last movements of Höegh Osaka gives us a clear picture of what happened and when, if not why.
