Worsening weather will delay any attempts to right the listing car carrier Hoegh Osaka until Saturday afternoon at the earliest
The listing car carrier Hoegh Osaka will remain secured at Alpha Anchorage in the Solent until Saturday, it was confirmed at a press conference today (8 January).
Hugh Shaw, the Secretary of State’s maritime salvage representative, told the assembled media: “She has been attached to two tugs, with a third tug standing by.
“She is going to be held in that area until the weather starts to moderate again, probably from about Saturday afternoon.”
He also gave an estimate as to the amount of water that had entered the hull through the crack in deck six that has since been sealed.
“There may be as much as 3,000 tonnes within the vessel from our modelling, so the intention is that one of the first steps we will have to do is to start removing the water itself.”
The Coastguard added that it will be at least five days until the vessel can return to the Port of Southampton.
Background
This development suggests a pause in the dramatic story of Hoegh Osaka, which began on Saturday night when the 51,000-tonne car carrier was deliberately grounded on Bramble Bank.
It has emerged that the decision was taken jointly by the master and the pilot in order to avoid it capsizing, after the vessel developed a significant list.
On Tuesday afternoon salvage firm Svitzer’s announced a refloat plan that was later scrapped, only for the high tide to cause the vessel to “self-refloat” at lunchtime on Wednesday.
Keep checking back with MBY.com for all the latest developments in the Hoegh Osaka story.
