See full version: Abandoned cargo ship Modern Express successfully dragged into port after rescue operation
The Panama-registered ship was transporting 3,600 tonnes of wood along with construction machinery from Gabon to France. The crew sent a distress signal on 26 January after the ship listed to the side, possibly due to its cargo coming free and moving around in rolling seas. more
A stricken cargo ship which had been drifting in rough seas for days has been successfully dragged into port after a lengthy salvage operation. The Modern Express, which was at one point on a collision course with the French coast, was pulled into Bilbao port on 3 February.
The ship remains at a 45 degree angle having suffered an as-yet unexplained breakdown in rough seas more than a week ago, which saw it lose all power. The coming days will see attempts to upright the 164-metre-long (538-foot) vessel in the biggest ever such operation organised by the port of Bilbao, according to AFP.
On 1 February, a last-ditch effort saw Dutch salvage experts lowered on to the Modern Express and attach a towline connected to a Spanish tugboat. If the operation had failed, the Modern Express would likely have crashed into France's coast, spreading its load and being dismantled or cut up. [links]
The collision took place 25 nautical miles of the Dutch coast. 15 minutes after the collision, she sunk in shallow waters. here
The Norwegian-flag vehicle carrier named MV Tricolor sunk in the English Channel on December 14th, 2002. The car carrier collided with container ship named Kariba, 20 miles north of the French coast. Kariba managed to sail away, but MV Tricolor sunk with a load of 3,000 cars (BMW, Volvo and Saab).
One of the latest and high profile disaster was the grounding of car carrier Hoegh Osaka in 2015. The Japanese-built ship is owned by Hoegh Autoliners, a Norwegian company that specialises in transporting cars. [links]
On 23rd July, 2006 she lost stability during an exchange of ballast water south of the Aleutian Islands. The ship developed a 60-degree list to port. more
She was salvaged after being towed to Dutch Harbor, Unalaska, Alaska. She was righted and returned to her owner. Unfortunately, all the cars were scrapped by Mazda. more
The listing Express issued a distress signal at a position some 130 nm off Cape Ortegal, Galicia, in the British zone of SAR responsibility for the Bay of Biscay. The initial response was carried out by Spanish authorities, who safely evacuated her 22-man crew by helicopter on January 26. On February 1, a team from SMIT Salvage boarded her and ran a tow line to the tug Centaurus, saving her from grounding on the French coastline. She was brought to Bilbao under escort by the offshore supply vessel / tug Ria de Vigo and the spill response vessel Argonaute. At the harbor entrance, additional towing vessels joined her for docking, and a team of eight salvors boarded her to handle lines. Video of tugs bringing her into the Port of Bilbao is available here. here
The listing ro/ro Modern Express, which was rescued by salvors in the Bay of Biscay and taken to the port of Bilbao, has been righted. Work began February 6, when she was listing to starboard at about 51 degrees, and her list was reduced to 26 degrees by February 18. She was fully upright as of noon local time on Monday.
The Panama-flagged, 10,000 dwt vessel was under way from Gabon to Le Havre with cargo of "3,600 tons of wood in bundles and a dozen pieces of heavy machinery" at the time that she began to list, French authorities said. She is owned by Cido Shipping and operated by European Roro Lines, a specialist in ro/ro cargo to West Africa from Northern Europe. [links]
The cause of the severe list has not yet been released. However, local paper El Correo reports that the vessel will be returned to her owners, European Roro Lines, which will have to decide whether to unload the cargo early or to continue on with her intended journey. more
Before departure, however, her systems will have to be checked for any damage due to the prolonged period of operation and tow at severe angles of list. more
This should provide for safe removal of the cargo.
“SMIT Salvage successfully righted the ship in the port of Bilbao, Spain and handed her over to the owners,” Boskalis stated.
The systems aboard the 10,454 dwt vessel will be inspected to make sure the vessel is seaworthy before it departs Bilbao.
The company previously said that it would use six ShoreTensions for the project. [links]
In mid-February, the work on righting the 2001-built vessel, which had a list of some 51 degrees, started as the Dutch Koninklijke Roeiers Vereeniging Eendracht (KRVE) was hired to carry out the job. [links]