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4 Jan 2015

Stranded Solent cargo ship run aground on purpose – owner

A cargo ship stranded on a sandbank off the Isle of Wight was run aground deliberately after it started listing badly, the owner says.

The car carrier became stranded in the Solent between Southampton and the Isle of Wight just after 9pm on Saturday.

The 25 crew members of the Hoegh Osaka were rescued by a coastguard helicopter and lifeboats.

Ingar Skiaker, chief executive of Hoegh Autoliners which owns the vessel, said the ship was run aground on purpose after it began to list badly – but the reason for the fault is still unknown.

“Our vessel developed a severe list shortly after she left port and the pilot and the master took the decision to save the vessel and its crew by grounding her on the bank,” he said.

“At this stage it is too early to speculate on the cause of the list but we are starting an immediate investigation.”

Mr Skiaker said that the ship was carrying around 1,400 cars but was not overloaded with cargo.

“Right now we have serious work ahead of us in order to free the vessel from the Bramble Bank without disrupting the flow of traffic in and out of the Port of Southampton,” he added.

“Our chief concern now is to ensure there is no environmental damage from this incident.

“There is no oil spill reported at this point however we understand that the UK authorities have brought their spill response to a state of active readiness.”

The crew had made their way to the high side of the ship and were taken to safety, while one crew member is understood to have been rescued from the water.

Three senior officers stayed on board before being taken ashore.

During the operation, the 51,000-tonne Singapore-registered ship listed at 45 degrees, although the vessel is not taking on any water.

Search picture from National Police Air Service Bournemouth

Steve Carson, commander of the National Maritime Operations Centre, said recovery would only be attempted during daylight.

A statement from Hoegh Autoliners, the ship’s owner, said it was assessing the damage and stability of the vessel.

Bramble Bank is a well-known sandbank in Southampton Water, and is even the location of an annual cricket match between two yachting clubs when the sands are exposed in low spring tides.

In November 2008, the Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth 2 ran aground on Bramble Bank with 1,700 passengers on board.

It was able to continue its journey on the rising tide after four tugs pulled it clear.