According to the information we have, this is the cargo that has slipped to starboard, causing the list to heel. This boat transports wood (logs) and construction machinery. It's really amazing that it didn't capsize, finding some kind of balance in this incredible position!
Without knowledge of the loading plan and the condition of the ballasts, it is difficult to understand this situation. Indeed, commercial ships are equipped with ballast that allows them to operate under foot in the water when they are light, or to balance the cargo either longitudinally or laterally.
With the heavy sea conditions encountered in recent days, this cargo has been drifting for several days and threatens to ground on the Landes coasts (at Mimizan).
All the difficulty of a tow
Since this Monday 1 er february 2016 at noon, the ship is in tow. But the operation was not without its difficulties.
Abandoned by his crew, the engines and generators cut off. There is therefore no more energy on board (electric or hydraulic). The experts hoisted on board and in charge of passing the trailer cable are therefore in difficulty. Indeed, if the tug sends a touline to the boat, it is then necessary to tow this touline and the trailer that follows it to the front beach.
Even if Dyneema ropes are used instead of steel, this mooring still weighs 35 kg/m (it measures several hundred meters...). Hauling her on the foredeck, 10 m above sea level, is no easy task when you can't get help with a winch. Not to mention that we are on the deck of a boat that heels at 50°.
The pros of the pros
Smit Savage, a company commissioned by the shipowner, is the most efficient company in the world for this type of situation. This Dutch company has worked on the latest major shipwrecks such as the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk (2000), the Prestige shipwreck (2001) and the Costa Concordia (2012).
The 4 people who were hoisted on the Modern Express are specialists in this world-renowned company.
What next for this wreck?
Taken in tow by the Centaur, a Spanish tugboat, the Modern Express is currently towed offshore on a westerly heading. The speed of progress is about 3 knots. First, the objective is to keep the wreck away from the coast. Indeed, the heavily loaded trailer can break at any time. If this happens, it will be necessary to try a new operation to pass it again. Moreover, the unstable situation of the cargo ship can change at any time and it can turn around and sink. It is better if it is far from the coast.
Secondly, negotiations are underway between the salvage company, the shipowner and his insurance company to find a reception port. It will only be in calm waters that the vessel can be straightened by using its ballast tanks and moving the cargo. Spanish ports are currently at the top of the list.
To be continued...
Copyright: National marine images
