H?egh Osaka Reaches Southampton

By Wendy Laursen 01-22-2015 07:24:39

After being stranded for 19 days, Höegh Osaka has arrived in port. The vessel was towed to Southampton Water Berth 101 by four tugs late Thursday in an operation that lasted about three hours.

The vessel originally had a list of 52 degrees, but Salvors Svitzer pumped over 3,000 tons of water from the ship reducing the list to just five degrees prior to moving it.

Water entered the vessel as a result of a puncture caused by cargo movement.

The 51,000-tonne ship was carrying 1,400 cars and 105 pieces of construction equipment when it was beached deliberately on Bramble Bank sandbank after it began listing on January 3. It floated free on January 7 and was towed to deeper waters.

The U.K. Marine Accident Investigation Branch is investigating the incident.