Hoegh Osaka Update: Preparations to unload luxury vehicles have already started

Today (Tuesday), experts started preparations to finally move vehicles and heavy plant machinery that were stuck on the Hoegh Osaka car transporter.

The bigger portion of the 1, 400 luxury vehicles and 105 pieces of plant equipment, aboard the large vessel berthed at the Southampton Docks, should be driven off in the next couple of days according to expectations.

This news come following a statement made by the inspector in charge of the investigation that the 51, 000-tonne ship has sustained minor damage and owners having expressed their intention of bringing it back into service once the necessary repairs are completed.

During last night, teams attempted to move a large quarrying machine that was blocking the entrance so that they could create a risk-free pathway for the other vehicles aboard. Owners Hoegh commented that the rescue mission is going according to schedule. A spokesperson for the company further said:

“We hope that we could begin discharging the cargo and complete the tasks at hand by end of this current week or early next week.”

He commented that most of the vehicles have been held in place by their lashings, excluding a few large ones located at the main deck. He also added that despite previous preliminary estimates, there was a smaller number of vehicles immersed by the water leaking into the below decks.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) are preparing reports after having completed their initial inspections.

The vessel had been deliberately ran aground on Bramble Bank, close to Southampton, on the 3rd of January after it had begun listing not long after having left the port. Salvage crews carried out the biggest rescue mission in the history of the Solent waters in order to bring back the ship to port on Thursday last week.

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Hoegh Osaka: Land Rovers and Jaguars driven off cargo ship

4 hours ago

Cars which were being transported on a cargo ship when it ran aground in the Solent, are finally coming off.

More than 1,400 Land Rovers, Minis and Jaguars were securely lashed down while being transported on the Hoegh Osaka, which was run aground on Bramble Bank on 3 January.

There are also 105 pieces of construction equipment on board the Hoegh Osaka.

The operation to remove all the equipment is expected to take at least until Friday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-31002897

Expensive: The stricken vessel was carrying a range of high-end cars

Luxury cars worth £30 million have been saved from a gigantic container ship that was deliberately run aground.

The Hoegh Osaka was carrying a large fleet of expensive cars - including Bentleys worth up to £237,500 each - from Southampton when it ran aground on Bramble Bank in the Solent after listing.

There were fears for the valuable cargo, but it has been confirmed today that new Range Rovers were the first of 1,400 vehicles to be driven off the 51,000 tonne ship, which is now moored back at Southampton Docks in Hampshire.

Some of the cars had visible damage on the exterior.

M & Y News

Operation: All cargo is due to be taken off the ship by the end of the week

Jaguars and a £260,000 Rolls-Royce Wraith are on board the Singapore-registered ship, but it is not yet known the extent of the damage to the remaining vehicles.

Experts disclosed today that only a small number of vehicles are expected to have suffered water damage. 

All of the cargo, which includes the cars and other equipment, will be taken off the ship by the end of this week or early next week, according to Hoegh Autoliners.

Those which are damaged or do not start up will be towed off the ship.

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A spokesman for Hoegh Autoliners' Navigate Response said: "There is only limited damage to the cargo.

"Most of the lashings held, and only a couple of pieces - large machinery - shifted.

"Water damage only occurred on the lowest deck and on the one side the ship was listing."

The spokesman added: "Only preliminary checks have been made on the vehicles at this point. We will be coordinating with other companies, including manufacturers and dealers, to carry out a full assessment of the cargo."

The vessel was run aground by the captain as it began to list badly just 45 minutes after leaving the port of Southampton on January 3.

The cargo ship, which is 180 metres long and 32 metres wide, had been stranded off the English coast for 19 days before finally arriving back in Southampton, Hampshire, on January 22 guided by two tugs.

VIEW GALLERY

Luxury vehicles, worth £30 million in total, have been saved from the enormous vehicle carrier that was deliberately grounded.

The Hoegh Osaka was transporting a cargo consisting of a large number of expensive vehicles such as Bentleys worth up to roughly £237,500 each. It was en route from Southampton when it ran aground on Bramble Bank in the Solent after it had started listing.

There were some concerns regarding the expensive cargo, but it was confirmed yesterday that the new Range Rovers were the first vehicles, out of a total of 1, 400, to be driven off the 51, 000-tonne vessel, which has now been moored back at the Southampton Docks in Hampshire.

Some of the cars displayed some visible damage on their exterior.

Jaguars and a £260,000 Rolls-Royce Wraith are part of the cargo on board the Hoegh Osaka, but there is has been no information as of yet, regarding the extent of the damage to the remaining automobiles.

According to experts, the number of potentially damaged vehicles should be relatively small.

All of the ship’s cargo, including cars and other pieces of equipment, will be taken off the vessel by the end of this current week or early next week, as stated by Hoegh Autoliners.

Video: Wonkabar007

Those vehicles that are damaged or are not able to start will be towed off the carrier.

A Hoegh Autoliners’ Navigate Response spokesperson commented:

“The damage sustained by the cargo is limited. Most of the lashings managed to stay in place and only a few pieces of large machinery shifted. Water damage was sustained only by the lowest deck and by the one side of the carrier that was listing.”

The spokesperson further added:

“At this point we’ve managed to perform only preliminary checks on the vehicles. We will be coordinating our operations with other various companies, including manufacturers and dealers, in order to fully assess the cargo.”

The ship was grounded by the captain, as it began listing badly just 45 minutes after having departed from the Southampton port on the 3rd of January.

The carrier, which has a length of 180 meters and is 33 meters wide, had remained stranded off the English coast for the duration of 19 days before finally arriving back in Southampton, Hampshire, on the 22nd of January, via the help and guidance of two tugs.