Cosco Shipping Himalayas maiden / 4 Svitzer tugs assist the MSC Ditte in to a wind swept Felixstowe

New build Cosco Shipping Himalayas displaying the new Cosco/China Shipping colours arrives to the Port of Felixstowe on her maiden voyage to Europe. She sais as part of the Ocean 3 Alliance on the French Asia Line 7 (FAL7) which calls at Piraeus - Greece, Antwerp, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Felixstowe, Southampton and back to Piraeus in Europe before heading back to Malaysia via the Suez Canal on to other Far Eastern Countries to start her voyage over again.

Only a few months old the Cosco Shipping Himalayas was due in Felixstowe late Sunday night but as the winds were strong, gusting force 7 to 8 Felixstowe had shut down as the wind was above the save working limit. Shortly before 2000 Sunday night the Himalayas turned around and began to paddle around in the North Sea waiting for any news of a possilbe pilot boarding time. As daylight beaconed the wind droped and the first of the delayed ships beaded in. The MSC Ditte still had 4 tugs to help her swing for Felixstowe Berth 9. Finally some good news for the Cosco Shipping Himalayas a pilot boarding time of 10:30 was confirmed so they began to head toward the Sunk Pilot Station and wait for the pilot launch to come alongside. The pilot boards and they slowly makes their way inbound. The pilot radios Harwich VTS to confirm their draft and last port which was 13.2 metres from Rotterdam. VTS replies that there was a ready berth planned portside to Felixstowe number 6, wind speed and direction in the harbour, suprisingly the wind had droped a bit but still gusting 24 knots. The pilot orders 3 tugs for berth, first to meet 7&8 centre lead aft, second at the corner starboard quarter, and third also inside the harbour bow to bow for cetre lead forward. It will be a port swing in the middle of the harbour then edge onto the berth. Svitzer Kent finished with the MSC Ditte heads back to the tug pontoon to drop off their passangers before heading out of the harbour to be the aft tug. Svitzer Deben does the same as the Kent but hangs close to the Beach End into the harbour. Svitzer Sky heads towards the corner to wait for the ship to come in the harbour.

As the Cosco comes into the harbour,Deben makes their approach to make fast starboard quarter while the Sky makes their approach to make fast centre lead forward. Tugs all fast, the pilot gets the Kent to go straight astern to help reduce the ships speed ready for the port swing. The Sky moves out on to the port shoulder and begins to build up to 75%. The Kent moves out onto the starboard quarter and builds up to a 75% pull to swing the ship around. Deben wasnt required at this stage but could put a little weight on their line to maintain position. Almost swung around the Sky moves onto the starboard shoulder into check position. Steadily edging towards the berth, the tugs working their magic stopping the 150,000 tonne Cosco Shipping Himalayas against the gusty wind. The mooring gang makes her fast alongside Felixstowe Berth 6. EDT Thursday 14th September AM Expected to change as an amber wether warning for tonight has been issued by the Met Office.

COSCO SHIPPING HIMALAYAS
IMO 9757840

Keel laid on 16/11/2015, launched on 09/01/2017 and delivered on 25/07/2017 by Shanghai Jiangnan Changxing Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Shanghai, China (H3020)
154,300 g.t., 153,500 dwt. and 14,500 teu, as:
'Cosco Shipping Himalayas'.

4 Svitzer tugs assist the MSC Ditte in to a wind swept Felixstowe. 11th September 2017

As Felixstowe had shut down cargo operations for a while last night due to high winds, 2 ships, the 400 metre MSC Ditte and the 366 metre Cosco Shipping Himalayas were waiting in the North Sea for a pilot to board so they could berth at Felixstowe. But as the winds picked up and the sea became rough it was deemed unsafe to board a pilot on to these ships. Even the Sunk pilot station was closed for a while. As the sun rose over Felixstowe, the winds began to died down, enough for the Harwich Haven pilot to board the MSC Ditte A boarding time of 08:30 was confirmed and shortly before 8am the pilot launch headed out on the rather bumpy North Sea to the Sunk pilot station. Before the pilot headed out, he indicated that he would definitely require 3 tugs but would assess the winds when he got onboard if the 4th tug was needed. With winds still gusting around the 30 knots mark, the pilot and tugs had an interesting bit of work to do to bring the MSC Ditte safely alongside. MSC Ditte heading inbound with the pilot @rascalmaster onboard, radios Harwich VTS to confirm they have a maximum draft of 13.2 metres from her last port of Tangier-Med. VTS replies that there is a ready berth planned portside to Felixstowe Berth 9, traffic information Stena Britiannica had given their 30 minute call before departure and finally the most important , wind speed and direction which was 250 degrees 25 gusting 29 knots. The pilot replies in that case he requires 4 tugs for berthing. The first one of the big ones centre lead aft to meet at 7&8, second outside the harbour push on starboard quarter then make fast as they swing, third tug the other big one at the corner on a bow to bow for centre lead forward and the 4th inside the harbour make fast starboard shoulder. Duty tug copied some of the conversation but to be sure he asked VTS to go over it again to make sure he got all the information for the other tugs.

As the MSC Ditte passed through the South Shipwash, Svitzer Kent leaves the tug pontoon heads out on the green side of the choppy harbour to be the first tug, shortly followed by the Svitzer Sky. As Kent was made fast aft, the 2 other tugs left the tug pontoon battling the wind and sea. Svitzer Sky makes their approach on to the starboard quarter ready for the push around the Beach End. MSC Ditte closing in to the harbour, the pilot gives the Kent the heads up that in a few minutes he will require them to the go out on portside at full line load and the Sky to push full at a 45deg angle to help steer her around the 90deg Beach End into the harbour. Kent moves out for an indirect and Sky begins to push up full. With a good rate of turn around the corner, the Kent radios to say they were catching up the Ditte and may have to reduce their power. 

Safely around the corner Kent drops in astern and goes straight astern 50% to begin to knock off some of the headway. Svitzer Deben makes fast centre lead forward and begins to stretch their line ready for work. Kent increases to 75% as the wind pushes them up the harbour. Shotley makes their approach to make fast on the starboard shoulder. The ship taking a while to slow up, the pilot gets Kent to increase again up to full power as the ship's engine comes astern. Big ships tend to get a swinging motion when the engine goes astern so to counteract that Kent is asked to favour the port quarter and Deben to favour the starboard shoulder.

Headway down to a crawl of a knot or two the pilot gets the Kent to go out on the port quarter at a 90deg angle and slowly begins to pull the stern around and so the does the Deben moves out onto the starboard shoulder at 90deg building up to 75%. The Sky begins to push up at a 90 degree angle and builds up to a 75% push while Shotley makes fast on the starboard shoulder and when ready to go out at a 90 degrees and pull full. Kent increases to full but says they might have to reduce and shorten as the South Shelf Buoy was closing in on them. Swinging to starboard almost on the spot, the pilot gives a kick ahead to keep the ship moving soon kicking astern as they become parallel with the berth. The pilot gets all 4 tugs to get into check positions to hold her back from the wind and ease her onto the berth. Metre by metre the Ditte closes in on the berth, blocking out the view of the current world's largest container ship the OOCL Hong Kong. 

Mooring gang waiting for the heaving lines for the springs to come ashore off the MSC Ditte, they prepare to make her fast alongside Felixstowe Berth 9 with a final tie up of 6 and 2 each end with spring lines first. ETD Thursday 14th September at 4am but expected to change as there is a Met Office weather warning out for strong winds gusting up to 60mph Tuesday evening into Wednesday.

prithvi partap singh

@rascalmaster Follows you

My views are mine alone; they do not represent the views of the organisation I work for.

prithvisingh.com