Horncliff holed by own container

By Janet Porter - Monday 4 February 2008

The Horncliff lost some of its boxes. The Horncliff lost some of its boxes.
ONE of the containers swept off the deck of the refrigerated cargoship Horncliff last Friday pierced the vessel’s hull, providing further evidence of the risk to maritime safety posed by this type of accident. 

The Horncliff, owned by fruit giant Del Monte, arrived in Falmouth over the weekend with a 300 mm hole on the port side forward of the accommodation block. 

The damage was caused by a container that was lost overboard during exceptionally severe weather, said Walter Woodage, operations director for Norbulk Shipping, the vessel’s agent. 

Altogether, 58 refrigerated 40 ft containers on the deck were washed into the sea. Another 41 remained on the ship, including four that were badly damaged and left hanging over the side. 

All were loaded with bananas and are not considered a pollution risk, but a team is modelling the drift of the containers. 

Container losses are becoming a major issue after a spate of incidents in recent years. Maritime safety authorities are concerned about the potential danger to ships and smaller craft caused by these huge boxes that may not always be visible if they are floating just beneath the surface. 

The International Chamber of Shipping and World Shipping Council are drawing up a code of best practice for container lines after the industry was strongly criticised in a recent accident report by the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch. 

The ICS is warning that the International Maritime Organization may bring in mandatory rules if container lines themselves do not act fast enough to improve standards. 

Some experts are calling for all containers to be weighed, while others say both ships’ crew and shore-based cargo handlers require better training. 

Maersk Line, whose ships were caught up in several incidents a couple of winters ago, immediately brought in new training courses for officers containing advice on how to deal with a heavy swell and parametric rolling, and when to alter course. There has been a noticeable reduction in container losses as a result, according to Maersk Training Centre UK general manager Richard Booth. 

In the case of the Horncliff, weather conditions, rather than faulty twistlocks, overweight cargo or poor stowage, appear to be directly to blame for the lost containers. The cargo in the hold was all palletised and will be discharged in Zeebrugge once temporary repairs have been completed and the 1992-built ship is given the all-clear to leave Falmouth, where it was due to be moved to a berth this afternoon. 

Cranes will then remove the damaged containers and restow other deck cargo, said Falmouth harbour master Mark Samson. 

Some water was taken on through the gash, but ballast water was pumped out to raise the damaged plating well clear of the waterline and reduce the risk of any further ingress. 

Apart from the hole and some broken deck handrails and container fittings, the ship is not thought to be badly damaged. After cargo has been offloaded, the vessel is expected to proceed to Dunkirk for repair. Contrary to some reports, the Horncliff did not lose power. 

The ship’s captain, who was airlifted off the Horncliff, sustained two broken ribs and a cracked vertebra after being thrown across the bridge as the vessel suddenly lurched. He is expected to be discharged from hospital today and then flown home. 

Passengers on the ship are also returning to Germany, but the rest of the crew remained on board and a new captain has arrived to take charge. 

The Liberian-flagged ship is one of three deployed on a liner service between Costa Rica and Europe.
The registered owner is Pluto Shipping, while the technical manager is Horn-Linie of Hamburg, but the beneficial owner is Del Monte. 


* Read Lloyd’s List Newsroom Blogs - Caught on camera, Box killers and For those at peril on the sea - and join in the debate.
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