Shipwreck Log

Photo: Alf-Robert Sommerbakk

The 110 meter long freighter Norvind became disabled off Førland near Haugesund, Norway after suffering an engine room blackout.  The Norvind’s crew were unable to restart the engines and the vessel was being pushed towards shore.   The crew contacted the Rescue Coordination Centre who dispatched a rescue helicopter to the scene.  The tug BB Coaster and a salvage vessel also headed out to the scene.   The crew was able to drop the Norvind’s anchor before the vessel could run aground.   The tug took the Norvind under tow bound for Haugesund.  None of the nine crew on board the Norvind were injured and no pollution was released.  The Norvind was bound for Tyssedal before the vessel’s engines broke down.  The Norvind was reported disabled on October 7, 2011 near Kristiansand.  The crew replaced a fuel pump and was allowed to proceed.  Port authorities report that the vessel will undergo a thorough inspection before the Norvind is allowed to leave.

Video from h-avis.no

The 80 meter long self-propelled barge Saron K allided with the Bucholt bridge near Hünxe, Germany on the Wesel-Datteln canal.  The Saron K struck an attached scaffold resulting in the wheelhouse being torn off.  The master of Saron K suffered severe injuries to his face and was transported to hospital for treatment.  The Saron K was tied up to trees on a nearby bank until it could be later towed to Friedrichsfeld.  No reports of pollution being released.

More photos on rp-online.de

The 187 meter long, 11300 dwt ro-ro ferry Hafnia Seaways suffered a fire in the passenger section while sailing on the North Sea off Spiekeroog, Germany.   The ferry left Immingham, England bound for Cuxhaven, Germany with seven passengers and 20 crew on board.  The Hafnia Seaways primarily transports trucks and trailers and can carry a small number of passengers with its 12 cabin spaces.   Reports state a fire broke out in the vessel’s sauna and quickly grew out of control.  At the same time, the Hafnia Seaways lost power and began to drift in heavy seas of 6 to 7 force winds and 2 meter waves.   The crew contacted the Emergency command centre at Cuxhaven.  The command centre dispatched the lifeboat along with several other vessels to the scene.  A special firefighting team from Brunsbüttel were lowered onto the ferry’s deck by a Naval helicopter.  The firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze while the crew was able to restore power.  The ferry continued on to Cuxhaven under its own power.   Four passengers and two crew were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.  An initial investigation by the water police states the fire started in a heater, but could not state whether it was due to a fault or by arson.

The container ship Rena continues to be firmly stuck on the astrolabe reef off Tauranga, New Zealand.  The bow section has not moved, but the stern section has begun to shift to further to port.  The vessel is now twisted with the large cracks along both sides of the hull.  This leaves the vessel structurally unsound and unable to be pulled off the reef.  If the heavy oil can be removed, tugs may attempt to tow the stern section away from the reef to deeper water where it would be allowed to sink.

The salvage crew were unable to pump oil off the Rena due to the heavy swells.   There had been concerns that the vessel would break up in the rough weather, but conditions improved allowing the three man crew to return to the vessel.  Their focus is now to continue pumping out the port tank which holds around 700 tons of heavy oil.