MEGA CONTAINERSHIP STUCK IN ELBE RIVER JUST DOWNSTREAM FROM PORT OF HAMBURG

China Shipping Container Line’s vessel INDIAN OCEAN Is stuck in the Elbe mud!

5:30 pm EST USA Feb 8, 2016: Though unclear to us here in Miami why or how it happened, it appears the mega vessel 19,000 TEU “Indian Ocean” drifted a bit out of the center of the El be channel and is now firmly stuck in the mud of the Elbe River, one of the best maintained navigable rivers in the world.

This raises serious questions for the operators of the huge mega vessels of the margin of error necessary to safely and efficiently pilot such vessels into port. Only delivered to China Shipping Container Lines Co. two months ago, the fully equipped with the latest and greatest navigation technology was not sufficient to keep the vessel out of harm way. The ship is attracting large crowds of spectators.

Six tugboats failed to pull the vessel off. The fuel is being pumped out of her, presumably to prevent an environmental spill and to lighten the load, as tugboats will have another go at pulling her out soon again. As of 5:30 pm EST or 11:30 pm Hamburg time the vessel status is still listed ‘AGROUND’ according to MarineTraffic.com.

You can track the vessel’s latest status and learn more about it by clicking on this link: http://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:994037/mmsi:477476800/vessel:CSCL%20INDIAN%20OCEAN

With 19,000 20’ containers theoretically possible to load on this vessel – the consequences of this much commerce tied up with one vessel staggers the mind – the delays – the refrigerated cargo – all hope for a speedy solution to the stranded vessel. The next best chance will be Tuesday when the water will rise to the highest level.

FreightRun.com wishes all the salvage personnel a safe and successful salvage attempt on Tuesday.