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"Wrong Way Agulhas?"

Or

Could M/V Safmarine Agulhas Escape Her Destiny?

On The Scene At The Port of East London

Feature Date: January 15 2007

Event Date: June 27, 2006

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On The Scene -- At The Port of East London

 A 2007 Countryman & McDaniel

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"Ship-To-Shore-Onto Ship" - Nov. 2007

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"Scheldt Snafu!" - M/V Grande Nigeria - Feb. 2006

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"Wrong Way Agulhas?"

On The Scene

At The Port of East London

South Africa

The Death of M/V Safmarine Agulhas

A Cargo Nightmare Prize Contender

The Date: June 27 2006

The Time: Morning

The Place: Off The Port of East London, South Africa

 

M/V Safmarine Agulhas In Better Days

Vessel Name - Safmarine Agulhas

EX-Merkur Delta

EX-CSAV Salerno

EX-Jolly Ocra

EX-CSAV Romeral

EX-Merkur Delta

Type of Vessel - Container Feeder (NONTANK)

Flag - Liberia

Owner - SCHIFFAHRTS-GESELLSCHAFT "MERKUR DELTA" MBH

Operator - F.A. VINNEN & CO. (GMBH & CO. KG) (Plan Holder)

Charter - Safmarine Container Lines N.V

Built: Nov. 1995

Built by - Szcecinska

Crew: 22

IMO No. - 9122021

Call Sign - ELSM9

Hull - Double Hull

Overall Length -183.9 meters

Width - 25.0 meters

Displacement - D.W.T - 22,900 tons

Gross ITC Tonnage - 16,800 tons

Fuel Oil - 15,072 barrels

Cranes - 2 Deck Cranes

The Prolog To Disaster -- Operations Off The Port of East London
 

PROLOG >> In 2006 We All Spent A Few Months Together On the Beach In Mexico With M/V APL Panama, Until She Floated Free Again.

Then We Held Our Collective Breath As M/V Cougar Ace Was Finally Righted & Saved In The North Pacific -- Albeit With The Tragic Death of Mr. Martin Johnson.

We Now Open The 2007 Cargo Law Features Season With A Ship Evolution of A Very Different Kind.

At Age 12 M/V Safmarine Agulhas Is A Fairly New Vessel....... But Perhaps One With A Destiny Which Will Now Be Fulfilled.

Michael S. McDaniel - Your Editor

M/V Safmarine Agulhas Appears To Be In Some Difficulty Off The Port of East London

A Breakwater Flanks Each Side of The Calcasieu Ship Channel Entrance To The South African Port of East London .......

....... But It Is Extremely Important To Actually Enter The Channel!

M/V Safmarine Agulhas Lies To The Rigtht of This Picture.

From The Cargo Letter - June 28 2006 -- Container Vessel In Jeopardy
M/V Safmarine Agulhas, for Durban -- lost power & ran aground just outside East London (South Africa) on June 27 -- harbor tugs have as yet been unable to free her -- 22 crew remain onboard the vessel and will be brought ashore should it be deemed necessary. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen. (Wed. June 28 2006)

But Things Are Not Always As They Appear!

Never Trust Pictures Without Context ...... M/V Safmarine Agulhas Was Actually On Deaparture!

(Yes, We Fooled You Again! -- But Only For A Moment -- So You Will Not Always Believe The Internet)

She Was Actually Sailing Out of The Calcasieu Ship Channel.

When M/V Safmarine Agulhas Lost Power & Was Blown Back Towards The Western Breakwater .......

........Before Settling On A Sandbank On The West Side of The Port Entrance.

M/V Safmarine Agulhas Did Not Go The Wrong Way.

This Is Not "Wrong Way Agulhas!" She Went The Right Way.

But As You Will See ........ The Conditions Were All Wrong For This Young Vessel.

M/V Safmarine Agulhas Lost Power & Blew Aground

In recent years several ships have been stranded in this position off the Calcasieu Ship Channel -- all of them are still there.

M/V Safmarine Agulhas would seem to be the latest victim of the unmanned engine room scenario so many ships now operate under.

Minimal manning means that the engine room is frequently not manned at all once the engines have been started and run up to operating temperature. This, in turn, means that the "running maintenance" that used to be done by the oilers & greasers is also no longer carried out -- and engine failure due to undetected minor problems that suddenly become big ones is becoming a more frequent problem. When an engine fails & cannot be restarted in a position where the ship is close to the shore, the results can be very expensive indeed. For M/V Safmarine Agulhas the price may be an ultimate one.

Prevailing Winds At The Western Breakwater Relentlessly Pushing........

...........M/V Safmarine Agulhas -- Pushing Toward The Saw-Edged Reefs And Sunken Rocks.

M/V Safmarine Agulhas Has No Defense Against Relentless Easterly Winds

From The Cargo Letter - July 1 2006 -- Container Vessel In Jeopardy
UPDATE>> Grounded container M/V Safmarine Agulhas -- salvage tug M/V Smit Amandla due at East London after a voyage delayed by bad weather but will be available to begin preparations for pulling. Container ship lost power shortly after sailing from Port of East London, June 27 evening &was blown back towards the western breakwater before settling on a sandbank on W. side of the port entrance. Efforts by two harbor tugs assisted by the restarted ships engines failed to move ship & decision was made to await arrival of the large salvage tug which was on its way from False Bay. Arrangements also made for Sikorsky S61 helicopter to be available at East London to assist with salvage. The S61 will be able to transfer personnel on vessel & remove large numbers of crew should this become necessary. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen. (Thurs. June 29 2006)

M/V Safmarine Agulhas Has Reached The Saw-Edged Reefs And Sunken Rocks

M/V Safmarine Agulhas -- Alone With Her 581 Containers of Goods From Europe.

Her Charge Is 469 Loaded Containers & 112 Empty Containers On Back Haul

From The Cargo Letter - July 3 2006 -- Container Vessel In Jeopardy
M/V Safmarine Agulhas continues resting on a sandbank barely five metres from East London's western breakwater, salvors this weekend began removing the fuel and diesel oil as the first step in lightening the ship before making any further attempts at pulling her clear into deep water. M/V Safmarine Agulhas is a container ship owned by F.A Vinnen & Co Gmbh & Co and deployed on the Europe/South Africa Intermediate service. The vessel is currently on charter to Safmarine Container Lines N.V. Shipping operations are continuing as normal in the Port and are not impacted on by the current situation. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen. (Mon. July 3 2006)

Prevailing Winds Taking Their Toll On M/V Safmarine Agulhas.........

........ Against Saw-Edged Reefs And Sunken Rocks

M/V Safmarine Agulhas Now Parallel To The Breakwater & Taking Constant Hits

The Cargo Is Taking A Beating & Must Be Removed

The Bunkers Must Be Removed To Prevent Pollution 

South African crane supplier Johnson Crane Hire was contracted by Smit Salvage to remove containers. In just 2 days, Johnson Crane Hire had mobilized a 50 ton shore crane to assist in removing the vessel's cargo of 662 tons of heavy fuel, 88 tons of diesel, 37 tons of lubrication oils & 581 containers! Bravo Zulu!

From The Cargo Letter - July 8 2006 -- Bunker & Container Removal

UPDATE>> Grounded container M/V Safmarine Agulhas --Salvors from SMIT Salvage commenced with the cargo removal operation -- made possible following the arrival from Johannesburg of one of Johnson's 550-ton mobile Liebherr cranes. Once the crane was erected on the breakwater it was possible to begin removing the containers onto either road or rail transport & then taken to a secure area within the port. Teams aboard the vessel and on the breakwater are able to lift 7 containers an hour M/V Safmarine Agulhas is meanwhile leaking a bit. Two of the ships holds & the engine room are partially flooded by seawater, the result of cracks & fractures caused by the movement of the ship against the seabed and possibly the breakwater wall. 180 tons bunker oil have already been removed. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen. (Sat. July 8 2006)
The shore crane was positioned on the existing breakwater & rigged with a 165-ton counterweight and in 'guy' configuration. As the largest mobile crane in South Africa, the machine has a lifting capacity of 42,000-kg at a working radius of 39 meters. According to the company, the ship's derricks were feeding the crane with containers, which weigh an average of 39,000 kg. & were then placed on heavy-duty trucks to be transported to a central storage area for redistribution -- those of the containers still salvageable.

All Hold Containers Discharged Except For Holds No.2 & No.3 Which Are Flooded.

From The Cargo Letter - July 10 2006 -- Bunker & Container Removal

UPDATE>> Grounded container M/V Safmarine Agulhas -- According to eyewitness reports most if not all the containers have been discharged from the ship onto the breakwater and carried away by road transport to an assembly point in the port. Once cleared of the ship's holds each container will be drained & steam-cleaned before being taken away from stacking and eventual examination -- 5 containers of cargo remain above deck. There are about 300 containers below deck. Salvors willl now remove the hatch covers to establish conditions below deck & set about discharging cargo from the holds below. The team discharging the cargo will now concentrate on holds 1 & 4 which are dry 2 & 3 being flooded as is the ship's engine room. Salvors still had about 100 tons of heavy fuel oil to discharge of the original 660 tons the ship was carrying when she lost power off East London & went aground. East London is approaching spring tides during which it was expected that the salvors would make another attempt at pulling the vessel clear of the sandbank. The ship is wedged meters from the port's western breakwater. According to one West Bank eyewitness the ships lights went out during July 7 night and he reported that the engine room of the vessel had become fully flooded. Salvage tug M/V Smit Amandla remains connected, preventing the vessel from being thrown against the breakwater. General Average declared about a week ago but Safmarine, who is the charterer of the vessel has advised customers that it intends providing both salvage and General Average security on their behalf, relieving customers of any further risk or outlay. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen. (Mon. July 10 2006)

Last Use of Her Container Deck Cranes

The Containers From The Flooded Holds No.2 & No.3 Were Recovered Around July 28, "Cleaned" & Discharged.

Owners of Cargo In Holds No.2 & No.3 Will Wish They Had Marine Cargo Insurance.

M/V Safmarine Agulhas Now Secures For The Last Time -- Abandon Ship

M/V Safmarine Agulhas --Still Proud --Now Ceases To Have A Function

 From The Cargo Letter - July 24 2006 --DOOMED SHIP
M/V Safmarine Agulhas UPDATE>> Grounded container M/V Safmarine Agulhas>> DOOMED SHIP>> Signs that M/V Safmarine Agulhas is beginning to break up comes in the form of large fish swimming around in the container vessel's engine room, which has been flooded for over a week. Divers operating inside the vessel to inspect damage in the flooded engine room and other sections of the vessel (two holds are also flooded) reporte seeing large fish swimming freely, indicating that large fractures open to the sea have occurred. Any likelihood of the ship being returned to serviceable condition is rapidly receding and this has become obvious from the statements of the salvors and other officials when they say that there will be no further attempts at refloating the ship in the immediate future. Salvage tug M/V Smit Amandla continues to hold the vessel away from the breakwater, which it has been doing for more than a week. Salvors have focused on removing the cargo and fuel on board but about 200 containers remain in the ship's flooded holds 2 and 3. A small amount of fuel also remains on board the doomed vessel. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen. (Mon. July 17 2006)

UPDATE>> About 170 containers remained on board being taken out of holds 2 and 3, which are flooded with oil & water. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen. (Wed. July 19 2006)

UPDATE>> Total of 130 containers still remain in 2 holds and must still be removed by the team from SMIT Salvage. A total of 199 containers were located in the holds where water ingress was reported when this phase of the cargo removal operation began. The team continues skimming heavy fuel oil from holds and the engine room.From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen. (Mon. July 24 2006)

UPDATE>> For all extents and purposes the grounded container M/V Safmarine Agulhas -- now seen as a shipwreck with no hope whatsoever of removing her from her beached position outside East London Harbor. Main problem now will be what to do with shipwreck, as it will be considered unthinkable to leave her where she is, in full view of virtually all of East London & every passing ship but the first step is to declare her to be a total write-off. The next step then would be to decide how best to remove the ship from the western breakwater, or if this proves impossible then to remove as much as possible of the vessel down to the waterline. In several recent cases involving shipwrecks along the South African coast salvors have resorted to dismantling anything that might be of interest to souvenir hunters and the curious before setting fire to the accommodation area or even blowing up M/V Jolly Rubino or M/V BBC China are cases in point. The close proximity of M/V Safmarine Agulhas to the breakwater and harbor itself renders this course of action highly unlikely. salvage tug M/V Smit Amandla, which has remained in position assisting with salvage attempts since shortly after M/V Safmarine Agulhas went aground, was called away on Jul 24 to assist with another vessel reportedly in danger off the Eastern Cape coast, the bulker M/V Brilliance. (July 25 2006)

  From The Cargo Letter - July 27 2006 --DOOMED SHIP
SAD END>> M/V Safmarine Agulhas UPDATE>> For all extents and purposes the grounded container M/V Safmarine Agulhas -- now seen as a shipwreck with no hope whatsoever of removing her from her beached position outside East London harbor. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen. (Wed.. July 26 2006) UPDATE>> Further indication that the grounded container M/V Safmarine Agulhas is nothing less than an undeclared total structural loss comes with photographic evidence of a crack extending all the way around the ship, practically breaking the ship in half. Expert opinion suggests that were it not for the strong hatch coamings the ship would have surely split in two by now. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen. (Thurs.. July 27 2006)

From The Cargo Letter - Aug. 1 2006 --DOOMED SHIP

UPDATE>> The unfortunate M/V Safmarine Agulhas has come to an end on the East London breakwater where she will be unceremoniously broken up by the action of the seas and by a team still to be appointed. The next step is for a tender to be issued for the removal of the wreck. About 85% of the ship's cargo of containers saved from the wreck by the efforts of the salvage team of Smit Salvage, working with a giant mobile crane brought specially from Gauteng for the job. The fact that M/V Safmarine Agulhas had come to rest right against the breakwater assisted in other respects the breakwater probably also hastened the end of the ship. The containers were taken to a position within the harbor to be checked before they could be re-sent to their final destination.. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen. (Tues. Aug. 1 2006)
From The Cargo Letter - Aug. 5 2006 --DOOMED SHIP Breaks In Half
M/V Safmarine Agulhas fought bravely to resist the fury of gale-force winds but with an audible 'BANG' snapped in half & broke in two on Aug 5. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen. (Wed. Aug. 9 2006)

 M/V Safmarine Agulhas In Half, With Bow Damage From Constant Battle 

The Wreck of M/V Safmarine Agulhas Continues To Be Battered -- Her Purpose Lost

She Continues To Battle Saw-Edged Reefs And Sunken Rocks

A Dramatic Loss -- Thankfully Without Injuries 

Perhaps We Can Find Some Meaning For The Manner of Loss -- In The Vessel's Name 

M/V Safmarine Agulhas is named for CAPE AGULHAS in Western Cape province, South Africa.

CAPE AGULHAS is the southern most point on the Horn of Africa.

The name "AGULHAS" refers to the "saw-edged reefs and sunken rocks that run out to sea and make navigation hazardous."

A powerful lighthouse on CAPE AGULHAS alerts ships of the danger.

The meridian of CAPE AGULHAS, longitude. 20° E, is used to divide the Atlantic & Indian Oceans ........

......among the most dangerous waters on Earth.

 

Now -- M/V Safmarine Agulhas Has Fallen Victim To Those Same........

.........."saw-edged reefs and sunken rocks that run out to sea and make navigation hazardous" At Cape Agulhas.

Was M/V Safmarine Agulhas Doomed By Her Name? Destiny?

Since "The Rime of The Ancient Martiner" Sailors Have Seen Meaning In Such Things

Either Way -- This Is A Poignant & Somehow Fitting End, If It Had To Be.

 

Ex-M/V Safmarine Agulhas -- No Longer A Ship --Her Identity Is Reduced To Scrap Metal

Sadly, Her Wreakage Lies Just A Few Meters West of Calcasieu Ship Channel --

--- And What Would Have Been Her Safe Harbor

Remains of A 12 Year Career At Sea - The Breakers Now Do Their Dark Job

Goodbye


Shippers Must Have Quality Marine Cargo Insurance ........ Because......... "Ship Happens! ©"

If We Have Ever Provided A Cautionary Tale In Support of Cargo Insurance -- This Is It!

To Repeat -- No Matter How Careful You Are -- Or Who You Hire ....... "Ship Happens! ©"

 

"Ship Happens! ©"


The Dedication of This Feature Is Simple: To The Crew of M/V Safmarine Agulhas and her families.


SPECIAL NOTE: The historic dangers of carriage by sea continue to be quite real. Shippers must be encouraged to purchase high quality marine cargo insurance from their freight forwarder or customs brokerIt's dangerous out there.


INDEX TO OUR "Wrong Way Agulhas?" PAGE SPECIAL FEATURES:

The Line
Safmarine

Safmarine Wikipedia

The Salvors

Smit Salvage
Smit Salvage Operations For M/V Safmarine Agulhas - the salvors history

Johnson Crane Hire

Port of East London

Port of East London

Port of East London

East London Harbor

Cape Agulhas

Cape Agulhas

Cape Agulhas

Cape Agulhas Lighthouse

Agulhas National Park

Mariner Lore - "saw-edged reefs and sunken rocks that run out to sea and make navigation hazardous"

Rime of The Ancient Mariner - by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Our Daily Vessel Casualties - stay informed

Other Ocean Related Features From The Cargo Letter- these are just examples

The Cargo Letter Photo Gallery of Transport Loss - For All The Air & Ocean Features - a few examples below

"For The "L" of It" - M/V Action Alpha - August 2007

"Full Speed Ahead" - M/V Alva Star - Nov. 2006

"Where The Trade Winds Blew" - Oct. 2006

"Maersk Montevideo Melee!" - M/V Leda Maersk - Oct. 2006

"Laying Down On The Job" - M/V Cargo Ace - Aug. 2006 The Marty Johnson Project Continues

"A Day A The Beach - M/V APL Panama - Jan. 2006

"Great Misfortune"- M/V Hyundai Fortune - March 2006

"Unstacked - Overboard With Dr. Beach" - Oct. 2004

"Columbia River Round Up" - June 2003

"Halifax Hash"--M/V Maersk Carolina - Jan. 2003

"Piñata" - breaking the box - Jan. 2003

"T-E-U Bar-Be-Cue" - aftermath of the M/V Pennsylvania Loss - Nov. 2002

"Container Pool" - a mystery - May 2002

"Dropping In On The Trucker" -happened again - April 2002

"Meals: Ready To Explode" - Navy Barbecue at Guam June 2001

"M/V Ville D' Orion" - Bad L.A. Stack Disaster! April 2001 -- UPDATED - May 2002

"Pier Review" - Sept. 2001

"Singles Only" - visit our individual moments of transport crisis for more.

The Greatest Container Losses Of All Time - these are the grand fathers -

M/V OOCL America

M/V APL China


SPECIAL NOTE: The historic dangers of carriage by sea continue to be quite real. Shippers must be encouraged to purchase high quality marine cargo insurance from their freight forwarder or customs broker. 

It's very dangerous out there.

Thanks To Our Contributors For The"Wrong Way Agulhas?" Feature

Our Contributors for this feature are:
Anonymous photo contributors who wish to be anonymous*

Trevor Alicia

Capt. Sundras Govender

Roy Martin

Tim Schwabedissen -- our Sr. Cargo Law Correspondent

The Cargo Letter appreciates the continuing efforts of these valued contributors. Thanks Pals!


NOTE: Please Provide Us With Your Additional Information For This Loss.

EDITOR'S NOTE FOR SURVEYORS, ATTORNEYS & MARINE ADJUSTERS: The Internet edition effort of The Cargo Letter now celebrates it's 8th Year of Service -- making us quite senior in this segment of the industry. We once estimated container underway losses at about 1,500 per year. Lloyd's put that figure at about 10,000 earlier this year. Quite obviously, the reporting mechanism for these massive losses is not supported by the lines. News of these events is not posted to the maritime community. Our new project is to call upon you -- those handling the claims -- to let us know of each container loss at sea-- in confidentiality. Many of you survey on behalf of cargo interests with no need for confidentiality. Others work for the lines & need to be protected. As a respected Int'l publication, The Cargo Letter enjoys full press privileges & cannot be forced to disclose our sources of information. No successful attempt has ever been made. If a personal notation for your report is desired -- each contributor will be given a "hot link" to your company Website in each & every report. Please take moment & report your "overside" containers to us. If you do not wish attribution, your entry will be "anonymous." This will will benefit our industry -- for obvious reasons! McD


* NOTE: The Cargo Letter wants you to know that by keeping the identity of our contributors 100% Confidential, you are able to view our continuing series of "Cargo Disasters." Our friends send us materials which benefit the industry. The materials are provided to our news publication with complete and enforceable confidentiality for the sender. In turn, we provide these materials to you.  

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