No port refuge for Flaminia

The German flagged vessel, registered at the Port of Hamburg, ran into trouble on 14 July when an onboard fire caused the death of two crew and injured three others.

The fire is now under control and the vessel has been stabilised by pumping water from the cargo holds into the ballast water tanks, containing the vessel’s list to just 2.5 degrees. This makes entry into an emergency port possible, but so far no port has come forward to help.

The vessel is in dire need of berthing to enable intact cargo to be removed and/or temporary repairs to be made to the 6,700 teu ship. It currently remains a few hundred nautical miles off the UK’s coast in a waiting position with an accompanying group of tugs.

Tugs and salvage authority, Jack Gaston, said to The Motorship: “In container ship terms it’s a relatively small ship and it has been at sea off Lands End waiting a decision for days. Apart from any other consideration there is undoubtedly considerable undamaged cargo onboard that the shippers are desperate to get their hands on.”

Meanwhile, the vessel’s owner, Reederei NSB, has expressed its disgust with the various coastal authorities.

And conditions at sea are worsening. A statement on NSB’s website says that firefighting experts onboard the vessel were continuing to extinguish individual containers until yesterday evening, but because weather conditions have worsened, salvage operations are now on hold until the weather improves again.