Zhen Hua 23 in Felixstowe

[cjepearson]

At about 0200 on Saturday morning a squall came through Harwich Harbour, which caused the specialist container crane ship Zhen Hua 23 to break adrift from her layby berth in Felixstowe. She drifted astern down the quay, wiping out two shore cranes, and seriously damaging two others on board the ship, before running agound on the beach. No one was hurt, but there will be some happy lawyers about.

 

[pvb]

The best pictures are on the Harwich Haven forum, including this spectacular one...

 

[ChrisE]

Blimey and I worry about clipping a pontoon when I'm parking....

 

[Bejasus]

I guess they may need a few of these babys that I watched arriving in Savannah a few weeks ago.

Post Panamax Cranes

 

[Norman_E]

What is that ship for? Is it designed to go alongside and pick containers off another vessel and deliver them ashore in ports where there are no container cranes? If so what was it doing there?

 

[michael_w]

I think they're for a container port. The ship is delivering them from the manufacturer.

Shame Mirelle doesn't post here anymore. He'd do a fine job of explaining how you get the cranes ashore.

 

[pvb]

The ship was delivering new shore cranes for Felixstowe docks. The new cranes were made in China and were simply fixed to the ship for transport. The ship was originally built as a tanker, apparently.

 

[sailorman]

they "wheel Em off" on their own bogies

 

[Norman_E]

Seems to have done a pretty good demolition job on the old ones. I wonder if the new ones are all bent from the inpact.

 

[sailorman]

http://harwichhavenshipsandyachts.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=324

 

[PetiteFleur]

I think three are for Felixstowe which is why it berthed. They are welded to the deck for shipment and then rolled/winched off directly onto the dockside. The one damaged on board the ship was for Gothenburg apparently.
The lawyers will have fun, Felixstowe Dock is responsible for mooring the ship but they use the ships own mooring warps/cables. They broke in the storm and the ship drifted/blown down the quay demolishing the cranes.

 

[Bejasus]

the ones in Savannah were delivered by Dockwise but all in all I guess pretty much the same deal as the Zen Hua.

 

[PeterGibbs]

Last Sunday I was cycling down that end of Felixstowe and could not understand why so many cars were whipping back and forth to the viewing platform. Then I saw the cause up close! Wow!

These excellent pictures show the details - the reality is a massive question mark - how could a vessel with a precarious load be sheppherded safely around the world through winter seas, only to have half its cargo reduced to scrap in this way in our port in just a few minutes?

Did the lines gives way (ship's fault) or the dock fixtures (port's fault) Were insufficient lines fixed for the conditions.. And what about the ship's watch - none set? It goes on and on..

The Zhen ran back onto a very resistant shingle bank; who knows how much damage it must have sustained to its steering gear???

The eventual accident report will make fascinating reading. In the meanwhile an important facility at one of our overloaded container ports, is out of use for many months to come! yet more cost for us all, eventually, to bear...ouch all round!

PWG

 

[sailorman]

Re: Zhen Hua 23 in Felixstowe So what happens now?

.
Felixstowe have released the following statement

Landguard Terminal Update

Further to the incident on 1st March 2008 in which two existing ship-to-shore quay cranes on Landguard Terminal were damaged, the latest update on the situation is as follows:

There is no evidence of any damage to the three new cranes on board the 'Zhen Hua 23', and the Port does not expect major disruption in its operations as a result of this incident.

The 'Zhen Hua 23', which is delivering the three new cranes, is expected to be transferred to Trinity Terminal on Friday 7th March 2008, when work will commence on unloading the new cranes.

Thereafter, Landguard Terminal will re-open to shipping lines on a limited basis. It is expected that Landguard Terminal will re-open for the collection of import containers only from Tuesday 4th March 08:00 hours.

The Port can confirm the two cranes that sustained the damage were existing equipment at Landguard Terminal.

There is also a rumour that they are now in talks with the Tate Modern in London.........!!!

Many will have noticed that she has a tug in attendance at certain times.

Near the bow of the vessel is an overhang which at high water would sit above the level of the quay.

 

[Bejasus]

Re: Zhen Hua 23 in Felixstowe So what happens now?

so was the Zen Hua just temp. berthed at Landguard or were the new cranes for there also, or Trinity?