Container ship demolishes port jetty as engine fails

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bob_tyler

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A FULLY laden container ship demolished a jetty at Southampton docks after it lost engine power as it tried to berth.

The 107,000-ton Hapag Lloyd Savannah Express was attempting to moor at Southampton Container Terminals when investigators believe its engine cut out, allowing the prow to smash into the dockside.

The link span jetty, which was used for loading vehicles on to roll-on-roll-off ships, was destroyed.

Tugs raced from across the port to bring the vessel under control and berth it safely.

Nobody was injured in the incident, which also caused no pollution.

Eyewitness Colin Cooper, 51, was in his Marchwood flat, directly opposite the terminal.

"I heard this very loud dragging, scraping sound. Then I heard a metallic bang and ran to the balcony and saw it had gone nose first into the dock.

"There's no real damage to the ship but there's a big piece of the dock missing."

Deputy harbour master Mike Evans said: "Initial investigation seems to suggest an engine failure which prevented the vessel from checking its forward motion. Once a vessel loses its engines it's quite a problem."

I thought it only happened to me arriving in a marina!
 
I wonder how it could have 'lost' its engine, its effing enourmous, so if you see an engine somewhere - about the size of a block of flats, perhaps you would like to let them know where it went.

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s'aright .. it's just passed marchwood on its way out. not too big a hole in her bow, evidently, and doing 11kn ....
 
It happens in the best regulated families...

There but for the grace of God go I...(my lot go to Felixstowe, by the way).

Between the bridge control and the great big block of flats size engine, with a three foot bore and ten foot stroke, about a hundred feet down from it, there is quite a lot of electronics, cabling, pneumatics and hydraulics. This is where the gremlins tend to lurk.

There is no gearbox, no clutch and no reverse. To go astern you stop the engine and re-start it, using compressed air, turning the other way.

I once had a ship where the main engine stopped dead at 4.06 ship's time, every afternoon, winter or summer, rain or shine...co-incided with the junior 4th engineer starting the fuel transfer pump - cabling ran in same duct as engine control circuit and the magnetic surge tripped it. Being a junior 4th engineer he never made the connection...never made Chief Engineer either...
 
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Hmmm

Worrying for those of us who moor over the way at Marchwood Yacht Club!

Magic

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Nah, just make sure your riding light is on, ball is up and the halyards rattle in a sequence that befits the fog signal /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Robin
 
Yes, these things do happen...I was berthing one of the new generation China Shipping ships the other day, when the main engine failed, the aft tug did his bit to pull the stern off, and only succeeded in breaking the tow rope, and I couldn't drop the anchors because of the for'd tug. If there had been enough water I would have berthed very neatly in Shotley Marina. These ships are 334m long, 42m beam with 100,000 HP main engines.
 
I once watched, with disbelief, as a large ship plowed into Essex Marina one Sunday morning about 20 years ago. I stood and watched, thinking they are going to slow down in a minute, as the ship came closer and closer, then drifted straight into the pontoons at about two knots. Did a lot of damage to the marina. It was one of those occasions when everything seems to happen in slow motion.

Evidently the gear change to move from forward to reverse propulsion failed just as they were trying to slow down to berth at a nearby wharf. Spoiled several peoples breakfast and sunk a few boats.

At some level it is reassuring to know that these accidents happen to the pro's as well as the amateurs.
 
Re: It happens in the best regulated families...

There was none of this electronic tosh when I was at sea! Bridge rang the telegraph, we answered, and started/stopped engines to that.

One particular old ship was a bu**er to go astern the first time after a long passage at full sea revs. After that it was fine.

The trick was to have someone round the back of the engine with a large sledgehammer, and on the first astern movement, the guy at the controls made a lot of noise with a wheel key on the plates which was the signal for the guy with the sledgehammer to let rip. This usually took place as we picked up the pilot, so by the time we got alongside, everything was working fine.

Well, one time somewhere up the Baltic coast of Sweden, we hadn't done the first astern movement as we approached the jetty.

First it was "Slow Astern" - Bang, bang, bang - no joy !
"Half Astern" - still much banging
"Full Astern" - Even more banging

Then a horrible bump and a lurch across the engine room.

Bridge phone rings - The Old Man. "Never mind going astern, we're there. We've just moved the jetty 6 feet"

Happy days !
 
Dundee springs to mind ....

I'm 3rd mate on bow .... approaching Dundee Dry Cargo Docks ........

Bridge : Call of distance as we approach bow ...

Me : about 400 yards bridge ....

so the countdown goes ......

Bridge : How far off now bow ?

Me : Too bloody late now - you're gonna hit it ........

Bridge : Stop being clever and answer .


CRUNCH as the flare of bow bent the crane and ripped out the rail !!! CRUMP as plating bent to the impact of a 20,000 ton Shell Tanker against concrete and steel .....

Funny that ..... all went quiet and then the dockies shouted ......... What is with you b.....ds - the last bloody shell tanker did it an 'all !!

We blame the pilot .....

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Chemical Sol ...

She had same problem .... luckily we had a girt big 3rd Eng'r who could belt valves all day with the sledge !!!
 
QE Dock Manchester Ship Canal .... Tokyo Bay ......

QE Dock .... small tanker turning round in dock .... telegraph literally constant ding ding .... as Pilot gives out orders ...

Phone rings .... "Ch'Eng here .... you got 2 f....g movements left and one of thems STOP .... so pack it up .... we have no air left !!!"

I'm Cadet who took the call ..... Errrr Captain - Chief Engineer has something to tell you ....

onto Tokyop Bay ..... 100,000 ton Coal Bulk Carrier ..... full load going in to pick up Pilot ....

Pilot gets to bridge ........ Good Day Captain ... 12 knots please follow that tug and we'll have you in ....

I'm 2nd Off. on Telegraph .... its one of those ships with Bridge control of air and engine ... so its air lever forward, telegraph to slow ahead ... to start engine ... judder judder judder .... nothing ... so levers back to stop. Try again ... judder judder judder .... nothing. So wait a while - try again - wait - try - wait - try ....

Pilot by now is getting a little angry .... Captains i gaugiung distance to rocks etc. Telephone rings ..... DON'T DO THAT AGAIN .... we just cracked 3 cylinders !!!

OK Chief - when can we get engines on .....

Gi'us a chance ... maybe a little while we can crank her for a slow ahead ....

Captain - ER says engines f....d and we may only get about 3 knots .....

The rest of the proceedings is not fit for publication .... !!

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Re: Swinging the Lantern

Forth Oil Terminal, Bridge Control to stop, whats this engines gone full ahead, for the first time that trip all burners slammed in and lit so all 32,000 horses are go
Bust stern tug rope as he tries to stop 215,000 tones surging towards the bridge- meanwhile after a frantic rundown to the turbine the emergency stop is slammed home.

Tied up at Hull discharging cargo, I have no 5 fuel pump and sundary other items in bits, Old man rings down can I engines as the 3rd mate has slackened the warps off too much and we are hanging on the discharge pipes. Reply - I'll give some steam on deck otherwise f''' off

Running out of air as otherposters have said was very common and it was standard langauge to tell the monkeys on the bridge they had used all the f'''''''g air and the pilot could piss off if he wanted any more engine movments for the next 5 mins.

Happy days
 
Brian Humber .....

Name rings a bell somewhere .... forgive the pun ..... not ex Stena Line by any chance ???? or Shell Tan UK ??

The name twigs me .....

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Curacao ....

Two incidents of note here .....

a) 70,000 ton Crude job going into Willemshaven Ocean Oil Jetty ..... she's been loaded over max draft .... Pilot agrees to try .... so its short tuirn the ship of the jetty .... bow runs aground, tug pulling like ***** ..... its one of those real heavy job tow wires .... steel cable centre with polyprop outer .... it snaps .......... the whiplash took out the bulwarks, bollards etc. before it fell like a wounded snake ....

b) Smaller 20,000 ton job going to same terminal up the canal past the Passenger terminal .... P&O ship alongside .... I'm down aft with mooring gang ....
My walkie talkie comes alive with :

Poop this is Bridge .....

Yes Bridge this is poop ....

Poop - tell your bloody guys to stop flashing arse at the passengers !!!!

Hey guys .... come on thats enough ...... old man doesn't like it !!!

Needless to say they were Brit crew .....
 
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