Another 'MSC' Box Ship with a possible problem??

[brimar]

  MSC DIEGO IMO 9202649,Looks like she had a problem south of Cape Clear yesterday while outward bound from Liverpool.
  Tug 'Hellas' IMO 7419690 left her station in Torbay  and now appears to be escorting MSC Diego eastbound in the English Channel, present postion at 1000 01/02/2012 approx 25m south of the Lizard.
             Does anyone have any imfo ?

[brimar]

Boxship . .'MSC DIEGO' Problem Update !!

AT 1730 02/02/2012 Vessel's position now 30M SSE of St Catherines Point, speed 6.5 knots. Savage Tug 'Hellas' still in attendance . .showing on AIS as Destination Antwerp.

[Kelvin Davies]

At 06:30 MSC San Diego appears to be creeping along under its own power with Hellas sort of shadowing behind, currently about 15 miles SSW of Etaples.
The container ship thinks he will be at Antwerp at midnight tonight while the tug thinks 04:00 tomorrow is more like it.

[brimar]

  The French ETV 'Abeille Languedoc' IMO 7710525 Has now joined up with the Salvage tug 'Hellas' to escort 'MSC Diego' through Dover Strait.
 Position AT 1400 Today 8.5M NW OF Calais still doing around 6 knots

[Captain Ted]

hi all
Don,t get the sensationalism of this.
The ship has a problem, if it does not do anything and drifts or grounds even after breakdwon,,they are bad,, if they are like now, have for precaution tug boats escorting them,,also not ok.
What suppose a Captain or a company to do,,, what would please the AIS watchers ?

[Kelvin Davies]

Ted,
You won't get the sensationalism of this as there is none.
It seems to me quite normal for someone to be curious as to why a ship that experienced difficulties not far out from her departure point (Liverpool) didn't just turn around and return to Liverpool for repairs.
And then to pass Southampton and Le Havre and plod along at 5 or 6 kts toward Antwerp is a bit puzzling. Who would want to navigate the fast flowing Scheldt in a ship with obvious difficulties?
So, not sensationalism; only curiosity.
I see this morning (04:00 GMT) she is off the Belgian coast with a whole family of tugs in attendance. In addition to Hellas, there is Union Grizzly, Union 5 and Gent.
Kelvin

[Hannes van Rijn]

Hi all
The MSC Diego has just passed Terneuzen on their way to Antwerp assisted by the tugs Union Grizzly  Union 5 and the Gent.
I think the vessel  is towed

[brimar]

Yep fully agree Kelvin.
  It was curiosity that started this thread as the Salvage Tug 'Hellas' has been sitting peacefully at anchor awaiting the 'money' call in Torbay, in front of my bungalow window for the last month.But earlier this week after rising from slumber and wiping the sleep from my eyes, she had disappeared,so a quick check on Marine Traffic found her of Scilly escorting MSC Diego.
  Glad to see she has arrived safely in Antwerp, so look forward to having my panoramic view of the 'Hellas' back again in a few days,unless she picks up another job on the way back.

           Attached.....'HAPPAG LLOYD' LLOYD APOLOGISES TO ITS CUSTOMERS.

[Captain Ted]

Kelvin
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
You won't get the sensationalism of this as there is none.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>....
that exactly what I said,,no sensationlism there whatsoever. But read the title "Another MSC Box ship with a possible problem.
Isn,t that not already hinting to that direction,, "Another..."

For your comment why not easy turn around,,, Think about, the vessel goes back, then repaired as you state,, not that easy. first she does not have a dock, possible has to wait at anchor. In Antwerp, that,s MSC, s home hub in Europe, they can rather easy coordinate.
Next, if sitting in Liverpool, can you imagine what nightmare it is to discharge and reload
all the containers on other ships and to what cost. Then the delay, "just in time delivery" as is nowadays normal and suddenly a big box ship with 1000,s of container does not arrive in time.
The decison to keep going, under tug assitance, is most probably on the end for all parties involved a very wise one.
As for the comment on the Schelde and high currents,  of course,, but the currents swinging around twice a day, good timed and the ship can go upstream, again with tugs around her as stated in a rather short time and totally safe. so also there no "sensation" but rather common thinking from the operating side of a big box ship.

[brimar]

Maybe Capt Ted if you had been involved, like I was in the aftermath clean up operation of the 'MSC Napoli' disaster and all the environmental damage it caused to our local coastline u may have another view on the reputation of MSC and now a repeat of the same on the New Zealand folk. So perhaps the word 'Another'which I used in the title in this thread took those incidents into consideration.