MSC Napoli bow arrives in Belfast

[Nathan]

Got the news from BBC.
 'The ship, beached off Devon since January, was split in two after a series of explosions last month.
The bow was towed to a holding point outside Belfast harbour ahead of being taken to Harland and Wolff shipyard where it will be broken up for scrap.
The stern of the ship and the accommodation block remain grounded about one mile off Sidmouth.
Harland and Wolff expects to receive the ship's bow later this week.'

To see the full story, click here.

[Guest]

Hi Nathan

Aim your browser at the AIS Liverpool web site @
http://www.aisliverpool.org.uk/currentmap.php?map=Belfast

You will see the Tug Anglian Earl (IMO 8516964) at anhor with the bow section from the MSC Napoli in Belfast Bay  :-)

Regards

Steve Ellwood

[Nathan]

Cheers Steve, im quite suprised that they are keeping her, well whats left of her waiting!

[Tom Walker]

Re MSC NAPOLI

According to BBC Devon the idea of popping the stern section on a barge and nipping it around to Belfast has been canned.

The locals are not impressed evidently.

The new plan appears to be to remove the superstructure, take out the engine and then remove the rest.  This to take place sometime before 'next season'.

Co-incidentally, although it may not be related AIS shows the tug SMIT BEVER and the German barge OCEANTEAM INSTALLER in Portland Harbour.

[Tom Walker]

I understand that the superstructure on the MSC Napoli to be dismantled on to a barge and removed from site.  The engines are to be unbolted by divers and then removed to a barge and then the remaining vessel removed, not sure what this entails.
The BBC News item estimates that it could take until next March to complete.

From AIS, there seems to be activity on the site.

[Timsen]

Battered by waves the stern recently took a list of 30 degrees to starboard. Report on bbc.co.uk

[holedrille]

It all seems to have gone very quiet regarding the remaining stern section of Napoli.
Up to the New Year, including over Christmas, AIS was showing the 3 salvage vessels on site. Since then they have disappeared, and there is only Anglian Earl waiting in Portland with barge load of scrap for Rotterdam. (between a sortie to try to salvage Ice Prince, that is). Surely they haven't yet managed to 'unbolt the engine'), as one rather optimistic report predicted a while back.
David

[Tom Walker]

The 'unbolting the engine' which I quoted was a phrase used by the shipping media.

It had been reported that this phase of the operation would last until mid January.  Last time I saw her there was a 'digger' working where the superstructure used to be.  She had increased her list and had piles driven into the seabed to stop her from capsizing.
I have seen more recent photographs showing the plating from the post side had been removed.

I am not sure what each phase involves, but I heard that work was likely to re-start on the next in a few weeks time.

[Guest]

Hi All

Latest Press Release from the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) @ http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-press-releases?id=D0DC45481FAA8A10&m=1&y=2008

"Maritime & Coastguard Agency
Press Notice No: 014-08
Friday, January 18, 2008
Posted 11:23 GMT

NAPOLI: A YEAR ON

The first phase of the removal of the stern section of the MSC Napoli has now ended. All the accommodation block has been cut away and the scrap has been removed for disposal. The bow section was towed to a yard in Northern Ireland last year.

All the salvage vessels and plant equipment that were on site have now returned to Rotterdam. All that remains is the cut down stern section with a 30 degree list to starboard.

The owners representatives and insurers are currently in discussions to decide the timetable and method for removing the final section in phase 2 which is expected to commence sometime in April. The duration of the final phase will not be known until the final method of removal has been determined.

Hugh Shaw, the Secretary of States Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention said:

We have reached a milestone in the removal of the final piece of the wreck of the MSC Napoli.

The original plan was for a 2 phase operation to remove the stern section.  

Because the stern section is listing after a spell of bad weather, the plan for phase 2 may have to be revised, and this is the subject of further negotiations and discussions at the moment.

From now until the start of Phase 2 a legally enforceable total exclusion zone (TEZ) of 500 metres will be in place."

Regards

Steve Ellwood

[Chris Allport]

There is a very well researched and balanced article on the MSC Napoli incident "one year on" in the Sunday Times today. Go to ttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3196943.ece

I was particularly pleased to note that the Sunday Times journalist praised the Captain and Crew of the MSC Napoli in their expertise working as a team to follow their training and well developed procedures evacuating the vessel successfully without injury to any crewmembers. This truely was an exceptional demonstration of professionalism and good seamanship.

The article includes some intersting statements, perhaps the most significant being "Was it a freak accident or does it suggest lethal flaws in a method of transport responsible for shifting 90% of world trade?" It will be interesting if the upcoming MAIB report due publication in the next month or so will answer this question. Perhaps the prolonged delay in publication of the report is an indication that the findings of the investigation have serious implications for the container shipping industry and the classification societies that control construction  - particularly if the root cause of the MSC Napoli foundering was due to flaws in the design and construction. We'll have to wait and see.  Regards. Chris Allport