Crane collapses after being hit by the ZHEN HUA

[henrycourt]

Hi Steve, Believe me I wasn't trying to apportion blame in any way,shape or form. I was merely picking up on a previous point where somebody was talking about were there enough ropes used when the vessel tied up. I was merely trying to find out who decided, at the point of tying up, how many ropes should be used bearing in mind current and projected weather situations. Even I fully realise that the pilot would have been long gone at the time the incident happened. It brings up an interesting point in that exactly what is a pilot responsible for when on the bridge of a ship By the way I was on the other side of the harbour when Zhen Hua 23 docked yesterday. Rgds jw.

[Andrew McAlpine]

Hi all,

does anyone know if the port/viewing area are open now or if they will be tomorrow, was going to visit today to see her but couldnt in the end but may go up tomorrow?

rgds
Andrew

[henrycourt]

Suggest you go to Harwich, you'll still get a good view. Rgds jw

[Adjani]

Video of the post accident damage

Click for Video

[Michael]

Hi guys.

To dispell some inaccuracies from the local papers, first off the port always closes in high winds, more than 45mph and the quay cranes stop, 50 mph all drivers come down from ship to shore cranes and all RTGs stop work, the park and quay face is closed to all personel. The Port of Felixstowe takes wind very seriously.

The port remains closed until the winds die down and all of the park is checked over for rolled over boxes, only when it is clear do operations commence.

Further, the viewing area road was closed for three reasons, blown over boxes on Landguard could have blown over the fence so the road was cloased, two, rubber neckers, the place is small and would soon become swamped with cars and create grid lock, three, Zhen Hua 23 isnt out of danger yet and the rest could come toppling down.

The accident, this occured at 01:30 last night, wind speeds in excess of 85mph were recorded and the Zhen Hua 23 broke free from her berth, she was berthed yesterday for fear of high winds off shore, we dont have any records of off shore winds but its safe to say they may have been higher than 85mph out of the lee of the land.

Zhen Hua 23 then dragged down the quay causing damage to her starboard side until the Swedish crane ( nearest the bridge ) back reach boom impacted on Landguard crane three, this caused crane three to fall towards Landguard viewing area and onto crane two which then folded over towards Ipswich onto the remains of crane three.

The vessel continued to drift astern until it impacted the Landgauard foreshore and is at present aground by her stern, there is considerable concern that when the tide drops she may break her back.

I was fortunate to get onto the quay face this afternoon, though it remains closed to all but essential personel and will remain closed until the mess is sorted, though once Zhen Hua 23 is removed then crane four may begin limited operations at the West end of the terminal.

I do have some images but cannot show as they breach security I'm afraid, but there are no casualties thanks to the Ports excellent wind policy.

Hope that helps

Best

Mickoo

[Andrew McAlpine]

Hi Mickoo, thanks for the info its funny how the press always exaggerate these storeis.

do you know if the viewing area will be open tomorrow?

rgds
Andrew

[Michael]

Andrew,

I dont I'm afraid, I expect it wont open until the vessel is made safe, she is very close to a public area and if she does break her back then those cranes are probably going to come down as well.

I'm not sure of the vessels intergrity but this afternoon she was being held in place by two tugs and lots of people peering down the starboard side.

Ironically the other crane destined for Thamesport is the repaired crane 25 we had knocked by Maersk a while ago, the blessed thing is jinxed !.

For the record, crane three has already been knocked over in the past, in the eighties she was hit by a ships bow ( One of the Johnson liners I think ) and the lower legs collapsed and she sat back down on the quay still upright like some sort of ill giraffe. I do have some 35mm images somewhere so will try to dig them out and scan them in over the weekend. She was jacked up and a new lower section built to replace the broken section.

Best

Mickoo

[Guest]

mickoo wrote:
Hi guys.

To dispell some inaccuracies from the local papers,Best

Mickoo

Hi Michael

Always good to hear from the 'man on the ground', or in your case above ground  :-)

Looking at the video clip that was posted, the damage looks as though it will take some sorting out before the ship is moved - quite an entangled mess. The video also showed that whoever own the nice looking white motor cruiser that was onshore was very lucky!

Regards

Steve Ellwood

[Michael]

Steve,

No problem, I have to be quite carefull about what I do say, but the the local paper seems to run some sort of hate campaign towards the docks, if they can turn a story against them they will.

The cranes by sheer luck have fallen quite clear of the vessel, you can still walk between the vessel and wreckage on the safe walkway ( not so safe now ), both cranes are wrapped over each other so its a cut up job I'm afraid, I've looked at my photos and cant as yet find the boom for crane three, thats one long piece of box section ( 120 feet ) that is either crushed or missing, there is no damage to four of the five cranes on the vessel, but the torsional strain on the Swedish crane would have been very high, the only visable damage we can see so far is the tip of the back reach boom where it is bent, I havent been close enough to see if any paint has cracked or split off at the leg joins.

When crane 25 was hit the impact was much much less and there was considerable bending and splitting of painted areas, so I suspect the Swedish crane will have to go back to China for repair. Of course those forces would have been transmitted down through the support beams and onto the deck of the vessel so even when she is made safe, there could still be more problems when we take out three cranes off.

One of the most un-nerving things for me was the silence this afternoon, except for two things, the crane cab radio still crackling and working and the lift open door alarm going off !, which means theres still power feeding into that mess and at 11,000 volts thats not a place you want to go happy scouting.

Best

Mickoo

[Kelvin Davies]

The subject of berthing arrangements, pilots etc has had me scratching my head for some time.
Here at Southampton you will often hear the pilot relaying berthing arrangements to the berthing party, especially at the oil terminals at Fawley or Hamble.
Usually, you will hear the pilot telling the shore party there will be "4-3-3" (or something similar and he will then say which ropes (breast, springs etc) will go ashore first.
I have even heard a pilot discussing with Hamble whether or not there would be a problem as the head ropes were wire while the breast lines were rope.
So, I suppose my question would be, regardless of who has ultimate responsibility, who decides which lines are secured first and how many there will be.
Kelvin

[Michael]

I agree, here at Felixstowe the pilot assists in berthing and my understanding 'advises' the captain of mooring matters, however once left its probably the captains responsibility, I took a photo yesterday after arrival and she had eight mooring lines ( four wire and four rope ) on the stern and I'd expect the same on the front.

Although the load is high it doesn't present too much windage, not as much as a loaded container ship, yet none of those broke loose last night ?.

Standard mooring is six for container ships here four leading away from the vessel and two leading back alongside the vessel to stop heeling.

I've re looked at my photos and its not as clear as to how it happened, initially it looks like she just broke free and ran back along the quay until it hit the other cranes, however that would damage the Swedish crane near to the quay edge or near the back legs and would impart a twisting motion to the crane, and drag the Landguard cranes sideways toward the beach.

But the damage appears on the end of the boom, thats a good 60 feet over the quay side and the tip is bent down, it almost looks as if the vessel broke totally free into the river and then got blown onto the quay again, the tip of the boom hitting the cranes and pushing them back toward the land and a slight rearward motion. Thats the only way the tip can get bent and not at the legs which would be closest to the cranes if moored correctly.

Best

Mickoo

[Joe Watson]

Looking at the AIS, the stern of the ship has been refloated and she was moved along the terminal at about 1730hrs.

[Brian Cawkwell]

Surely the condition of the ropes /wires have got to be looked at.this is quite unbeleivable these days with all the technolgy we have availible to all.

[Michael]

Technically I'd have to agree, certainly yesterday two of the aft ropes were new and very clean so I dont know why she broke free.

On both terminals we were very lucky in the direction of the wind, it was almost end on to the stacks so very little was rolled over, but it was end on to Landguard quay which broke Zhen Hua 23 free, she was the only vessel on Landguard, vessels on Trinity would have been getting a different wind angle.

Regarding AIS, I agree, it looks like the vessel has been moved, so the viewing point should open in the morning.....unless there are other reasons not too, which right now I dont know about right now.

Best

Mickoo

[Arcadian]

We may be rival ports, but once again, thank goodness that no-one was injured.
We are all in this industry together...

No doubt the press and others will have a field day, we've been absolutely hammered by them, not helped by all the other rumour-mongers and people who wish to comment but have no knowledge or idea what goes on.

Hope your disruption doesn't cause as much heartache for everyone concerned as our's...

Rgds

PS I'm just waiting for the first person to accuse the FDRC of a cover up when they don't comment whilst establishing the facts...