Japanese vessel still stuck

WHILE bad weather delayed hopes of pulling the stranded Japanese tuna vessel, Fukuseki Maru, to deeper water over the weekend, salvage teams have been working around the clock to ensure the salvage operation is done safely and with the least environmental impact as possible.

The vessel landed onto a rocky reef about two weeks ago, and the accident is being ascribed to possible human error. The vessel was on its way from Angolan waters to Walvis Bay when it ran aground 1,5 kilometres from the shore just south of the Ugab River mouth.

The ship was not stuck fast, but still “hopped and skipped” in the wave, making the salvage operation, led by Japan’s Nippon Salvage Company, and assisted by various Namibian services, a challenge.

At first, only one fuel tank was said to be damaged, causing diesel to spill, but due to the active wave zone in which the vessel was stranded, the spilled diesel could be dispersed and evaporate before causing too much environmental damage.

Well-placed sources however, informed last Thursday that the engine room also started taking water, and that of the nine fuel tanks, seven were now leaking. Also, whereas generators were still running, machinery and refrigeration on the vessel had also stopped working.

Oil from the flooded engine room was pumped out, while all the tanks were emptied of diesel which was loaded onto a salvage vessel. The remaining 13 crew members were also removed from the vessel. These had remained on the vessel to assist with the salvage operation, while their 11 counterparts were lifted from the vessel at the time of the incident. All 24 crew members are foreigners.

The removal of the crew and fuel and other moveable equipment were an attempt to lighten the 380 tonne and 50 metre long tuna fishing vessel, so it could float and make tugging it from the rocks easier.

A South African salvage tugboat was summoned from Cape Town to assist with the operation. All the mounting for the pull were reinforced and the main tow-line was able to be hooked onto the tug, and since Thursday it was hoped that the first attempt to tow the vessel would start on Friday.

understands that high tides were also pushing the vessel over the reef towards the shore and it was hoped it would clear the reef and get into a deeper channel between the shore and the reef, from where it could be guided out into the deep sea.

By Saturday though, bad weather had the operation delayed, and it remained so on Sunday.

A senior official at the department of maritime affairs of the works ministry told this newspaper yesterday that the vessel was still stranded and it is hoped it will be pulled out this week.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.