Ship Photos of the Day - Germany Practices Emergency Tow of Ultra-Large Containership

One of the world’s largest containerships partnered with the Germany’s maritime emergencies authority Havariekommando to test the agency’s capability to tow an ultra-large container vessel.

[contextly_sidebar id=”cW5NadMjjmWtNxrQdZqFsiPBtnPMwKuK”]The CMA CGM Jules Verne, the flagship of the French container shipping company CMA CGM Group, met up with two Havariekommando response vessels June 13 off northwest Germany to carry out the mock emergency that intended to prepare crews for emergency towing operations off Heligoland in the North Sea.

During the exercise, the crew of the Jules Verne and Havariekommando forces practiced a vessel in distress scenario, which included the boarding of the vessel via helicopter; coordination with the master; communication between the on-scene-coordinator, the boarding team, and the emergency towing vessels; and assembly of the tow connections. The vessels then practiced towing the vessel on different courses.

“The collaboration between the crew of CMA CGM JULES VERNE and our operative forces was excellent,” commented Wolfgang Knopf, the On Scene Coordinator. “The advantages of the Emergency Towing system on board CMA CGM Jules Verne, which is not yet compulsory for large container vessels, nevertheless providing enormous benefits for the towing operation in terms of safety and strength.”

All photos courtesy Havariekommando