Hoegh Osaka Salvage: Wednesday's Refloating Plans Scrapped [UPDATE]

The cargo ship Hoegh Osaka lies on its side after being deliberately ran aground on the Bramble Bank in the Solent estuary, near Southampton in southern England January 5, 2015. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

Breaking: Hoegh Osaka Self Floated at High Tide

Salvors of the grounded Hoegh Osaka car carrier in the Solent have decided not to attempt to refloat the vessel on Wednesday over the revelation that the vessel has taken on more water than previously thought.

A statement from the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency on Tuesday said that preparations were being made to potentially refloat the ship on Wednesday or otherwise secure the ship in preparation for the expected bad weather.

A team of salvors from the appointed salvage company Svitzer were onboard the grounded ship Monday through Tuesday doing assessments of the condition of the ship. The assessments determined that the cargo – an estimated 1,400 vehicles, including about 1,200 luxury Range Rovers and Jaguar models – was still in position, however one deck has shifted and caused a slight crack in the hull, according to the MCA. The update added that there had been a small ingress of water below the water line, but still no pollution.

Salvors were expected to continue their assessment of the vessel on Tuesday before finalizing plans to refloat the ship. An update late Tuesday from the MCA said that the salvage team’s calculations revealed that the vessel had taken on more water than previously thought and, as a result, it was determined that Wednesday’s weather window was simply too small to make preparations for the refloat.

The MCA did not provide an estimate on the timeline of any future attempts to refloat the ship.

The 51,000 ton, Singapore-flagged Hoegh Osaka was intentionally grounded on the Bramble Bank in the Solent after the ship developed a severe list after departing the port of Southhampton. The ship is listing at about 45 degrees.

Full Coverage: Hoegh Osaka Grounding