Wikipedia

MSC Napoli

MSC Napoliwas a United Kingdom-flaggedcontainer shipthat developed a hull breach due to rough seas andslammingin theEnglish Channelon 18 January 2007. She was deliberately run aground atLyme Bayto avoid an environmental disaster and broken up bysalvors.

History
NameMSC Napoli
OwnerMetvale Limited
OperatorZodiac Maritime Agencies Ltd
Port of registry
Builder
Yard number1082
Launched24 August 1991
Out of serviceJanuary 2007
Renamed
  • 2004-2007MSC Napoli
  • 2001-2004CMA CGMNormandie
  • 1995-2001Nedlloyd Normandie
  • 1991-1995CGMNormandie
Identification
FateDamaged in storm on 18 January 2007; beached on 20 January 2007; broken up on 20 July 2007. Finally removed in July 2009.[1][2]
Notes[3]
General characteristics
Tonnage
Length275.66 m (904.4 ft)
Beam37.10 m (121.7 ft)
Draught13.8 m (45 ft 3 in)
Installed power34,480 KW
Speed24 kn (44 km/h; 28 mph)
Capacity
Crew31
Notes[3]

Early history

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The ship was built in 1991 and had a capacity of 4,419TEU(62,000 tons).[3]She was built bySamsung Heavy Industries,Kŏje,South Korea; owned by Metvale Ltd., a British Virgin Islands Brass Plate single entity company; managed byZodiac Maritime;and was under charter toMediterranean Shipping Company.[4]

On 27 March 2001, then namedCMA CGMNormandie,she was en route fromPort KlanginMalaysiato theIndonesiancapital,Jakartawhen she ran aground on a reef in theSingapore Straitand remained stuck for several weeks.[5]She was repaired by the Hyundai-VinashinShipyard inKhánh Hòa Province,Vietnam,[6]which included the welding of more than 3,000 tonnes of metal onto the hull.[7]

Kyrill

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Position ofMSC Napoliwhen she was abandoned

While en route from Belgium to Portugal on 18 January 2007, duringEuropean windstormKyrill,severe gale-force winds and huge waves caused serious damage toMSC Napoli's hull, including a crack in one side and a flooded engine room.[8]The ship was then 50 miles (80 km) off the coast ofThe Lizard,Cornwall.[citation needed]

At approximately 10:30UTC,the crew sent out a distress call. Not long afterwards, the captain ordered the crew to abandon ship into one of the lifeboats. They were out at sea for several hours before all 26 crew were picked up from their lifeboat bySea Kinghelicopters of theRoyal Navy'sFleet Air Armand taken toRoyal Naval Air Station Culdrosein Cornwall.[9]During the difficult rescue, one helicopter broke twowinchlines, making it even harder to rescue the seamen. The rough seas and gale-force winds gave the men acuteseasickness,and in some cases dehydration due to overheating.[citation needed]

Beached at Lyme Bay

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MSC Napolibeached off Branscombe with its containers removed.

On 19 January 2007, the ship was taken under tow by thesalvage tugAbeille Bourbon,later joined byAbeille Liberté.The vessel was to be towed toPortland HarbourinDorset,140 miles (230 km) distant; the closer ports ofFalmouth, CornwallandPlymouth,Devonwere rejected in addition to others in France, although the Falmouth harbour master Captain Mark Sansom said he had confirmed thatMSC Napolicould have been accommodated in Falmouth Bay.[10]Adrian Sanders,MPfor the parliamentary constituency ofTorbayraised questions about whyMSC Napoliwas not taken to Falmouth or France.[11]

The flotilla proceeded up theEnglish Channel;withMSC Napoliincreasing its list and with strong winds forecast refuge was taken inLyme Bay.Lyme Bay is sheltered from northwest, west and southwest winds, common at that time of year. The ship’s deteriorating condition raised doubts about its ability to withstand the rigours of the journey to Portland. Robin Middleton, the Secretary of State's Representative in Maritime Salvage and Intervention who was leading theMCA's salvage response team, decided to beach the ship in Lyme Bay. Middleton said that the environmental sensitivities in the Lyme Bay area were fully assessed before the decision to beachMSC Napoliwas made. He said, "The beaching location was selected based on minimising the impact of any spillage and enabling salvage work to remove the vessel and cargo to take place. The local authorities and environmental groups have been notified and all agencies are working together to ensure that pollution is minimised”.[12]Julian Wardlaw, who spoke for the Environment Group, an umbrella organisation for local green agencies, said Middleton had contacted it and asked where in Lyme Bay was the best place to beachMSC Napoli.Wardlaw said: "We told them: 'Nowhere in Lyme Bay'. It is too important an environment."[10]However, at a subsequent public enquiry Wardlaw said he supported the decision to deliberately ground the stricken container ship off the East Devon coastline describing it as the ‘least worst option.’[13]

The beaching location was atBranscombearound 1 mile (1.6 km) off the Devon coast, near the coastal town ofSidmouthon 20 January.[14][15]This area of the coastline whereMSC Napoliwas beached is a part of Britain's first naturalWorld Heritage Site,theJurassic Coast.In winter Lyme Bay hosts large numbers of wintering sea birds whilst the sea bed was habitat for endangered species such as thepink sea fanand sunset cup coral.[16][17][18]

Devon county councillor Stuart Hughes said, "So many questions need to be answered there has got to be a public enquiry".[19]Brian Greenslade, leader ofDevon County Council,confirmed that the council would be holding a public inquiry into the beaching. The move came amid questions about the decision to takeMSC Napolito an area of protected World Heritage Site coastline.[20]

Pollution risk

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Of the 41,773 tonnes of cargo on board, "1,684 tonnes are of products classified as dangerous by theInternational Maritime Organization".[21]103 containers fell into the sea.[22]Oil spilled 5 miles (8.0 km) to the north-east, which affected some sea birds.[22]More than 420 were taken to the nearbyWest HatchRSPCAWildlife Centre, though most of the affected animals faced permanent injury or death.[23]The specialised oil spill response vessel (French:bâtiment de soutien, d’assistance et de dépollution)BSADArgonauteproceeded to the spill area with anti-pollution personnel and equipment.[24]

Scavenging

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See also:Wrecking (shipwreck)

After containers from the wreck began washing up at Branscombe, around two hundred people went onto the beach to scavenge theflotsam,despite warnings from the police that those failing to notify theReceiver of Wreckof goods salvaged risked fines.[25]Scavenged goods include 17BMW R1200RTmotorcycles, empty wine casks,nappies,perfume,and car parts.[26]After initially tolerating a "salvage" free-for-all, by 23 January 2007 the police branded the activity of scavengers "despicable", closed the beach, and announced that they would use powers not used for 100 years to force people to return goods they had salvaged without informing the authorities, pointing out that under theMerchant Shipping Act 1995such actions constituted an offence equivalent to theft.[27]In October 2007, salvagers who had reported their finds to the Receiver of Wreck were told they could keep what they found.[28]

Salvage and cleanup operation

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Over the course of the next week, from 22 January, an attempt to remove the oil and other hazardous materials fromMSC Napoliwas made. The oil was veryviscousin cold weather and needed to be warmed up before it could be pumped onto the tugs. On 23 January 2007 further details of the forthcoming salvage operation of both the ship and its cargo were released. The main point of concern was the threat of anoil spill;someseabirdswere already affected and recovered along the Jurassic Coast.[citation needed]

Aside from the main salvage operation ofMSC Napoli,a localsalvagefirm was appointed to clear up the beach and remove the containers and flotsam. The earlier scavenging of the washed-up containers and cargo created a difference of opinion among people, some claiming it made the cleanup of the beach harder aswreckersforced open some sealed containers and sifted through the contents, leaving the unwanted items strewn across the beach. Others claimed that removing the flotsam contributed to the cleanup of Branscombe beach.[citation needed]

Items fromMSC Napolibegan to make landfall all along the south coast of England as far east as theIsle of Wight.[29]

The issue of wrecking or collecting the flotsam from the beach caused much discussion and gained media attention as the locals and the authorities became more concerned at the level of scavenging taking place from Branscombe beach and elsewhere along the coast. Eventually, theMaritime and Coastguard Agencyinvoked powers under theMerchant Shipping Act 1995.The agency said people taking goods would now be asked to deliver the items to the actingReceiver of Wreckon the beach. This effectively meant that no further items could legally be removed from the beach.[30]

Following this announcement, and for safety reasons whilst the beach cleanup operation got under way, the Police (Devon and Cornwall Constabulary) together with the support of theNational Trust(the owners of the beach) and the coastguard set up road blocks to close the beach. At the same time the salvage firm erected fences on the beach to prevent public access.[citation needed]

Breaking-up of wreck

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MSC Napolion 20 July 2007, seen from the cliffs betweenBeerandBranscombe.

On 9 July 2007MSC Napoliwas refloated,[31]but was re-beached on 12 July as a crack measuring 3 metres (9.8 ft) was found in the vessel's hull, running down both sides and through the keel.[32][33]The decision was made to break the ship up near Branscombe beach; this was attempted using explosives after a previous attempt to use the spring tides failed to break the ship apart.[34]

WithMSC Napoliremaining in one piece a first controlled explosion blew holes in the deck plating in order to expose the structural beams below usingshaped chargeswith a second cutting punch charge timed 50millisecondslater than the first. That job successfully exposed the beams, so more charges were planted across the beams which were ultimately severed. With only her deck plates on the main deck holding the vessel together around the bridge structure of the vessel, two tugs at either end of the ship tried to pull the ship apart.[35]

On 20 July 2007 a third controlled explosion finally split the ship in two.

Disposal

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Bow section ofMSC Napoliin Belfast Lough on 16 August 2007

In August 2007 the bow section of the ship's hull was taken to theHarland and Wolffshipyard inBelfast,Northern Irelandfor disposal and recycling. HM Coastguard placed a 500 metres (1,600 ft) exclusion zone around the wreckage while it was anchored inBelfast Lough,while awaiting entry to the yard.[citation needed]

A plan to tow the stern section as well to Harland and Wolff was abandoned in March 2008 in favour of cutting it upin situin the English Channel and removing the pieces.[36][37]Work started in May 2008. Following aparbuckling operationto correct the stern's list and trim,[38]work completed in July 2009.[1][39]

The 13,500 kilograms (29,800 lb) anchor from the vessel was presented to the people of Branscombe and East Devon by the ship's owners Metvale Ltd and was unveiled at Branscombe Mouth on 16 July 2008.[40]

Investigation and report

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TheMarine Accident Investigation Branchconducted an investigation into the accident, and a report on the investigation was published at the end of April 2008.[41]Det Norske Veritas,theclassification societyresponsible for the ship, also submitted its report at the same time.[42]The accident was found to be the result of structural failure of the vessel hull skin and girders at the interface between the transverse stiffening of the engine room and the longitudinal stiffening of the cargo area. This was due to the loading on the structure due to the ship, containers and the rare sea state exceeding the capacity of the hull girders in this area. No deficiencies were found in material or construction and the earlier grounding in 2001 did not contribute to the loss.[citation needed]

Legacy

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The anchor ofMSC Napoliat Branscombe, 2009

The 2009 albumArrogance Ignorance and Greedby West Country folk duoShow of Handsfeatures the track "The Napoli" which comments on the subsequent looting of the wreckage. ADoctor Whoepisode, titled "The Power of Three",was partially inspired by the story ofMSC Napoli.[43][clarification needed]

One of the BMW motorcycles salvaged from the wreck became part of a 2018 public artwork by Christian Kosmas Mayer, sited on the bank of the River Danube in Austria.[44][45]

References

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  1. ^ab"Napoli salvage is declared over".BBC News.30 July 2009.Retrieved13 May2010.
  2. ^Report on the investigation of the structural failure of MSC Napoli English Channel on 18 January 2007(PDF).Marine Accident Investigation Branch.Retrieved8 October2024.
  3. ^abc"CGM Normandie".French Lines.2010.Retrieved18 June2010.
  4. ^"MSC Napoli(24568) ".Vessel Register for DNV.DNV.
  5. ^"PSi Daily Shipping News"(PDF).31 March 2001. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 22 June 2006.
  6. ^Vietnam Investment Review (25 June 2001)."Khanh Hoa shipyard wins repair bid".Retrieved23 January2007.
  7. ^Jeremy Lovell (21 January 2007)."Beached British container ship sheds cargo and oil".Reuters AlertNet.Retrieved24 July2010.
  8. ^Daily Telegraph (18 January 2007)."Nine dead as storms lash Britain".The Daily Telegraph.London. Archived fromthe originalon 23 December 2007.Retrieved18 January2007.
  9. ^Royal Navy."Culdrose Helicopters Rescue Twenty Six Seamen".Archived fromthe originalon 21 January 2007.
  10. ^abMorris, Steven (27 January 2007)."Storm grows over Napoli's threat to world heritage coast".Guardian Unlimited.London.Retrieved30 January2007.
  11. ^"Most of Napoli's fuel oil removed".BBC News OnLine.31 January 2007.Retrieved31 January2007.
  12. ^"British Shipwreck Menaces World Heritage Devon Coast".Environment News Service.22 January 2007.Retrieved29 January2007.
  13. ^"Napoli remembered".Dorset view.19 January 2017.Retrieved31 August2021.
  14. ^BBC News (20 January 2007)."Pollution watch as ship beaches".Retrieved23 January2007.
  15. ^Report on the investigation of the structural failure of MSC Napoli English Channel on 18 January 2007(PDF).Marine Accident Investigation Branch.Retrieved8 October2024.
  16. ^"Pink Sea Fan".Action for Biodiversity in the South-West.Archived fromthe originalon 1 July 2007.Retrieved29 January2007.
  17. ^"Sunset cup coral".Marine Life Information Network for Britain and Ireland (MarLIN).Retrieved29 January2007.
  18. ^Morris, Steven (26 January 2007)."Wildlife at risk from beached ship's oil".Guardian Unlimited.London.Retrieved30 January2007.
  19. ^"Impact worse than foot and mouth".Devon24/Sidmouth Herald.26 January 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 23 December 2007.Retrieved30 January2007.
  20. ^"Most of Napoli's fuel oil removed".BBC News OnLine.31 January 2007.Retrieved31 January2007.
  21. ^Press release from the Préfecture maritimeArchived14 March 2007 at theWayback Machine,18 January 2007.
  22. ^abBBC News (22 January 2007)."Beached ship sheds chemical cargo".Retrieved6 January2010.
  23. ^BBC News (24 January 2007)."The real victims of Napoli's loss".Retrieved24 January2006.
  24. ^"Assistance à un porte-conteneurs en difficulté au nord d'Ouessant - Communiqué n°6"(Press release). Préfecture maritime de l'Atlantique. 19 January 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 20 July 2011.Retrieved28 July2010.
  25. ^BBC News (22 January 2007)."Scavengers take washed-up goods".Retrieved22 January2007.
  26. ^BBC News Magazine (22 January 2007)."Can you keep ship-wrecked goods?".Retrieved22 January2007.
  27. ^"Police crack down on scavengers".BBC News.23 January 2007.Retrieved13 May2010.
  28. ^"Salvagers allowed to keep BMWs from MSC Napoli".Motorcycle News.26 October 2007.Retrieved4 June2018.
  29. ^The Virtual Ranger (25 February 2007)."The Ranger's Blog: Account of Napoli clear-up on the Isle of Wight".Naturenet.net.Retrieved10 May2016.
  30. ^"WORK CONTINUES ON MSC NAPOLI"(Press release). Maritime and Coastguard Agency. 23 January 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 27 July 2008.
  31. ^BBC News (9 July 2007)."Stricken container ship refloated".Retrieved13 July2007.
  32. ^BBC News (13 July 2007)."Damaged ship Napoli beached again".Retrieved13 July2007.
  33. ^Report on the investigation of the structural failure of MSC Napoli English Channel on 18 January 2007(PDF).Marine Accident Investigation Branch.Retrieved8 October2024.
  34. ^Explosives to be used on NapoliBBC News, 16 July 2007
  35. ^Salvage Code RedArchived1 July 2009 at theWayback MachineSalvage Code Red, National Geographic Channel, 2009
  36. ^"Napoli tugged to final resting place".UTV. 15 August 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 27 September 2007.
  37. ^"Work to remove stern of MSC Napoli to start in May"(Press release). Maritime & Coastguard Agency. 27 March 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 27 July 2008.Retrieved30 March2008.
  38. ^Clark, Mark (2 July 2009)."The Hull of the MSC Napoli Breaks the Surface".Maritime & Coastguard Agency.Archived fromthe originalon 20 September 2013.Retrieved19 September2013.
  39. ^"Pulling power - MSC Napoli aft section lifted".Lloyd's List Daily Commercial News.Informa Australia. 9 July 2009. p. 19.
  40. ^BBC News (16 July 2008)."Stricken ship's anchor on display".Retrieved4 November2012.
  41. ^"Investigation Report MSC Napoli".Marine Accident Investigation Branch.Retrieved30 April2008.
  42. ^"DNV concludes - the MSC Napoli design is not a general industry problem".22 April 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 31 July 2012.Retrieved17 June2010.
  43. ^Cook, Benjamin (26 July 2012). "Life with the Doctor".Doctor Who Magazine(450).Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent:Panini Comics:36–39.
  44. ^Mayer, Christian Kosmas."Christian Kosmas Mayer - Cycles Galore!, 2018 BMW G650 Xmoto, engraved..."Christian Kosmas Mayer.Retrieved10 May2021.
  45. ^Shaw, Neil (30 October 2018)."Motorbike which washed up on Devon beach is turned into art".Retrieved10 May2021.
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