Stricken ship refloated
A CONTAINER ship which was battered by storms and beached off the south coast in a fierce storm just days after leaving Felixstowe port was today successfully refloated.
A CONTAINER ship which was battered by storms and beached off the south coast in a fierce storm just days after leaving Felixstowe port was today successfully refloated.
The 62,000 tonne MSC Napoli ran into trouble off east Devon six months ago - shedding nearly 200 containers and causing a mass scavenge as hundreds of people flocked to the beach to salvage goods being washed ashore.
Cargo removed by people included perfumes, wine, hair products, BMW motorbikes and car parts.
The 16 year old ship - a frequent visitor to Felixstowe and well known to shipspotters who man the John Bradfield Viewing Area to keep tabs on the ships coming and going - also leaked around 200 tonnes of oil into the sea along the World Heritage Site coastline.
Today the stricken vessel was refloated after 58,000 tonnes of water was pumped from her holds.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the Napoli would be held in Branscombe Bay until a decision was made on its future.
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“The decision to refloat the vessel has been made to prevent further deterioration in the structure of the ship and to prevent further damage to the environment,” said a spokesman.
