Freighter Carrying Munitions Seeks Refuge at Vigo After Cargo Shift

A freighter carrying artillery shells from Jordan to Germany has taken refuge at the port of Vigo, Galicia after a cargo shift made further navigation hazardous. 

The tweendecker HC Eva-Marie was under way for Germany late last month when she was caught in Storm Eowyn. Due to the severity of the storm, nine out of the 96 boxes aboard broke loose and sustained some amount of exterior container damage. With another severe storm (Herminia) approaching, HC Eva-Marie sought refuge at the port of Vigo. 

"The poor sea state made it impossible for the ship to continue sailing, as this would pose a risk both to the ship itself and to navigation, given the possibility of cargo loss. The safest solution was considered to be a berth at a pier," the Vigo Port Authority (APV) said in a statement. 

Because of the nature of the ship's cargo, she was assigned a berth at the dangerous good pier, and she is guarded by the port's own police force and by the Guardia Civil. 

The response plan calls for the operator to deploy a team of explosive cargo experts to inspect the damage and make appropriate improvements to cargo securing arrangements. The port said that the containers will not be moved onto the pier, but will be shifted from one hold to another to facilitate access and proper re-lashing. The artillery shells are disassembled for safe transport, and are packed securely in boxes within the containers, the authority emphasized. 

"The mandatory risk analyses were carried out and the docking conditions were set respecting the regulations in force, guaranteeing, at all times, the safety of people, the infrastructure and the ship itself," APV said. 

The coordinated response began on February 1, and as of February 5 the Eva-Marie was still at the pier in Vigo. 

HC Eva Marie is an 11,000 dwt freighter built in 2007. She is owned and operated by a German company, and is flagged in Antigua.