Grounded Ro/Ro Towed to Harbor at Oskarshamn
After the discovery of serious damage and cracks to the hull of the grounded ro/ro Makassar Highway, the Swedish Coast Guard has permitted an emergency tow to bring the stricken vessel to port at Oskarshamn. With poor weather expected at her current anchorage site and the risk of reduced stability due to the damage, the agency granted the operator's request to remove the ship to a port of refuge.
The Highway has already spilled fuel oil into the water off the coast of Vastervik, Sweden, and the tow is under way at reduced speed to mitigate the risk of further pollution. As of Wednesday night, the Makassar Highway was under tow by the offshore tug Blue Antares, eight nm off Oskarshamn and making way at 1.5 knots. She was attended by four Swedish Coast Guard vessels, the KBV 313, 033, 031 and 003.
Response coordinator Mattias Heneborn said that "streaks of volatile oil" were observed in the water during the transit. However, none of the pollution was possible to recover with pickup systems. A Coast Guard overflight on Wednesday morning did not detect any sign of oil in the vessel's wake, Heneborn said. An estimated 100,000 gallons of petroleum are still on board the vessel.
"We plan to strengthen resources with environmental protection equipment in Oskarshamn on Wednesday, together with the rescue service. A joint staff has also been established there, Heneborn said in a statement.
The Makassar Highway went aground on a rocky shoal off Vastervik, Sweden last week, resulting in damage to her bow and port side, with water entering two of her tanks. Pär-Åke Eriksson, the coast guard station manager at Vastervik, told Swedish broadcaster SVT that the vessel was making 14 knots prior to the grounding.
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Swedish prosecutors have charged the Makassar's chief officer with negligence in connection with the grounding, and he has reportedly accepted a 60-day sentence.
The Highway refloated unexpectedly last weekend, releasing an unknown quantity of fuel oil from her damaged bunker tanks. Spill response boats recovered about 1,800 gallons of HFO, but a small amount reached shore near the town of Flatvarp and the nearby Torro Nature Reserve. The vessel was removed from the scene and anchored offshore.
