Video: Irish Cargo Ship Veers into Canal Embarkment in the Netherlands
For the second time this month, a cargo vessel navigating on the busy Ghent-Terneuzen canal veered out of the navigation channel and struck the mud embankment. The water authority, Rijkswaterstaat, reports that while there were no injuries or serious damage, it is investigating the cause of the incidents.
The Arklow Falcon, a 90-meter (295-foot) general cargo ship registered in Ireland, had entered the canal bound for Ghent in Belgium on Thursday evening, August 20. According to the reports, around 6:45 p.m. local time, the 4,972-dwt vessel lost control of its rudder and veered off course near Terneuzen, Netherlands. It is unclear if the ship was laden or what speed it was traveling at, but it ended up driving its bow onto the embankment and at an angle to the shipping lane.
The authorities were notified and, around 7:15 p.m., dispatched a tug from Multraship and a Rijkswaterstaat patrol boat. Around an hour later, the vessel was able to back off the embankment. The tug assisted in repositioning the ship and escorted it to an anchorage for a further inspection.
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Earlier in the month, the DFDS cargo RoRo Primula Seaways (14,000 dwt) was less fortunate as it was stuck for hours and sustained some damage. The vessel was arriving from Gothenburg, Sweden, on August 7 when it also lost control near Terneuzen. The 200-meter (656-foot) vessel drove its bow into the embankment.
Spectators gathered as it took the tugs three hours to pull the cargo ship free. There were reports of damage to the bow of the vessel and to the rocks and earthenwork at the side of the canal.
