Video: OOCL Boxship Docks in California with Collapsed Container Stack
Two weeks after suffering a container stack collapse in the Pacific Ocean, the ultra-large containership OOCL Sunflower was escorted into the Port of Long Beach on Wednesday, March 18, with her forward-most stack collapsed and missing boxes. Recovery efforts to begin removing the collapsed and damaged boxes were expected to start as early as Thursday.
The ship, which is one of the newest in the Orient Overseas Container Line’s fleet, reported high seas while transiting the Pacific near the Aleutian Islands. The reports said the collapse occurred on March 3 near the southwestern tip of the Aleutian Islands. Media reports are saying the vessel encountered 20-foot seas.
The initial estimate was that 57 boxes had been lost overboard, but it has now been lowered to at least 32 containers. TV news images showed the entire forward stack leaning to port with several boxes appearing to have been crushed. The damage appears to have been limited to the single row at the bow of the vessel.
The vessel arrived off Southern California several days ago and reported it had been in the anchorage since at least Monday. The U.S. Coast Guard inspected the damage, and additional lashings were added in an attempt to further secure the tipped boxes. The Coast Guard was concerned the boxes could topple as the ship was maneuvered into its berth and has established a 100-yard safety zone around the ship.
Delivered by Dalian COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co. (DACKS) in January, the ship is the third in a new series being built for OOCL. It is 367 meters (1,204 feet) in length and 165,321 dwt with a capacity of 16,828 TEU. It was sailing from China with its last stop in Taiwan on February 23 before beginning the circle route to California.
The World Shipping Council highlights the decline in overboard losses, saying they were down to just 576 containers in 2024. The recent high-profile incidents with the large containerships happened as several ships were taking the route around South Africa and encountered heavy winter weather in August and September 2024. However, a feeder ship operating for Hapag-Lloyd lost a reported 85 containers as it hit the swells exiting the Port of Casablanca in February 2026. Heavy weather around the UK caused incidents in December and again in January, while a containership sought refuge in Spain after two stacks collapsed in January.
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Under the new regulations enacted by the International Maritime Organization, the masters of the vessels are responsible for prompt reporting to the authorities. They must also notify nearby vessels of the potential danger of boxes in the water. They are also required to notify their flag state and provide a damage assessment. In the case of the OOCL Sunflower, the crew advised that safety concerns limited their abilities and that the full assessment would be made once the vessel arrived in port.