Maersk Containership and SFL Car Carrier Collide in Danish Straits

 

The containership Maersk Gironde and the car carrier SFL Composer collided late on Tuesday, August 5, as the two vessels were making their way through a busy section of the Danish Straits. The Danish Maritime Authority is reporting that both vessels were detained for further inspections and an investigation of the incident.

The collision happened shortly before midnight local time. The two vessels were in the Danish Straits near Funen on the east coast of Denmark. They were in the deep-water channel, which is a busy shipping lane feeding into the Baltic. The Danish authorities are reporting that both ships sustained “material damage” above the waterline. There were no injuries to the crew and no reports of pollution.

Pictures appearing in the Danish media show a large scrape along the side of the car carrier starting about three-quarters of the way back along its 200-meter (656-foot) length with a large dent and a hole at the stern. The Maersk Gironde sustained damage to its bow.

The Maersk Gironde, built in 2002, operates a North Europe shuttle route. The vessel, which is 61,600 dwt with a capacity of 4,800 TEU, was sailing from Wilhelmshaven, Germany, to Gdansk, Poland. The ship is at anchor awaiting approval to proceed, reports Maersk.

The SFL Composer, built in 2006, has a capacity of 6500 units, and according to SFL Corp., it is operating under charter to Volkswagen. The pictures show the vessel being assisted by two Svitzer tugs, with reports that it was being moved to the Port of Odense.

Underwater surveys of the vessels were planned for Wednesday morning. The Danish Maritime Authority did not comment on the circumstances or weather conditions at the time of the incident.