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Accidents

Grounding of APL Vanda at Bramble Bank (2016)

The container ship APL Vanda grounded at Bramble Bank, off Cowes, while inbound to Southampton from Le Havre on the night of 13 February 2016. The article attributed the grounding to a reported loss of power and said it was believed to have been intentional. Eight tugs refloated the vessel and towed it to Southampton.

Classification

  • Incident Type: Grounded
  • Severity: Medium

Vessel Details

FieldValue
Vessel NameAPL Vanda
Vessel TypeContainer
Flag State
IMO Number9631993
Gross Tonnage169,423
LOA (m)
Breadth (m)51
Capacity14,000 TEU

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date2016-02-13
LocationBramble Bank, off Cowes, England
RegionUnited Kingdom
Coordinates50.9025, -1.4042
Fatalities0
Injuries0
Missing0
Direct Damage
Economic Damage

Key facts

  • Splash 247 reported that APL Vanda grounded at Bramble Bank on the night of 13 February 2016 while travelling from Le Havre to Southampton.
  • The article said the vessel had suffered a loss of power and that the grounding was believed to have been intentional; neither point is supported by an official finding in the available evidence.
  • Eight tugs freed APL Vanda in the early hours of 14 February and towed it safely to Southampton that afternoon.
  • The article reported no pollution and that the crew were safe.
  • Exact-IMO vessel records confirm IMO 9631993, gross tonnage 169,423, and breadth 51 m; the available incident article does not provide a flag or LOA.

Narrative

APL Vanda was inbound to Southampton from Le Havre when it grounded at Bramble Bank, off Cowes, on the night of 13 February 2016. Splash 247 reported that the 14,000-TEU containership had suffered a loss of power. The article said the grounding was believed to have been intentional, but did not identify who made that assessment or provide evidence that the manoeuvre was deliberate.

Eight tugs freed APL Vanda in the early hours of 14 February and towed it safely to Southampton later that afternoon. The article reported no pollution and said that the crew were safe. It did not state whether the vessel sustained structural damage, provide casualty figures beyond the safe-crew report, or explain the reported power loss.

The available material identifies no official investigation report or formal finding. The loss of power and the suggestion that the grounding was intentional therefore remain reported claims, not confirmed causes. No final damage assessment or monetary loss estimate is available. Exact-IMO vessel records provide gross tonnage and breadth, but do not resolve the incident-era flag or LOA in the reviewed material.

Sequence of events

Date/timeEvent
2016-02-13 nightAPL Vanda grounded at Bramble Bank while inbound from Le Havre to Southampton after a reported loss of power.
2016-02-14 early hoursEight tugs freed the vessel.
2016-02-14 afternoonThe tugs towed APL Vanda safely to Southampton.

Contributing factors

FactorEvidence statusDescription
Loss of powerReportedSplash 247 attributed the grounding to a loss of power, but no technical finding is identified.
Intentional groundingReportedThe article said the grounding was believed to have been intentional; the basis and status of that belief are not provided.

Investigation

No official investigation report or formal findings are identified in the available material. The reported loss of power and possible intentional grounding remain unresolved.

References

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