Classification
- Incident Type: Allision
- Severity: High
- Vessel Type: Container
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Cap San Antonio |
| Other Vessels | ZOE; VICTORIO; DERSA I; FB-24; FB-21 |
| Vessel Type | Container |
| Flag State | Denmark [DK] |
| IMO Number | |
| Gross Tonnage | |
| LOA (m) | 333 |
| Owner/Operator | Hamburg Süd |
| Capacity | 10,500 TEU |
| Year Built | 2014 |
Contemporary reporting identifies a Danish containership, 333 metres long. The judgment's opening paragraph instead describes a Hong Kong bulk carrier, 225 metres long and 41,101 GT. That unresolved record discrepancy is not used to replace the vessel particulars above. (gCaptain; judgment, p. 133)
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2021-06-20 |
| Location | Santos Estuary, departing the Port of Santos, Brazil |
| Region | Atlantic Ocean |
| Fatalities | |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | |
| Direct Damage |
Key facts
- The court identifies departure from Terminal Santos Brasil at about 13:00 local and impact at 13:47. (Judgment, p. 133)
- The ship struck berth No. 3 and dolphins 1 and 2, followed by DERSA I, FB-24 and FB-21. (Judgment, p. 137)
- Tug ZOE remained connected aft during the channel departure. (Judgment, pp. 133, 137)
- The municipality reported hull perforations into ballast tanks and temporary loss of one of three ferry berths. (Guarujá municipality)
- The court recorded material damage without recorded personal or environmental harm. (Judgment, p. 137)
Narrative
Cap San Antonio departed Terminal Santos Brasil with assistance from ZOE and VICTORIO. VICTORIO was released after unberthing; ZOE remained connected at the stern. The judgment records drafts of 4.50 metres forward and 8.90 metres aft. During a bend in the channel, the vessel set to port and struck ferry-berth structures on the Guarujá side, then the floating landing DERSA I and ferries FB-24 and FB-21. (Judgment, pp. 133–137)
Contemporary reports describe a substantial hole in the port-side hull and subsequent movement to an outer anchorage for repairs. On 21 June, Guarujá municipal officials inspected the damaged crossing infrastructure. The municipality reported that one berth and the separate pedestrian/cyclist embarkation area were temporarily unusable; it also stated that an Ibama inspection found no environmental damage. (gCaptain; Guarujá municipality)
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2021-06-20 about 13:00 local | The ship left Terminal Santos Brasil with two tugs; VICTORIO was subsequently released. |
| 2021-06-20 13:47 local | The ship struck the ferry berth and floating craft during the channel bend. |
| 2021-06-20 14:40 local | The port was declared impracticable because of strong wind. |
| 2021-06-21 | Municipal officials inspected the damaged crossing structures. |
| 2025-08-21 | Tribunal Marítimo ordered case 36789/2023 archived. |
Sources: judgment pp. 133, 136–137 and Guarujá's 21 June statement. (Judgment; municipality)
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Strong gusting wind | Confirmed finding | Tribunal Marítimo attributed the accident partly to strong wind with gusts during the channel bend. |
| Large windage area | Confirmed finding | The court included the ship's large windage area in its causative determination. |
| Draft and rudder exposure | Confirmed finding | The court cited drafts of 4.50 metres forward and 8.90 metres aft, leaving the rudder partly exposed. |
These are the court's findings in case 36789/2023. Its conflicting introductory vessel description remains unresolved. (Judgment, pp. 133, 137)
Investigation
The Capitania dos Portos de São Paulo investigated. Tribunal Marítimo unanimously classified the accidents as a fortuitous event and force majeure and ordered the case archived on 21 August 2025. It requested studies of minimum forward draft, maximum aft trim and minimum propeller immersion. Its decision records the same vessel name, accident date, ferry-berth location and damage sequence as the contemporary reports, despite the contradictory opening vessel particulars. Numeric casualty totals and a verified monetary loss remain unspecified. (Judgment, pp. 133–137)
References
- Tribunal Marítimo: case 36789/2023, judgment of 21 August 2025, pp. 133–137
- Guarujá municipality: inspection of damaged ferry-crossing structures
- gCaptain: Hamburg Süd ship strikes passenger loading dock in Santos