Classification
- Incident Type: Grounded
- Severity: High
- Region: Caribbean Sea
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Monte Pascoal |
| Vessel Type | Container |
| Flag State | Singapore [SG] |
| IMO Number | 9283203 |
| MMSI | 563051300 |
| Gross Tonnage | 69132 |
| LOA (m) | 272 |
| Breadth (m) | 40 |
| Owner/Operator | Hamburg Süd |
| Year Built | |
| Crew Size |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2023-01-07 |
| Location | Bay of Cartagena, near Bocachica, Colombia |
| Coordinates | 10.3900, -75.5100 |
| Region | Caribbean Sea |
| Fatalities | |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | |
| Cargo Loss | |
| Direct Damage | |
| Economic Damage | |
| Insured Loss | |
| Salvage/Cleanup Cost |
Key facts
- The Cartagena port captain reported that Monte Pascoal touched bottom near buoy 1 at the entrance to the access channel at about 10:30 local time.
- Three tugs refloated the vessel by mid-afternoon and moved it to the Mamonal anchorage for underwater and port-state inspection.
- Contemporaneous reporting said no cargo damage had been reported, but the vessel's hull and other components were still to be inspected.
- The port captain said vessel traffic through the access channel continued during the response.
Narrative
Monte Pascoal, a Hamburg Süd-operated container ship arriving from Rio de Janeiro, grounded on 7 January 2023 near Bocachica at the entrance to Cartagena Bay. The Cartagena port captain said the vessel made an improper approach toward the access channel and touched bottom near buoy 1. Reports place the event at about 10:30 local time.
The maritime traffic control tower established communications and three tugs assisted the vessel. The ship was refloated by mid-afternoon and moved to the Mamonal anchorage, where the port captain said underwater and other port-state inspections would assess its condition. Contemporaneous reporting said no cargo damage had been reported, but it did not provide a final hull-damage assessment or a monetary loss estimate.
The available reports describe the approach outside the channel alignment and quote a pilot's allegation of a bad maneuver by the captain. The port authority had not established the cause at the time of reporting, so that allegation is not treated as a finding here. No public final investigation report or final casualty determination has been identified.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2023-01-07 10:30 local | Monte Pascoal touched bottom near buoy 1 at the entrance to the Cartagena access channel. |
| 2023-01-07 15:30 local | Three tugs completed the refloating operation, after which the vessel was directed to Mamonal anchorage for inspection. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Approach outside the channel alignment | Reported | The Cartagena port captain described an improper approach toward the access channel and contact with the bottom near buoy 1. The cause remained under investigation. |
Investigation
The Capitanía de Puerto de Cartagena, under Colombia's maritime authority DIMAR, said the vessel would undergo underwater and port-state inspection and that the causes of the grounding would be investigated. No final investigation report or finding has been identified. The reported pilot allegation of a bad maneuver is therefore retained only as attributed information.
References
- Buque encallado fue sacado a flote: Capitanía de Puerto detalló el suceso
- Buque debió ser remolcado tras encallar en la bahía de Cartagena
- Containership grounded off Colombia
- Monte Pascoal vessel particulars