OOCL Japan is a 400-metre container ship (IMO 9776195) linked to two separate Suez Canal incidents in the Maritime Wiki. It grounded during an October 2017 transit. On 6 June 2018, it struck a canal embankment near the kilometre 18 mark; FleetMon reported a steering failure before the strike, damage to an adjacent road and a passing car, and recovery by tugs. The available article does not establish a technical cause through an official investigation.
The 2018 event illustrates the exposure of infrastructure immediately beside a confined waterway. Novatug's research on connected escort towage near critical infrastructure discusses one possible control measure in such settings. It is general research, not an assessment of whether a different tug arrangement would have changed this incident.
Particulars
- Vessel type: Container
- IMO number: 9776195
- Gross tonnage: 210890
- LOA (m): 400
- Breadth (m): 59
- Year built: 2017