After more than five weeks of negotiations the fire-ravaged boxship MSC Flaminia has finally been granted a port of refuge at the newly-constructed German deep sea container port of Wilhelmshaven.However, prior to this the partially burnt-out ship will need to pass a safety inspection today at a location 40 nautical miles off Lands End to ensure she is safe and stable enough to proceed under tow through the English Channel - the busiest seaway in the world.
At four knots the passage will take more than a week and assuming all goes well, once off the German coast the vessel will be anchored in the German Bight, approximately 12 nautical miles off Heligoland, where it will then be subject again to an inspection by dangerous goods specialists, chemists and a team of salvage experts.
If it is once again determined safe, the MSC Flaminia will be towed to Wilhelmshaven - Germany’s only deep sea container port - at Jade Bight on the North Sea coast.
The opening of Germany’s prestigious new box port scheduled for August 5 was delayed due to cracks being detected in the quay wall.
No new opening date has been given prompting Maersk Line to delay the planned transfer of some of its services from Bremerhaven.
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