International Trade & Safety Consultants

"Overlooking Runway 25 - Right, at Los Angeles International Airport"

Go Directly To The Feature

Index To Our General Services
Contact Countryman & McDaniel Legal Services of The Firm Our Staff Attorneys & Law Firm Profile The Cargo Law Network - Correspondent Lawyers In The U.S. & Most Major Trading Nations Library & Search Engine of The Cargo Letter Search Engine For This Internet Portal - Find Everything You Need Transport Reference Desk - Virtual Transport Library	24 Hour Int'l Vessel Casualties & Pirates Database The Photo Gallery of Cargo Loss - Photos & Lessons Learned Transport Law Navigator - all air, ocean, motor & customs laws Library & Search Engine of The Cargo Letter Mega Portal of Trade & Transport References And Services General Reference Desk - virtual public library Terms & Conditions Required For Use of This Web Site
TRANS CAMS © - over 600 Transport Cams, 40 Satellites, Streaming Video, Transport Sounds, Short Wave Radio & Air Traffic Control! CLICK HERE

Use The Search Engine Here:

Search The Cargo Law Site or The Entire World Wide Web        powered by FreeFind     Site Search Web Search

	"Big Battered Banana Boat" M/V Horncliff On The Scene 225 Miles Off The Isles of Scilly

Horn-Linie is an independent shipping company serving trade between northern Europe and the Caribbean and North Europe, West Africa: Cameron, Mauritania, Benin and Togo. It is a dedicated and experienced niche carrier, offering the market direct connections at fastest transit times. The scope of service comprises containers of all types, rolling stock, breakbulk and facilities for 12 to 14 passengers.

There Was Nothing Scilly About This Storm

When M/V Horncliff was about 225 miles (360km) from the Isles of Scilly on Feb. 2008, she was struck by three violent waves and 90 containers were lost overboard.

Three people injured during the incident were treated at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.

An initial assessment carried out by marine surveyors and representatives of the owners found an 18in (0.46m) hole on her port side.

Cranes will be used to lift and secure the remaining containers of fruit - an operation expected to take a few days.

Temporary repairs were carried out to allow the ship to sail to Antwerp.

A warning was issued to shipping in the south western approaches to be aware of the 90 floating containers 180 miles (290 km) south of Ireland.

M/V Horncliff, a 12,887-ton cargo ship is flying the Liberian flag and was built in 1992.

 

The Cargo Letter - 6 Feb. 2008

12,887-ton refrigerated cargo vessel M/V Horncliff was battered by a storm and took on water off Cornwall on Feb. 2. Injured personnel were air-lifted to a hospital. The vessel is now moored in Falmouth Harbour where surveyors found an 18-in (.46-m) hole in the vessel's side. 90 containers were lost overboard.

From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Feb 6 2008).

Royal Air Force Gunsite Photo of M/V Horncliff Crew Awaiting Rescue.

A Helicopter From RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall Managed To Rescue The Skipper of M/V Horncliff On Feb. 2 After The RAF failed On Feb. 1 Night In Force 9 Gales.

The captain had suffered spinal injuries and internal bleeding. Three passengers were less seriously hurt - one with a broken hand, another with head injuries and a thrid suffered a fractured shoulder & broken ribs. It is thought that the additional crew injuries were sustained during attempts to fasten the containers to the ship in the storm but the exact circumstances of what happened is still unknown.

Flight Lieutenant Jon Singh Flew His RAF Westland Sea King HAR5 Helicopter In Storm Force 10 Winds, Some 70 Miles Off The Coast of Cornwall To Rescue The Capt. & Six Others. The Swell Was 35ft to 45ft, With M/V Horncliff Pitching Heavily In These Very Rough Conditions. Bravo Zulu!

M/V Horncliff had 31 people on board, including 6 passengers, among them honeymooning German couple Barney and Suzanne Carstensen. They were on the bridge with the captain when M/V Horncliff was rocked by a huge wave.

Suzanne Carstensen, 50, whose ex-sailor husband suffered a fractured shoulder & broken ribs said:

"We had changed course to try and get away from the storm when the ship was hit by three big waves. I thought it was our last moment of life. The captain and my husband crashed over the floor and the captain was in big pain crying out."

"The ship went right over and then the containers came off the ship and it came back up. Then we knew we had survived. It was really horrible and you cannot imagine unless you are there."

The couple got married late last year and went on M/V Horncliff -- which has a handful of staterooms for paying passengers -- to see the Caribbean while on honeymoon. The trip was more than they bargined for.

After M/V Horncliff limped into Falmouth, staff from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency boarded the vessel to carry out an initial assessment and found water damage due to an 18in (0.46m) hole on her port side. Ballast water was pumped out of the ship on Feb. 3 to bring the hole clear of the water.

 Containers Had Been Hanging off M/V Horncliff Since The Storm Hit

Smashed Reefer Container Aboard M/V Horncliff - Yes, We Have No Melons Today.

M/V Horncliff Lost 90 Containers Overside

 

M/V Horncliff Discharging Cargo At Fort-de-France In 2007

M/V Horncliff Takes On Bananas At Cartagena, Columbia In 2000

M/V Horncliff With Palletized Bananas At Cartagena, Columbia In 2000

M/V Horncliff Was Carrying Bananas & Other Fruit From Costa Rica to Dover When She Encountered The Storm About 200 Miles Off Southern Ireland.

The Exceptional High Seas of Feb. 1 2008 Also Forced A Fishing Trawler To Run Aground In The Outer Hebrides, Trapping 14 Crew.  

 

EDITOR NOTE: The contributions of Our Correspondent Ashley Black for this feature are greatly appreciated.

Michael S. McDaniel - Your Editor

"Ship Happens! ©"

The Dedication of This Feature Is Simple: To The Crew of M/V Horncliff and her families.

---

SPECIAL NOTE: The historic dangers of carriage by sea continue to be quite real. Shippers must be encouraged to purchase high quality marine cargo insurance from their freight forwarder or customs broker.  It's dangerous out there.

Horn Line

Horn Line Caribbean Service Vessels

Del Monte Foods

Dole Corportion

Dole History

Chips Ahoy! - "Legend of The The Great White Dorito" - Dec. 2006

Fort-de-France

Isles of Scilly

Isles of Scilly Travel

Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose

RNAS Culdrose

Fleet Air Arm Museum - RNAS Culdrose

Sea King HAR5

Sandra & Den Haag Sail As PassengersAboard M/V Horncliff In Nov. 2000

---

Our Daily Vessel Casualties - stay informed

Other Ocean Related Features From The Cargo Letter- these are just examples

The Cargo Letter Photo Gallery of Transport Loss - For All The Air & Ocean Features - a few examples below

"Back To The Beach" - M/V Riverdance - Feb. 2008

"Explorer Ship Down" - M/V Explorer - Nov. 2007

"Kwanyang Crane Kaboom" - Nov. 2007

"Den Den Done" - M/V Denden - Sept. 2007

"For The "L" of It" - M/V Action Alpha - August 2007

"Pepito Flores Did Not Need To Die " - OUR INVESTIGATION RESULTS

"Stack Attack!" - M/V Ital Florida - July 2007

"Riding Down The Marquis" - M/V Rickmars Dalian - June2007

"Carrying Coal To Newcastle" - M/V Pasha Bulker - June 2007

"Between A Yacht & A Hard Place" M/V Madame Butterfly - May 2007

"Boxing Up The Rhine" M/V Excelsior - April 2007

"Best Worst Laid Plans?" M/V Republica di Genoa - March 2007

"Crack'n On The Sidmouth" - M/V MSC Napoli - Jan. 2007

"Operation Jumbo Drop" - M/V Jumbo Challenger - March 2007

"Wrong Way Agulhas?" - M/V Safmarine Agulhas - Jan. 2007

"Full Speed Ahead" - M/V Alva Star - Nov. 2006

"Where The Trade Winds Blew" - Oct. 2006

"Maersk Montevideo Melee!" - M/V Leda Maersk - Oct. 2006

"Laying Down On The Job" - M/V Cargo Ace - Aug. 2006 The Marty Johnson Project Continues

"A Day A The Beach - M/V APL Panama - Jan. 2006

"Great Misfortune"- M/V Hyundai Fortune - March 2006

"Unstacked - Overboard With Dr. Beach" - Oct. 2004

"Columbia River Round Up" - June 2003

"Halifax Hash"--M/V Maersk Carolina - Jan. 2003

"Piñata" - breaking the box - Jan. 2003

"T-E-U Bar-Be-Cue" - aftermath of the M/V Pennsylvania Loss - Nov. 2002

"Container Pool" - a mystery - May 2002

"Dropping In On The Trucker" -happened again - April 2002

"Meals: Ready To Explode" - Navy Barbecue at Guam June 2001

"M/V Ville D' Orion" - Bad L.A. Stack Disaster! April 2001 -- UPDATED - May 2002

"Pier Review" - Sept. 2001

"Singles Only" - visit our individual moments of transport crisis for more.

The Greatest Container Losses Of All Time - these are the grand fathers -

M/V OOCL America

M/V APL China

M/V APL Panama - The EPIC

"Great Misfortune"- M/V Hyundai Fortune - March 2006

---

SPECIAL NOTE: The historic dangers of carriage by sea continue to be quite real. Shippers must be encouraged to purchase high quality marine cargo insurance from their freight forwarder or customs broker. 

It's very dangerous out there.

---

Thanks To Our Contributors For The "Big Battered Banana Boat" Feature

Our Contributor for this feature is:

Our Correspondent Ashley Black

The Cargo Letter appreciates the continuing efforts of these valued contributors. Thanks Pal For Your Contributions!

---

NOTE: Please Provide Us With Your Additional Information For This Loss.

---

EDITOR'S NOTE FOR SURVEYORS, ATTORNEYS & MARINE ADJUSTERS: The Internet edition effort of The Cargo Letter now celebrates it's 8th Year of Service -- making us quite senior in this segment of the industry. We once estimated container underway losses at about 1,500 per year. Lloyd's put that figure at about 10,000 earlier this year. Quite obviously, the reporting mechanism for these massive losses is not supported by the lines. News of these events is not posted to the maritime community. Our new project is to call upon you -- those handling the claims -- to let us know of each container loss at sea-- in confidentiality. Many of you survey on behalf of cargo interests with no need for confidentiality. Others work for the lines & need to be protected. As a respected Int'l publication, The Cargo Letter enjoys full press privileges & cannot be forced to disclose our sources of information. No successful attempt has ever been made. If a personal notation for your report is desired -- each contributor will be given a "hot link" to your company Website in each & every report. Please take moment & report your "overside" containers to us. If you do not wish attribution, your entry will be "anonymous." This will will benefit our industry -- for obvious reasons! McD

---

* NOTE: The Cargo Letter wants you to know that by keeping the identity of our contributors 100% Confidential, you are able to view our continuing series of "Cargo Disasters." Our friends send us materials which benefit the industry. The materials are provided to our news publication with complete and enforceable confidentiality for the sender. In turn, we provide these materials to you.  

 Back To Main Page

---

 

The Law Offices of Countryman & McDaniel

Eleventh Floor LAX Airport Center

5933 West Century Boulevard

Los Angeles, California, 90045

(310) 342-6500 Voice

(310) 342-6505 Fax

to The Law Offices of Countryman & McDaniel

to The Cargo Letter