End of MSC Napoli saga

Yesterday evening I watched 'Spotlight', the local BBC news programme, as I often do. One item that particularly caught my eye was the story that the last piece of the stern of 'MSC Napoli' has now been lifted from the waters of Lyme Bay just off the beach at Branscombe. So ends this saga - well almost. The two barges on which have been loaded the vast array of scrap metal that once formed part of this container ship are still on station but are due to head east to, I think, Rotterdam next week.

So it won't be long before all visible signs of the vessel's presence will have gone. Having said that the anchor was given to the village in recognition of the tumultuous events the locals witnessed and is there near the shoreline for all to see. The Dutch salvage firm had declared that the contract would be completed by the end of July. So all credit to them for achieving this feat.

Final salvage work on the MSC Napoli

It was almost two and a half years ago that it was deliberately grounded off Branscombe in East Devon but today saw the removal of the remainder of the 'MSC Napoli' getting under way. The contract to lift that part of the stern section still at the site is expected to be completed in the next couple of months. Two huge barges are now at the scene with appropriate lifting equipment. So it really looks as if the end of this saga is in sight.

Hopefully the worldwide publicity that followed the beaching of the ship will be of some benefit to Branscombe in the longer term. It has certainly put that lovely little spot on the map!

Napoli report to be published today

Just a brief comment for the moment. It was two years ago today that the MSC Napoli was beached just off Branscombe in East Devon so it is wholly appropriate that Professor Ian Mercer's report following on from the public enquiry he conducted will be published at lunchtime. I will be commenting on his findings in due course I hope.

Report out on Napoli structural failure

The UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch have published their report into the structural failure of MSC Napoli which was to lead to the rescue of her crew in January 2007 and subsequent beaching off Branscombe. I don't intend reciting a summary of the reasons found for her failure as there are other places on the internet e.g. here where that information can be read. Go to the website of the MAIB to get the full report. The synopsis of the findings listed several contributory reasons for the splitting of the hull, one of these I noticed was the assertion that "The ship's speed was not reduced sufficiently in the heavy seas".

The MAIB arranged urgent checks to be carried out on over 1500 other ships. Of these 12 have been identified as requiring remedial action, another 10 were borderline cases whilst a further 8 were still being examined at the time of the report's publication.

This report is independent of Devon County Council's probe into the ensuing events after the catastrophic hull failure. That inquiry should proceed when the final pieces of the MSC Napoli are removed from Lyme Bay.

Napoli Inquiry Chairman named

Toward the end of January I had written about the upcoming inquiry about lessons to be learnt from the events emanating from the deliberate beaching of the MSC Napoli off Branscombe. In that piece I had mentioned the name of Ian Mercer who is well respected and had competently chaired another Devon County Council inquiry following the dreadful foot and mouth outbreak of 2001. The good news is that Professor Ian Mercer CBE has been appointed now to oversee the Napoli inquiry. Also good to know that both Dorset County Council and East Devon District Council are keen to see this inquiry go ahead.

Although well aware of Ian's long career relating to conservation and environmental issues and his association with Devon I had forgotten that he had previously been in the navy. He seems to tick all the right boxes. No news yet as to when the inquiry proper will get underway but as soon as I know I shall put it on this blog.

MSC Napoli - work has started again today

It was just a fortnight ago that I wrote my most recent piece on the Napoli and in that post I gave a link to a press release by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. In essence that statement indicated the Napoli would take another five months to be completely removed, this being significantly longer than the original plan. Well now the contractors are back and are using small explosives to cut off propeller, rudder and main drive shaft. In that entry I had opined that the activity re MSC Napoli through the summer would be a draw for the tourists rather than deterring them and I still hold that view. The key thing of course is the prevention of any further pollution.

As I had said before I think that Devon County Council will have to delay the start of the hearings in their Public Enquiry but I know they are keen to encourage people who have been affected by what's happened to contact the Council with their stories and their thoughts.

MSC Napoli - more delay on stern removal

My more recent entries on the Napoli had suggested that the remainder of the stern of the ship, still languishing off the Jurassic Coast near Branscombe, would have gone before the start of this summer. As you can see from the press release here issued yesterday by Fred Caygill of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency this is not now going to happen. I had thought in my ignorance that the stern section might have been lifted in one go as the salvors had entertained the possibility of doing that before the large accommodation block had been removed. Maybe the list of 40 degrees has put paid to any such notion. Whatever it appears that the MSC Napoli will still be present through the summer as they use controlled explosions to assist in the removal of the heavy components still to be removed from the stern section.

Now this final plan has come as something of a surprise and disappointment to me - I had thought that the stern section would have definitely gone before the main summer period but as I said I think the way it has heeled over must be a massive constraining factor in the removal process.

So what about the knock on effects resulting from this latest press-release? Firstly I think that the County Council had intended to get the Public Enquiry's hearings underway this summer but I can't imagine that this will happen now as surely they will want the removal to be completed first. Then there is the little matter of the effect on local tourism; I'm upbeat on this I have to say. We are told that the local beaches at least are monitored every day for anything coming ashore from Napoli so that the coast in that immediate vicinity should be kept in a pristine condition. I could be wrong but think that the ship's owners have this responsibility which should therefore reduce the cost on the public purse. The other point is that the presence of the stern section would I suggest be more of a draw for tourists rather than being a negative.

The Napoli saga has plenty of life in it yet!

MSC Napoli inquiry started yesterday

A brief entry just to confirm that the official inquiry into the MSC Napoli events got going yesterday. This is the start of the evidence gathering part of the process, the hearings will start later. As yet the County Council hasn't officially appointed a chairman although I suspect they at least have a shortlist or even a specific person in mind.

Although what remains of 'Napoli' lying off the beach at Branscombe isn't due to be finally removed until next month she doesn't seem to be causing a problem at the moment. Local businesses, or some of them anyway, had expressed concern about the Napoli still being in evidence during the Easter holiday. Personally I think that it will be the last opportunity for many tourists to see her and I think her presence over that weekend will benefit rather than hinder the local economy. We shall soon see whether my guess is right!

Napoli inquiry launch date

Following my previous entries regarding a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the MSC Napoli affair Devon County Council have issued a press release. There's a good deal of information in it and you can access it here. Much to much for me to repeat but I'll just mention one or two things. Initially the Council want to amass as much evidence and people's experiences as possible. The press release indicates how individuals can submit to the inquiry which can be in writing rather than them being physically present at the hearing. To publicise the whole thing the Council is going to officially launch the inquiry next Tuesday at Branscombe.

One other point: this press notice doesn't I think suggest that the reason(s) for the original Napoli damage prior to her crew's rescue would form part of the inquiry. However I would like to think that someone from the Marine Investigation Branch will attend and give evidence.

It's good to get on with this preliminary stuff. It shouldn't be long now before what's left of the ship is removed from its present resting place.

Confirmation of MSC Napoli enquiry

Following my piece on the Napoli exactly a week ago I'm pleased to confirm that Devon County Council have now formally ratified the decision to hold a public enquiry. The enquiry will not have the force of law behind it and anyboby participating in it will do so on a voluntary basis. It's hoped that evidence will be passed to the Council over the next few months preparatory to the start of the public hearings later in the year. Inevitably there have been criticisms about the handling of the Napoli incident but I really hope that those that have been in the firing line are prepared to come forward; it would also be useful if businesses and private individuals from the Branscombe area had their say. Critically the tests that have been done on the area of the fracture on the ship's hull which started the whole saga need to be brought into the public domain.

Unlike certain enquiries generated by central government (think "Hutton") I believe this one will be painstaking and thorough.

The power of blogging

Blogs are an extremely useful and powerful part of the internet and I want to give just three examples to illustrate this.

First of all there is the recent resignation of Peter Hain from his job as a government minister. There is a blogger, Paul Staines, writing under the name of 'Guido Fawkes' who claims, with I think a lot of justification, that his exposure of the background to Hain's attempts to finance his deputy leadership bid led to his ultimate downfall. Not something that could be proved perhaps but the circumstantial evidence stacks up. Staines is well known as being very right wing but he was quite in order I believe to take Peter Hain to task in the way he has. Interestingly with Labour in power it's the right wing blogs that make the running at the moment so far as politics are concerned. It could be argued that it is much easier to go on the attack when your blog is in sympathy with the opposition; it would be interesting to note whether left wing bloggers gain the ascendancy if the Tories form the next administration. One thing I intensely dislike about Guido's blog and many similar is the fact that they permit anonymous comments. Many a time they include unnecessary bad language - I am not a prude and have been known to let go the odd expletive when under stress but to use intemporate language in blog comments, no! The other point to make is that it's possible for a blogger to boost his piece by commenting himself anonymously! I'm not accusing anyone, just stating that the potential is there.

For examples two and three I will refer to my own blog, said he modestly. The second example is my very recent entry on the discovery of the site of a Roman fort at Calstock. I think I was the first person to put this information into the public domain (thanks Marlene for tipping me off!) as the press release came out later. This is not to pat myself on the back, it is just to illustrate the point that a blogger can come across some interesting information and publish it before the main stream media does. Moving to the third example I go back to my old favourite 'MSC Napoli'. I had no idea when I started that one particular story would lead to over 40 entries with plenty more to come. By recording so many developments in this fascinating saga and all in one place it is possible for the reader to follow the sequence of events and in a concise form. Maybe one day a book will be written on it - I hope so, wish I had the time myself - but meanwhile a blog is a useful and accessible source of information on the subject.

One other point that seldom gets aired is the fact that in future years today's blogs will prove a fascinating window into life as it is now, and freely accessible to people from all over the world. Because we are right in the middle of the 'Communications Revolution' we may not totally realise the profound effect it is having on civilisation.

Napoli enquiry moves closer

If you have (hopefully!) been following the unfolding story of the MSC Napoli on this blog over the past 12 months you will be aware of Devon County Council's intention to hold a public enquiry. Although the Marine Accident Investigation Branch have been delving into the incident the government has said it will not hold a public enquiry. The national media have thought this would be the end of the story. Not so! Devon County Council to their credit realise that useful lessons can be learnt by holding their own public enquiry. The Executive Committee will be asked next week to agree a plan for an independently-chaired enquiry; following this preliminary gathering of evidence will start.

This has echoes of the Foot and Mouth outbreak in 2001 that had such an awful outcome for Devon's farmers. Following that event the County Council had a public enquiry under the able chairmanship of Ian Mercer. I hope that either he or someone of similar standing will oversee this one.

MSC Napoli - one year since beaching

Here we are then - entry number 43 believe it or not on the ongoing MSC Napoli story. I thought I had better record the fact that it is now one year since the Napoli was run aground in Lyme Bay just off the beach at Branscombe. The mass media were intimating a couple of days ago that Friday was the anniversary of her arrival off Branscombe. Yes it was 12 months to the day that she got into serious trouble to the south of the Cornish coast with her crew rescued in dramatic conditions but that's not what most of them were saying. I wouldn't boast for a moment that I've always got my facts correct but there does seem to be a somewhat casual indifference in today's media to get incontestable details spot on. OK rant over!

Napoli, or rather the remainder of the stern section, now has a heavy list to starboard. I guess this is not too unexpected as there were almost sure to be a southerly gale or two over the winter. Although there is a lull in proceedings out in the bay the powers that be are reviewing the way the remainder of the ship should be removed. Lifting the whole in one go onto a barge would be a nice option but it's thought that her heeling over might preclude this idea. They are still optimistic about the final removal by the end of April. With Easter in March this year bank holiday visitors to Branscombe will it seems still be able to see her.

MSC Napoli enquiry still on track

I have stated in previous blog entries that Devon County Council, to their credit, had decided that they would hold a public enquiry into the loss of the MSC Napoli and, as I had anticipated, they are waiting until the final removal of the stern section off Branscombe before doing this. You can get confirmation of this fact plus a situation update on the wreck by going here.

There has been a multi-agency de-brief concerning emergency response and recovery issues during the early months of the Napoli saga and the report including several recommendations is here in a pdf file. So if you are desperate for some Christmas reading look no further!

It looks as if we will have to wait to the summer at least to get our public enquiry; as soon as I know more I shall flag it up.

Stormy weekend forecast

Yesterday was very pleasant weather wise but things have now turned for the worse with a fair bit of rain and increasing wind. We have been warned in the last few forecasts that the wind will be particularly strong on Sunday morning. It looks as if the airflow is coming from the west or southwest, good news for me as the rising ground behind this terrace tends to lessen the impact of the wind from that direction. When we have a gale from the due south though we really know about it because then it fairly whistles through this part of the valley there being little high ground twixt us and the sea.

With a gale from the west the MSC Napoli might be a little less battered than she was the other day when it blew from the due south. As I have previously remarked the salvage company have been lucky with the weather but that good fortune couldn't go on indefinitely.

I have blogged in the past about maverick meteorologist Piers Corbyn getting his forecasts wrong. He has produced some very dire warnings about storms for this past month and went public with them rather than expecting you to pay to visit his website. I'll see just how bad the winds are on Sunday and then pass judgement on these latest prophecies of his.

MSC Napoli - accommodation block removed

I'm very pleased to report that the huge accommodation block on the stern section of the MSC Napoli has now been completely removed. This has taken little more than a week which is progress indeed.

That's the good news. A low pressure area, presently centred over our region, brought a southerly gale in on its eastern flank so that the Napoli is now listing at about 30 degrees. Up until this moment the weather has been incredibly kind to those working on the wreck but sooner or later some poor weather had to make its presence felt. With the listing has come the movement of small pieces of debris ashore in the Branscombe area.

We are told that the final removal of the stern section should be completed by the end of April 2008. I think that the experts have taken the most extreme pessimistic view of the completion time; I appreciate that the winter weather could play a huge role in the progress made by the salvage company and that a substantial weather window might be necessary when the stern section is eventually lifted onto a barge. However I would be very surprised if it took that long to finish the job.

Expect a lot of media attention on the anniversary of the grounding of the Napoli next January.

MSC Napoli - work resuming this week

For those not living in the Branscombe/Sidmouth area the saga of the MSC Napoli is probably something you haven't thought about of late. But, as ever, if there is fresh activity relating to the Napoli this blog will let you know!

This week will see the commencement of the cutting up of the stern section of the wreck which will be followed by removal of the parts for recycling. It may be recalled that an earlier plan had been to lift the whole of the remainder of the ship with its massive accommodation block onto a barge and take it away. After some thought it seems that the salvage company would be taking on a bit too much with this idea but whether it was the men from the ministry or the salvers who got cold feet I don't know I'm afraid. Whatever the history it is evident that the stern section of Napoli is likely to be visible off Branscombe for a few months yet.

As I have blogged before it is a shame that the disposal decision couldn't have been made earlier bearing in mind the very quiet weather we have enjoyed over the past couple of months. Now everyone will keep their fingers crossed that the kind conditions continue.

MSC Napoli - setback for stern removal

Back on the 23 August I ran a story about the intention to remove the bulky remainder of the MSC Napoli in one piece from Lyme Bay. It was hoped to take it away on a very large barge this autumn but it now appears that this process won't go ahead. Therefore villagers in Branscombe are faced with many more months with the wreck on their doorstep. The slow process of cutting up the superstructure, removing the engine and taking away what's left of the hull could run into the start of next springs holiday season.

The one piece removal of the stern was always an ambitious target when you look at the sheer size of what's left of Napoli and the salvers would be going into new territory here. What I find so disappointing though is that it has taken quite so long to do the sums and realise 'Plan A' wasn't on. We have had mostly benign weather so far this autumn which seems to have gone to waste, a great shame. Although locals are voicing concerns about the delay and are worried about adverse publicity should any further oil leak out I have to say I am more upbeat about the situation. Yes even the slightest amount of oil on the beaches will get the media going, that's for sure. But I can't imagine any meaningful amount of oil left on board. And as more and more of the ship is cut up and removed from site it ought to get progressively easier to get any remaining oil out I would have thought. The last oil seepage when the hull was being split apart by explosives could in part be down to the unknowns inevitably linked with the fact that the exact outcome from the detonations couldn't be defined. But, barring a hurricane, the salvers ought to be in complete control now.

Following on from my piece exactly a month ago, on 18th September, about the residents of Branscombe relating the Napoli story and how it has affected them, the Branscombe Project will hold an exhibition about MSC Napoli at the village hall starting this Saturday. I believe it is due to end on the 26th of this month.

I had hoped that the County Council might have started the public enquiry before the year ended but I presume that they will now wait until all the wreck has gone.

Napoli rescuer receives medal from Queen

On the 22 July I had recorded the fact that three men from RNAS Culdrose were in line to receive bravery awards for their part in the successful rescue of the crew from the stricken cargo ship MSC Napoli. Today one of them, Petty officer Jay O'Donnell, duly accepted the Queen's Gallantry Medal at Buckingham Palace.

Such were the conditions that PO O'Donnell couldn't be lowered direct into the life raft, he was dropped into the sea close by, had to disconnect himself from the helicopter temporarily and then swim to the life raft to assist the 26 crew, all in truly appalling conditions.

The crews of the two helicopters involved in the rescue have just collected awards from the Shipwreck Mariners' Society which, I have just discovered, came into being in the nineteenth century as a result of the tragic loss of a fleet of fishing boats from Clovelly in North Devon. That's something new learnt today

Branscombe Project to tell Napoli story

The Branscombe Project in East Devon was set up make an oral record of history in the village. It was back in January this year that the lives of the residents of Branscombe were turned upside down by the unexpected arrival of MSC Napoli off their shoreline. The subsequent events have proved to be so momentous that the villagers decided to include them as part of the Branscombe Project. To that end I'm pleased to say that they have been awarded £2680 in lottery funding to record the views and experiences of the local people affected.