94025 Cargo Shift Bagged Silica
| Shifting of Silica Sand in Jumbo Bags |
- North Atlantic. Storm Force Wind.
- Report No. 94025. |
We were carrying a cargo of nearly 6,000 mt of silica sand in jumbo bags weighing 1.8 mt each when the vessel encountered a heavy storm with winds gusting 60 knots and seas of 25/30 feet from a southerly direction. The ship's course was 090 and speed was about 11 knots.
The ship was almost broad on to the wind and rolling up to 35/40 degrees, when she took a few heavy rolls of more than 40/50 degrees (the meter on the bridge is limited to 45 degrees). The sand in bags was squeezed and all the cargo was skidded in the lower hold as well as in the tween decks by about 3/6 feet to port side. The ship was listed 10/15 degrees. The speed was reduced and the vessel hove to wind. The Canadian Coastguard was alerted and I, along with the deck crew, inspected #4 hold which was close to the accommodation. We found that the cargo had shifted but there was no damage and no water in the holds.
The list was corrected by ballasting starboard topside tanks and we resumed our voyage at full speed with 4 degrees of port list. The list was corrected to 2 degrees and we arrived safely in port later on. There was no injury to crew and no damage to cargo was noticed, except that the bags were squeezed to the port side. The ship's GM was 1.7M.
