[171019.EN.SEA] Data Recorder On MSC ZOE Working When Boxes Were Lost at Sea, Carrier Says

GENEVA-BASED shipping line, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has rejected a claim by Dutch TV Zembla that the voyage data recorder on board the MSC Zoe was defective when the ship lost 342 containers off the Dutch and German coasts on January 2, while on her way to Bremerhaven.

According to the Zembla broadcast, a fault with the ship's voyage data recorder (VDR) means it cannot be determined exactly when the ship's captain first became aware the ship was losing containers, and thus whether there was a time lapse when he reported the incident to the coastguard authorities, writes World Cargo News, Surrey, UK.

Calculations by the Dutch coastguard, based on container locations, currents and tides, suggest that the first containers went overboard off the Dutch Wadden island of Terschelling, whilst the ship's captain first reported the incident when already sailing off the German Wadden island of Borkum, some 50 nautical miles later. This matter is part of the ongoing investigation in the Netherlands.

MSC told the programme that the ship's captain "reported the container loss as soon as he became aware of it".

According to the shipping line, MSC Zoe had a functioning VDR onboard and data from the voyage was successfully downloaded. The VDR keeps data related to speed and draught, and records maritime radio traffic and communications on the ship's bridge.

Source : HKSG.