Budleigh Salterton - in East Devon is the entry to both the Triassic and Jurassic coasts
The Pepplebeds are a landmark feature of the World Heritage site
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On Sunday 21 January 2007 the Napoli lies discharging its oil and cargo into the sea |
The Continuing Diary of the Napoli beached off Branscombe
The Wreck of the Napoli
Napoli remains removed by summer
The estimated cost of the total salvage operation is thought to be about £50m The remains of a 62,000-tonne ship which was beached off the south west coast of England two years ago will be removed by the end of the summer.
The MSC Napoli was deliberately grounded off the Dorset and Devon World Heritage Coast at Branscombe in January 2007 after it was damaged in a storm.
The hull has already been removed but work to lift the 3,800-tonne stern section will get under way in June.
The removal operation is expected to take two months to complete.
The estimated cost of the total salvage operation is thought to be in the region of £50m.
Cracked hull
The Napoli was en route from Antwerp to South Africa and was carrying 2,400 containers and 3,664 tonnes of fuel oil and marine diesel when its hull was cracked during a storm off Cornwall.
The 26 crew on board were airlifted to safety and the decision was taken to ground the vessel at Branscombe, off the Devon coast, following concerns that the ship could pollute the English Channel if it broke up at sea.
We plan to be ready to start lifting in June, we should finish the project during August
Klaas Reinigert, Global Response Maritime BVMany of the ship's containers washed ashore and thousands of scavengers helped themselves to the contents - from disposable nappies to motorbikes.
Explosives were later used to split the Napoli's hull in two for disposal and the bow section was towed to the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast for scrap.
Dutch salvage company Global Response Maritime BV has been awarded the contract to remove the final section of the container vessel.
Klaas Reinigert, the firm's managing director, said: "During the first quarter of 2009 we will start test drilling.
"We plan to be ready to start lifting in June, we should finish the project during August."
Have you seen those barges (one actually) that are towed by a tug sheltering off Babbacombe bay in the teeth of the many gales we have endured recently?
It looked like many, but we are assured that there is only one barge being filled with the engine components of the Napoli as they are cut free from the hulk lying off Branscombe beach.
The barge and tug seek shelter when the storms arrive. Hopefully we shall not see another ecological disaster, in Torbay this time, when a barge full of scrap metal breaks free from its tow.
Still no news from Devon County Council about progress from the Inquiry, it seems. We can find no entry later than 2 May 2008. Perhaps we are not looking in the right place. Like so many websites hosted by public authorities it is very difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. We have complained before about pretty websites that contain huge volumes about how well the public is served but low volumes about facts and figures.
Quite recently the EDDC and DCC said that they would create a dedicated website and give regular reports. It seems they have not yet had time to do this!
The last report issued by Devon County Council was on 2 May 2008
They say:
picture credit: Tom Hurley
Preparatory work to break up key parts of the stern through use of controlled cutting charges is continuing. Previous detonations within the engine casing have been successful, and weather allowing work has continued this week with the aim to complete removal of the propeller,rudder and to split the main propeller shaft.
The Temporary Exclusion Zone has been increased to 1500 metres until the work with cutting charges is completed.
There is no requirement to restrict access to the nearby beaches.
Aerial surveillance flights are patrolling the area on a regular basis.
The ship owners have in place a range of counter response measures including personnel and equipment, and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's Counter Pollution and Salvage Office is remaining in situ as routine, during this preparatory work.
Preparatory work is essential before the actual cutting and removal process can begin to remove the rest of the stern. Tugs, barges and cutting equipment will be mobilised at the beginning of May.
Scrap from the vessel will be removed from the site by barge and transported to Rotterdam for re-cycling.
Work to keep the beaches clear is continuing, with material being removed on a daily basis.
On completion of the removal of the stern section, a full underwater inspection will be carried out to ensure that the seabed has been cleared of debris from the MSC Napoli.
The first stage - the evidence gathering - for the Devon County Council-led local public inquiry into the beaching of the MSC Napoli is continuing. Local authorities, Government departments and agencies, businesses and landowners, communities, their elected representatives, environmental and conservation bodies, the general public and any interest party, are invited to contribute their views throughout the spring.
People can contribute their views via Devon County Council's website, or by completing the MSC Napoli Inquiry Response pack, which are widely available from libraries, local government offices, schools, towns and parish councils and local members. Packs are available on request by telephoning: 01392 380101.
Professor Ian Mercer CBE has been appointed as the independent chairman of the MSC Napoli local public inquiry. All evidence gathered will be catalogued and prepared for the Chairman and Committee of Inquiry. Findings of the Committee will be made public and shared locally and nationally with Ministers.
DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL ANNOUNCES AN INQUIRY INTO THE NAPOLI DISASTER
From Mike Bomford, Exeter 382173, February 06, 2008
The Devon County Council continues with its enquiry about the Napoli sinking off the East Devon Coast. They are considering:
DEVON County Council's Executive has agreed the terms of reference for conducting an Inquiry in public into the beaching of the MSC Napoli in Lyme Bay last year, and subsequent events.
A period of evidence gathering will begin toward the end of this month, inviting local authorities, Government departments and agencies, businesses and landowners, communities, their elected representatives, environmental and conservation bodies, the general public and any interested party to contribute their views throughout the Spring.
There will a number of ways that people can contribute to the Inquiry:
- The Council will design a dedicated webpage for submissions online;
- Inquiry Response Packs will also be made as widely available as possible from, for example, libraries, local government offices, schools, town and parish councils and local members, for anyone who wishes to make a submission in writing;
- The Council's Community Roadshow vehicle, which attends local events, will provide a further opportunity for people and organisations to submit their contributions to the Inquiry.
All evidence will be catalogued and prepared pending appointment of an independent chairman and committee of Inquiry. The chairman and committee may also invite witnesses to recount or expand upon their written submissions at subsequent hearings in public.
Devon County Council Chief Executive Phil Norrey said: "The events of the past week elsewhere bring home to us that this isn't just about the Napoli as a one-off incident. This is about the genuine issue of the impact of shipping on the coastline of Devon. We are looking to conduct the inquiry later this year when the salvage operation will have been substantially completed. Whilst there is no doubt that the courageous work of the salvage team prevented a catastrophic pollution incident, there remains a major question as to why the Napoli came to be grounded off the East Devon coast; one of the most environmentally sensitive in the world. The focus of the inquiry will be to ensure a similar incident can't happen in future."
Councillor Brian Greenslade , Leader of Devon County Council, said: "This has been a worrying incident and I'm glad we as an authority are doing as we promised with this inquiry. We have been very lucky, especially as this is our most sensitive coastline, and although it's taken longer than we thought it's time to get going. There are serious questions that need answering and recent incidents show this is of concern to us here in Devon. The public inquiry into Foot and Mouth in 2001 was very much a sign of Devon County Council performing its leadership role and I'm sure we can do another good job for our community in respect of this."
Councillor Margaret Rogers , Executive Member for Environment and local Branscombe resident, said: "This event has touched the lives of people in Branscombe and communities along the Jurassic coastline of Devon. It is right that the County Council as a community leader provides an opportunity for people to share their views and experiences arising from the beaching of the Napoli, so that we can help ensure that incidents like these do not happen in the future and if, regrettably, any do occur then everyone would be better prepared to deal with such an emergency."
The County Council gained support from neighbouring District and County Councils to lead an independent Inquiry, following the Government's decision last year not to do so. The Inquiry will follow a similar process to the County Council-led Inquiry into the Foot and Mouth outbreak in 2001; recommendations and lessons learned from that Inquiry were also adopted in national contingency plans.
THE CONTINUING DIARY OF EVENTS
February 2008 BBC 24 hour news feed
Footage of a reef near the beached cargo ship MSC Napoli appears to show it has not caused any damage to rare corals and pink sea fans in Lyme Bay.
Devon Wildlife Trust has welcomed the news, but said it was still concerned about damage closer to the wreck, which is currently out of bounds to divers.
The 62,000-tonne vessel was grounded off Branscombe on 20 January after its hull was damaged in a storm. More than 1,600 birds were contaminated by fuel oil which leaked from the ship. The exclusive underwater pictures for BBC News were taken by Dr Jason Hall-Spencer, a marine biologist and diver, who went down to record the seabed at Tennants reef - just outside the 500m exclusion zone.
His footage shows red deadman's fingers, starfish, coral cups, cliona sponges and the rare pink sea fans. The South West is the stronghold of the pink sea fan in the UK, with dense populations known to occur in waters to the east of the Lizard, the east of Lundy Island, around Plymouth Sound and in Lyme Bay. It has partial protection under section Five of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and is listed as a species of conservation concern.
"It's a big relief because there's been talk in the news about chemicals coming off the wreck and oil damage," Dr Hall-Spencer said.
"But to be honest, the reefs I saw looked pristine and well worth protecting for the future.
Sian Rees from Devon Wildlife Trust said the footage was encouraging.She told BBC News: "These pink sea fans are of national importance. "We've been campaigning within the wildlife trust to limit damaging activity such as dredging." However the trust said it remained worried about any possible damage within the exclusion zone caused by litter and oil pollution.
Ms Rees said: "Species such as the pink sea fans are very sensitive and they grow very slowly, so when one is knocked down, it takes decades to grow back again."
Thursday 15 November 2007
Preparatory work on board the stern is progressing well. The aim is still to have removed the vessel from Lyme Bay by the end of April 2008.
Barges, cutting equipment and specialist contractors from SMIT are working around the clock. As of this morning, the final section of the 4 tonne accommodation block has been cut and removed. Hold No.7 has been patched and prepared to store scrap before removal by barge, which is estimated to arrive next week. There is sufficient storage space within the hold to allow operations to continue at pace, before the scrap barge arrives on site. Scrap material will be taken for recycling.
The stern has required some degree of counter balance to facilitate the work, and with the placement of scrap within the hold, the list has reduced from 4.5 degrees to 3 degrees.
Counter pollution measures will remain in place until the stern has been removed.
Onshore, contractors DRS continue to maintain the coastline, removing any material washing ashore. There have been no sightings of oil onshore or offshore, but materials are still washing up with every tide. 4 to 5 tonnes of material was collected from the beach after the most recent storms. DRS contractors are working every day and will be working right through Christmas and the New Year. It is expected that the onshore Contractors will remain tasked for a period of time after the stern has been removed.
November 2007
Preparatory work on board the stern is progressing well. The aim is still to have removed the vessel from Lyme Bay by the end of April 2008.
Barges, cutting equipment and specialist contractors from SMIT are working around the clock. As of this morning, the final section of the 4 tonne accommodation block has been cut and removed. Hold No.7 has been patched and prepared to store scrap before removal by barge, which is estimated to arrive next week. There is sufficient storage space within the hold to allow operations to continue at pace, before the scrap barge arrives on site. Scrap material will be taken for recycling.
The stern has required some degree of counter balance to facilitate the work, and with the placement of scrap within the hold, the list has reduced from 4.5 degrees to 3 degrees.
Counter pollution measures will remain in place until the stern has been removed.
Onshore, contractors DRS continue to maintain the coastline, removing any material washing ashore. There have been no sightings of oil onshore or offshore, but materials are still washing up with every tide. 4 to 5 tonnes of material was collected from the beach after the most recent storms. DRS contractors are working every day and will be working right through Christmas and the New Year. It is expected that the onshore Contractors will remain tasked for a period of time after the stern has been removed.
MSC Napoli update Friday 26 October
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency, in a report today by the Sidmouth Herald, has explained that removal of the stern will happen in two stages.
Fred Caygill of the MCA said: "The first stage will involve equipment arriving, probably starting next week, to cut the accommodation block off and that will then be taken to an approved recycling site. The first stage will take about 60 days and will probably be finished by January. The remaining part of the ship will stay until March when, once again large plant equipment will be used to cut the stern up.
"It will probably be about a 12 day operation that will see the remains of the Napoli gone in March time. Then a full sonar scan of the site will be carried out. Divers and the usual contractors will do a sweep of the seabed to remove any remaining items."
August 2007
In a move redolent of the Torre Canyon explosives are now being employed to try to spit the vessel into two.
What for? Presumably so that the salvors or insurers can make some money out of selling the front half of the hulk for scrap.
The people of East Devon and particularly of Bransombe must be heartily sick of the sight of a leaking moribund wreck just off the beach. Is there any doubt in anyone's mind that if the wreck was beached off Brighton, Dover, Falmouth or any place represented by an active MP, that the farce being acted out off Devon's lovely coast would be over months ago.
The idea that we now wait for the front end to be towed away leaving the useless stripped out stern to rot on our beaches is so ugly and preposterous that we now must call for officlal action of a half useful kind. What are you going to do about it Devon?
July 5th
The Napoli has been refloated and moved into deeper water prior to an inspection of the damage to her hull. We understand no decision about the future of the hulk has yet been reached though Devon County Council propose to conduct an inquiry.
What a disater this has turned out to be!
MSC Napoli Update - Wednesday 9 May 2007
The Napoli Response Centre reports:
The weather forecast today is for southwesterly winds possibly reaching gale 8, with rain or drizzle or showers. Sea conditions are moderate or rough.
There has been no noticeable change in the condition of the vessel.
Skimming of oil from the hold is continuing. High winds yesterday impeded the container lifting operation for a few hours, but the removal of containers did commence late afternoon and is continuing again today despite poor weather conditions.
Arrival of the MSC Grace to Portland has been delayed due to congestion problems at Antwerp and is now scheduled to arrive on 11 May to transfer processed containers on to Le Havre. Arrangements are being made at Portland to manage the high volume of containers in storage.
There have been no new reports of oil at sea or on shore. A small number of polystyrene pellets floating in water around PortlandPort have been collected. A fisherman has recovered a container side panel, which will be identified so long as the identification number is available.
Poor weather yesterday also hampered diving work to locate other submerged containers.
A meeting is planned for Friday this week between the ship's owners and the Chairman of the Environment Group to discuss the environmental impact of the removal of the ship.
Devon County Council has released the following press release today concerning a meeting of the Devon Maritime Forum this Friday to discuss the Government's Marine Bill White Paper:
Devon Maritime Forum to discuss Marine Bill
THE Devon Maritime Forum will meet with Defra officials to discuss the Government's Marine Bill White Paper on Friday (11 May).
The Forum has invited Defra's head of the Marine Bill team to the meeting at the Riviera Centre, Torquay, to find out what current Government thinking is and to try to help guide the legislation.
The publication of the Marine Bill White Paper will set out new legislation covering planning in the marine environment, licensing of development activity, marine nature conservation, fisheries and a new "Marine Management Organisation".
Professor Laurence Mee, Chairman of the Devon Maritime Forum and Director of the University of Plymouth's Marine Institute, said: "The Marine Bill is the single most important piece of legislation to come forward that affects the marine environment.
"The beaching of the Napoli emphasises the vulnerability of our marine environment. It is vital that we have our say locally. Our Devon Maritime Forum meeting welcomes the opportunity to speak directly to Defra on the Marine Bill."
Also on the agenda at the meeting is the beaching of the MSC Napoli, planning in LymeBay, the maritime economy in Torbay, Marine Protected Areas - The Finding Sanctuary Project and Shoreline Management Plans.
The Forum is supported by Devon County Council, Environment Agency, Natural England, South West Water, Devon Wildlife Trust, National Trust and University of Plymouth.
Posted 5 April 2007
Devon County Council says it is starting a preliminary exercise to gather evidence before progressing with the inquiry later in the year.
It said several questions would be raised, including asking if the ship was seaworthy, and asking what decisions were taken that brought the Napoli to its current resting place after first getting into trouble in French waters.
It is also to look at what degree should the sensitivity of the coastline be a factor in determining where a vessel is beached in an emergency situation.
In a statement to the South West Regional Assembly, Devon County Council acknowledged the "excellent recovery work" of the salvage teams and onshore contractors, and to the fact that recovery was proceeding well.
But it said it was concerned that the situation could so easily have been different had the weather and sea conditions been worse.
The council said the inquiry would "not be a finger-pointing or blame-apportioning exercise".
Council leader Brian Greenslade said he hoped it would help relevant agencies with future contingency planning to minimise the potential for similar risks.
East Devon District Council and Dorset County Council are supporting the inquiry.
The government has decided that it will not hold its own public inquiry.
Part of Branscombe beach, which was the scene of scavenging after cargo from the stricken ship washed up on it, is re-opening.
It comes just before the start of the area's tourism season.
However, the eastern area of Branscombe beach is staying closed as machinery used by contractors is still there.
posted 30 March 2007
Restrictions have been lifted on roads in and around a Devon beach which was the scene of scavenging after cargo washed ashore from a beached ship.
The restrictions around Branscombe were put in place two months ago. They were to help with an operation to salvage washed-up containers and cargo from the MSC Napoli.
Devon County Council and police say the restrictions and road closures from the Mason's Arms to the beach and Hollyhead Road are no longer necessary.
Part of Branscombe beach, which was the main scene of scavenging, was re-opened earlier this month.
It came just before the start of the area's tourism season.
Devon County Council is to hold a public inquiry into the beaching of the container ship.
posted 23 March 2007
More good weather and so almost all the containers have now been lifted from the hull of the Napoli and the removal of the wreck can now be contemplated. This contrasts with the scare stories of the work requiring over a year to complete. There is some problem with toxic waste in some containers though the authorities are coy about providing details. Even when the hull has gone we must insist upon removal of the rubbish on the sea bed and compensation for civic loss.
The grounding of the MSC Napoli off the coast of Devon may have been good news for scavengers. But the task of repairing the damage caused by the ship is proving complex and difficult
When the clean-up operation on Branscombe beach prevented local fisherman John Hughes getting his boat out to sea, he decided he may as well lend a hand.
So John, 62, volunteered to join the teams of contractors clearing debris left by both the stricken container ship MSC Napoli and waves of human scavengers along the Lyme Bay World Heritage Coast.
But soon he found that the task was not as simple as it first appeared.
"You'll leave a lovely clean beach one day and it'll look like it's cleared, but then the tide will throw up another wave of rubbish overnight," he said.
"It can be quite disheartening."
'Traumatic process'
John's experience hints at the scale of the challenge faced by those clearing up after the Napoli, a process local businesses hope is completed before the holiday season.
The once-peaceful beach at Branscombe now looks like a major building site with workmen and mechanical diggers scouring the coastline for rubbish.
Sea bird survivors of the oil slick are still being cared for
There is plenty for them to busy themselves with. After the ship grounded on 20 January, 114 of its 2,000 containers went overboard. Some 200 tonnes of light fuel oil leaked into the sea, coating at least 1,600 sea birds.
Of these, just under 1,000 were taken to the RSPCA's animal rescue centre at West Hatch, Somerset, to be cleaned and treated.
But as manager Rupert Griffiths laments, it was too late for some of the guillemots and razorbills brought to the complex.
"Being washed is a pretty traumatic process for some of the little guys, and when you add that to the damage the oil might have done to their insides it can be too much for them," he says.
"We should be able to release more than I expected at first, but it's still depressing."
Although he hopes to release about two-thirds of the birds who were admitted, just under 400 have either died or had to be put down.
Among them was a guillemot whose leg tag revealed he had been a victim of the Erika oil spill in 2000 when a tanker broke up off the coast of France.
Mr Griffiths said: "In a way I was quite encouraged by that, because it made me think: if he survived last time, why can't the others survive this time?"
'Visible victims'
Rod Birtles from Devon Wildlife Trust believes the environmental damage along the coast is "mercifully limited",
But he fears for the impact inflicted below the waves.
"The birds are the most visible victims, but we're more concerned about the bottom of the seabed," he says.
"There are the most incredible sponges down there are well as rare pink sea fans, and we can't tell whether they've been affected.
Capt Kees van EssenSo far we've been lucky with the weather
"The problem is that people can't see them so people don't worry about them."
As conservationists clear up the mess left by the Napoli, Capt Kees van Essen is helping to make sure the situation doesn't get any worse.
The Dutchman is the salvage manager in charge of unloading the ship, currently grounded a mile off the Devon coast.
With the oil spill contained, his job is to ensure approximately 1,350 containers still in the hold are removed.
It is, he explains, a delicate task.
"Members of my crew have to clamber up the containers using mountaineering equipment to attach hooks so can winch them with a crane.
"We call them the daredevils. One slip and they're in trouble.
"So far we've been lucky with the weather, but it's still likely to take another two or three months."
When the salvage is complete, Capt van Essen hopes he will be able to tow the stricken vessel towards a port.
But even after it eventually disappears, the shadow of the Napoli will be cast over Lyme Bay for a long time yet.
28 February 2007
News report by the Daily Telegraph
The risk of a major oil pollution incident from the sticken ship the MSC Napoli has passed, the Government has announced.
The ship grounded in a World Heritage Coast site a mile off Sidmouth, Devon, in January, after suffering hull damage in a Channel storm during which the 26 crew members were rescued.
Stephen Ladyman, the shipping minister said "virtually all" the heavy fuel oil had been removed from the 62,000-tonne vessel.Only "residual amounts" were left in hard-to-reach spaces and removal of diesel oil was continuing, he added.
In a written statement updating MPs on the salvage operation, Mr Ladyman continued: "The risk of a major oil pollution incident with the potential to cause widespread environmental damage has therefore passed."
Mr Ladyman said all 853 containers had now been removed from the decks and work was under way to remove them from the holds.
Some 114 containers have fallen overboard since the Napoli was grounded, he added.
None is believed to pose a significant risk to human health or the environment.
Mr Ladyman continued: "It is likely that a small number of additional containers could be lost, depending on future weather conditions and plans are in place for their recovery should this occur."
Vessels with sonar are searching for lost containers that are believed to have sunk and several have already been located.
In a warning to further potential looters, Mr Ladyman said police could arrest anyone attempting to remove items washed onto beaches from the Napoli.
He added: "The normal arrangements in terms of recovery of wreck material through voluntary salvage do not apply in the case of the MSC Napoli, now that comprehensive salvage contracts have been placed by the owners of the ship to recover all items from the vessel, including those lost overboard and washed ashore."
Debris from the Napoli's cargo has reportedly been washed along the Bournemouth coastline to the Isle of Wight
Read the whole story about the SS Napoli as it lies beached off BranscombeWednesday 28 February:
Now the bitter truth is being revealed and the true extent of the disaster for the East Devon coast and the tourist business being realised. The demands for a public enquiry have been refused by Westminster - though it was at the behest of a government minister that the ship was beached off Branscombe. The Chief Constable - he who was so sure that his force could do little to preserve property and public order as the looting proceeded - who now bemoans the fact that enough disaster funding is unlikely to be made available. This will mean that in addition to the ecological affront that the vessel has imposed there is likely to be be a considerable bill for council tax payers to pick up.
Meanwhile, as the winds again batter the Napoli, on the optimistic side, most of the deck containers have been removed. Just as predicted, the job has taken just over a month to bring to this stage. It is now essential that the cleanup and the removal of the hulk is undertaken as quickly as possible.
All credit to the local folk from Branscombe to Exmouth who have turned out to clear the debris. Due credit, too, to the insurers who have appointed efficient contractors to remove wreckage and rubbish.
Day 31
Oil is seen in the water off the beach in Budleigh Salterton as debris and rubbish comes ashore
After further heavy winds and swells fears grow for the beaches west of Sidmouth and for the tourist trade in Sidmouth and Branscombe as hoteliers and others report big drops in advance reservations for Easter.
This said the removal of containers is happening and most of the deck cargo is transferred.
Day 30
BBC News: A member of the MSC Napoli salvage team has been airlifted to hospital after he was knocked off a barge by a crane.
The man suffered head and back injuries when he was thrown into the water in Portland, Dorset, on Wednesday.
A coastguard spokesman said the injured man managed to struggle ashore before emergency services arrived.
The worker, who part of a team ferrying containers from the stricken Napoli, was airlifted to Dorset County hospital where he is still being treated.
The 900ft (275m), ship was carrying more than 2,000 containers, of which 103 went overboard. The beaching of about 50 containers at Branscombe, east Devon, led to two days of looting before police cordoned off the area.
The remaining cargo is now being removed by shuttle barges which can carry about 70 containers.
Salvage experts in charge of the recovery of the MSC Napoli, grounded off Lyme Bay in Devon, are planning to remove the ship from the coast.
The 62,000-tonne cargo ship was grounded off Branscombe Beach after starting to break up in stormy weather.
Naval architects are now working out the best way to move the vessel, which was grounded in January.
Meanwhile, people who recovered items washed ashore after it was beached have until 20 February to report the finds.
Thousands of items recovered by members of the public from washed-up containers from the vessel have been reported to the Receiver of Wreck.
Mr Middleton said: "There's a team of naval architects crunching figures to try and work out what state we have to get it into before we can refloat it.
"It will be a case of trying to work out the best methodology, whether we cut her in two or whether we refloat her as she is. But she will be removed."
Day 26
Strong winds have resulted in more containers being swept overboard from the wrecked cargo ship MSC Napoli.
The 62,000-tonne ship was grounded off the Devon coast on 20 January after being damaged in the English Channel. A salvage operation has removed 342 of the remaining 1,800 containers on board the listing ship.
Coastguards said 10 containers had gone overboard in windy weather on Thursday, of which eight had reached the shore near Branscombe and two had sunk. They are believed to contain electrical appliances, King Edward potatoes, engine parts and used office supplies.
Coastguard rescue teams and contractors are at the site, which was closed off to the public by police. Principle coastguard Mark Rodderway said two containers sank immediately to the sea bed and would be dealt with.
There is also some residual oil from flooded compartments around the ship.
Day 24
More containers lost overboard and analyis of water samples
Early results from the Environment Agency’s water sampling near the stricken MSC Napoli show that, so far, the area has escaped pollution from the pesticides and other chemicals carried on the boat. Samples taken by the Agency from beaches that include Branscombe, Sidmouth Jacobs Ladder, Ladram Bay, Seaton, Beer, Budleigh Salterton and Exmouth were checked for over 165,000 different manmade chemicals overnight by its laboratory at Starcross near Exeter.
However, traces of man-made substances have been found in a small number of samples, but in concentrations so low as to be insignificant. The type of chemicals detected are all hydrocarbons. It is thought they come from plastic packaging and car and bike parts in some of containers washed into the sea from the Napoli. Vehicle parts are often coated in a film of light oil during transportation to protect them from corrosion.
Divers have reported seeing debris from the ship on the seabed off Branscombe and flotsam is still being washed ashore.Day 23
Storms threaten the stability of the beached and listing vessel
It is now 15 February and though the "Bigfoot" crane barge has returned to the wreck of the Napoli still only 200 of the containers perilously perched on the stern have been lifted to safety.
There are reports that further containers have slipped off the deck and into the sea whilst others, still on deck, have been holed or distorted so that their contents have been discharged into the sea. More debris has been found as far away as Torquay.
Much of the orginal beach mess has now been cleared, say the National Trust, but they are very worried about future responsibility for pollution once the contractors have moved away from Branscombe. The insurers are paying the bill now but what will happen later?
Now, today, we face more gale force winds from the South and Southwest and so the fear that more cargo will be jettisoned is very real.
The question is still for many people "Why was the Napoli, holed and sinking in French waters, being towed by three French tugs, allowed to limp toward the East Devon beaches and away from France?" What kind of representation does East Devon, Devon County and the whole region have that can allow such a foolish decision to be taken?
Day 18
The crane barges make for Portland to avoid the storms
The warning now goes out that further containers may be washed off the Napoli's deck as bad weather is forecast.
Day 15
The unloading of the striken Napoli continues as the good weather makes life tolerable for the salvors
Now we can begin to think about the lessons to be learned from the shipwreck. Is this a great escape?
The most important first lesson relates to the reason that the vessel found its way to a pleasant beach in East Devon whilst the District Council was still asleep. The French, though the ship was in their waters, did not want it; the Cornish, with the nearest ports, didn't think it was convenient; Plymouth, as a major defence port, was able to be uninterested. So "beach it off East Devon" was the 'sensible' decision - one that was apparently approved by a government minister. Soft sand, shallow waters and no public outcry, was an added benefit, it seems. Where was the District Council representative during this debate? Who co-ordinated the police effort or non-effort? Where was the police authority following the event?
Now the Napoli cargo, though the leaking bunker oil killed 1000 seabirds, was apparently benign and easy to remove. But ask yourself, what would have happened had this been an oil tanker about to sink off the Western Approaches, of 62,000 tonnes deadweight? The French would refuse it; the Cornish would refuse it. Plymouth would plead the defense case. So beach it off Sidmouth would again be the best decision.
Time for action. Lyme Bay is no place for the frequent fuel and cargo transfer and the shallow waters off Budleigh Salterton, the Otter estuary and Sidmouth and the Exe Estuary are no places for beaching a potential ecological disaster. Wake up Devon before it is too late.
Day 12
The government makes a statement and the police confess to mistakes
Finally, after nearly 2 weeks, we are coming closer to the truth. First a government minister reveals that the Napoli had to be beached off the Devon coast to avoid a greater environmental disaster elsewhere. Then the police, in a media interview apologise for their two errors. They did not understand the law, they say, and they were very surprised by the size of the mob that came to loot the cargo deposited on Branscombe beach.
Meanwhile the estimate is that it will take nearly a year for the cargo to be removed from the vessel. The coastguard say the wreck is in no danger of breaking up, but this remains to be seen. How it can take 12 months, at a rate of 30 containers per day lifted by the two crane barges, defies imagination.
Day 8
Police action at last: lessons to be learned
After a gentle start, the police acted to prevent the free-for-all down on Branscombe Beach. The Devon Chief Constable, in a memorable interview given on the day after the beaching, said that the police were powerless to act in the face of mass looting and public order offences.
He must have changed his mind since then because they now say they will arrest anyone who tries to get on to the beach for any reason.
Meanwhile the disaster continues. The word is that it will take a year to clear up the mess. Others think that if it does take a year then officials in charge of the cleanup must be be taken to task. 1000 oiled sea birds have been destroyed and more will follow them.
It is too early yet to know if lessons will be learned from the wreck of the Napoli. Here are just a few suggestions:
Shipping activities involving fuels and transfer of cargoes must no longer take place in Lyme Bay
Designated ports and havens are required having the proper facilities to deal with dangerous ships and dangerous cargoes
Police must be better advised and formulate a means of dealing with the feeding frenzy and greed displayed by so-called salvors
Police must provide for more visible presence in East Devon in the face of a poor crime record
Never again must the easy option of directing stricken vessels towards the vulnerable coasts of Devon
