A cargo ship is reportedly waiting for help off the coast after losing its rudder during departure, setting off a drama along the central Portuguese coast. Citing an unsuccessful dredging attempt in the Figueira da Foz port’s entrance canal, Portuguese authorities ordered the port closed and issued a warning about the risks.
The report stated that on January 26, when leaving the harbor, the Dutch-flagged cargo ship Eikborg (3,592 dwt) run by Royal Wagenborg touched down. The ship reported that its rudder had stopped working after only a few kilometers off the coast. The general cargo ship, which is 89 meters (292 feet) long, was transporting pulp to Germany.
“It is trying to maintain some course by sailing backwards,” port authority spokesperson Paulo Mariano told reporters, according to the Lusa news agency. As the captain attempts to steer the ship and position against choppy seas, he stated it was “counterproductive,” but it was the only option.
Unfavorable weather off the shore adds to the worry. According to reports on Monday afternoon, the ship was located southwest of the port entrance and around four nautical miles offshore.
The captain is waiting for a tug that has been sent out from Leixoes. They anticipate that the Eikborg will be towed to Setubal or Lisbon.
However, port officials are making it clear that they don’t think the severe weather was the cause of the event, but rather a botched dredging operation near the port’s entrance. They said that three million cubic meters of sand were transferred for €28 million, and since the project was finished, the sandbar has experienced issues.
On January 26, at 2:00 p.m. local time, the port was ordered to be closed to all large vessel traffic while the incident was being investigated. According to reports, the sand issue is causing the pilots to refuse traffic entering and leaving the port. According to port officials, some ships had already started to divert to other ports because it was the second incident this month.
