Norwegian Tug Reaches Drifting Maersk Sana Vessel off Bermuda Coast

The Norwegian salvage tug Sea1 Ruby has successfully reached the 8,450 TEU Maersk Sana, which has been adrift approximately 75 nautical miles west off the coast of Bermuda.

The incident occurred on April 28 when the 21-year-old Maersk Sana suffered an engine room explosion, resulting in three crew members being injured, one of them seriously. Despite being on auxiliary power only for nearly 3 weeks, the vessel has retained limited maneuvering capability.

Sea1 Ruby, an anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessel from Sea1 Offshore, set sail from Bergen, Norway on May 4. The Norwegian-flagged 3,793 DWT vessel, built in 2010, successfully reached the container ship on May 16. Both vessels are now making their way towards the Bahamas and are expected to reach port by the end of May.

An investigation into the cause of the incident is currently ongoing, as confirmed by Maersk last week. The company emphasized the importance of safety in their operations.

According to the USCG, the vessel had undergone a standard inspection without any deficiencies on April 16 in Charleston, South Carolina.

Despite facing criticism for not dispatching a salvage vessel from the U.S. East Coast or nearby ports, Maersk defended their decision, stating the importance of finding the right vessel for the operation. Calm seas have facilitated the operation since the explosion.

Since the incident, Maersk Sana has passed to the north and northwest of Bermuda, continuing its journey under the assistance of Sea1 Ruby.