Eikborg

On Jan 27, at around 09.00 p.m. UTC., the tug 'Skandi Lifter', contracted to take the 'Eikborg' in tow, had to make a stopover in Vigo in order to supply a series of things, namely cables more suitable for the salvage, and there was a delay in the supply of some materials. The tug was only able to set sail on Jan 28 at around 10.00 a.m. It arrived near the casualty on Jan 29 at around 03:00 a.m. The intention was to establish a towing connection and reach Spanish waters on Jan 30. The weather conditions on Jan 28 were worse than the day before, but the ship continued to be in control of the situation with the engine. The NRP 'Figueira da Foz' remained on standby. On Jan 29, at 8 a.m., the 'Eikborg' was taken in tow by the 'Skandi Lifter', and the ship was pulled to Vigo with a speed of about five knots. During the journey to Vigo, the weather conditions deteriorated further with wind speeds of 30 knots and waves exceeding five meters in the Cíes Islands area. The towline broke several times due to the enormous forces of the wind and sea, forcing the operation to be restarted each time. Near the Ría de Vigo, the tug 'Talavera' (IMO: 9984663) took control from the stern, while the tug 'Helechosa' (IMO: 9976264), also from the local Remolcanosa fleet joined in to guide the ship towards the Beiramar dock. The SAR vessel 'María de Maeztu' (IMO: 9429091) maintained its escort and support role throughout the critical phase to intervene if necessary. The helicopter Pesca 1 monitored the operation since the late afternoon of Jan 30t o supervise the operation from the air and coordinate with the teams on the ground. The combination of these resources allowed the convoy to overcome the difficulties and guide the 'Eikborg' safely to the port of Vigo, though hours later than initially expected at 3 p.m. On Jan 30 at 10.30 p.m. p.m. the ships finally reached the safety of the port, and the 'Eikborg' was berthed at the Beiramar docks. The six crew members on board were unharmed, although they were exhausted from the harsh conditions. The seafarers of Dutch, Indonesian, Latvian, Russian, and Filipino nationalities, showed clear signs of fatigue and minor bumps and bruises accumulated during the days adrift and the towing operation. However, none suffered serious injuries requiring hospitalization. Everyone was getting rest after the arrival, while awaiting the mandatory technical inspections. Initial port checks would focus on assessing the condition of the rudder, which was damaged after hitting the bottom at the entrance to Figueira da Foz, and any potential structural damage resulting from the waves and the reverse maneuver required to maintain position. Once the inspections and urgent repairs have been completed, the 'Eikborg' was scheduled to continue to its original port of destination, Vilagarcía de Arousa, weather permitting. The Vilagarcía Port Authority had already confirmed the cargo's arrival, but the current storm necessitated caution during the transfer. The 'Eikborg' remained stationary in Vigo as of Feb 5. Reports with photo and video: https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/somosmar/2026/01/29/eikborg-deriva-lunes-portugal-siendo-remolcado-vilagarcia/00031769704286454986448.htm https://spanjevandaag.com/02/02/2026/nederlands-vrachtschip-storm-reddingswerk-veilig-vigo/ https://x.com/i/status/2017640889212981563 https://www.vigoe.es/vigo/maritima/final-a-la-odisea-del-eikborg-el-carguero-atraca-en-vigo-tras-horas-de-incertidumbre/ https://www.diariodesantiago.es/sucesos/llega-a-vigo-el-carguero-holandes-remolcado-tras-sufrir-una-averia-navegando-en-portugal/

On the morning of Jan 26, 2026, the 'Eikborg', with six crew members on board, besides the Dutch captain two Indonesians, a Latvian, a Russian, and a Filipino, and loaded with 3300 tons cellulose pulp from the Altri group, bound to Vilagarcia, was disabled and went adrift outside Figueira da Foz after it lost its rudder when hitting an accumulation of sand short time after leaving the port, and suffered water ingress in the rudder room. The ship had a draft of 5,5 metres. It was navigating in reverse, about 22 nautical miles off the coast, in a bid to stay afloat, while the weather conditions at sea were worsening with northwest waves between four and five meters on Jan 26 and west/southwest waves between four and five meters height on Jan 27. Initially, the authorities had warned of an extreme risk due to the sea conditions, which were expected to worsen over the next few days, with waves between five and 12 meters high until Jan 29, when they could reach up to 14 meters. However, the port authority later downgraded the situation to a relative risk. The rudder room was sealed, and the rudder could not be used. The ship, however, maintained propulsion and was able to move and rotate with the aid of the bow thruster at a speed of one knot. The ship was trying to hold its position about four nautical miles offshore and southwest of the entrance to the port. It has been instructed to gradually move away from the coast. The last AIS postiion was in 40° 08' N 009° 08' W. The patrol vessel NRP 'Figueira da Foz' (MMSI: 263134000) of the Portuguese Navy left the Alfeite naval base in Almada at 3 p.m. with an ETA at the 'Eikborg' as of 11 p.m. in order to closely monitor this situation on site. The Norwegian tug 'Skandi Lifter' (IMO: 9425734)) arrived on site on Jan 28. The towing operation was estimated to be very difficult, given the weather conditions. The 'Eikborg' was likely to be towed to a Spanish port, presumably in the bay of Vigo, a decision that will depend on the rough seas forecast for the coming days, and forced by Portugal’s refusal to accept the vessel in any of its ports. The port of Figueira da Foz was closed on Jan 26 at 2 p.m., as port officials believed that the incident was caused by a failed dredging job at the port’s entrance instead of the heavy weather. €28 million were spent to transfer three million cubic meters of sand, and since the work was completed, there have been problems with the sandbar. The pilots were refusing traffic in and out of the port due to the problem with the sand. Port officials said it was the second incident in January, and some ships had already begun to divert to other ports. The vice president of the Figueira da Foz port community, Paulo Mariano, attributed the 'Eikborg' incident to a massive sand relocation along the Portuguese coast, carried out by the Environment Agency (APA). The APA, for its part, ruled out the possibility that this was due to its plan to move three million cubic meters of sand to reinforce beaches in the south of the country. Reports with photos and video: https://www.portugalresident.com/norwegian-tug-scrambles-to-save-stricken-cargo-ship/ https://www.noticiasdecoimbra.pt/cargueiro-a-deriva-na-figueira-da-foz-rebocador-noruegues-vai-salvar-navio-sem-leme/ https://x.com/i/status/2017260073119100947

On July 11 around 10.15 a.m. a Philippino sailor was hurt when the "Helenic" entered the North lock of the Kiel-Canal in Holtenau. When the ship was about to stop, a rope broke and struck the man who was taken to hospital, but released the same day. The vessel continued its voyage from Amsterdam to Kolding.