A cargo ship that ran aground on a sandbank after losing power is currently anchored off the Isle of Wight, awaiting an underwater inspection.
The ONE Maneuver grounded on Bramble Bank at approximately 15:50 BST on Tuesday after departing from Southampton.
The bright pink containership was successfully refloated with the assistance of tugs and moved off the southeast coast of the island.
Ocean Network Express (ONE) reported that there have been no incidents of pollution and that both the crew and the vessel are safe. The shipping company also confirmed that the ship has regained engine power.
The vessel’s owner, Mitsui OSK, indicated that the ship’s water ballast tank—crucial for maintaining stability—sustained a breach during the incident, which was described by a spokesman as “low-key” damage. Built in 2011 and registered in Japan, the ship was en route to Rotterdam, Netherlands, when it encountered engine trouble.
Bramble Bank is a triangular sandbar located in the middle of the Solent, roughly halfway between the Isle of Wight and the entrance to Southampton Water.
This area has a history of shipping hazards; notably, the 51,000-tonne Hoegh Osaka ran aground on Bramble Bank in January 2015, listing at 52 degrees for 19 days with approximately £60 million worth of machinery and cars—including Jaguars, Land Rovers, and Minis—on board.
In a lighter note, Bramble Bank recently hosted its 40th annual cricket match in September, with two teams taking advantage of low tide to compete on the makeshift wicket in the sea.
The sandbanks in the Solent are well-known hazards to shipping; the QE2 liner famously ran aground during its final departure from Southampton in 2008.
