What Crew Members Say About Grande-Francia

On the morning of August 12, 2018, the cargo vessel 'Grande Santos', IMO number 9258476, fell victim to an alarming boarding incident. Armed intruders approached the ship on a small boat at its anchorage in the outer area of Santos. Fortunately, the vigilant crew spotted the threat and quickly alerted the ship's bridge. In an effort to secure everyone on board, the captain promptly activated the ship's security protocols and notified local authorities in Santos, seeking immediate assistance. As a precaution, the crew secured themselves within safe compartments, awaiting rescue. Unfortunately, a Navy patrol team arrived too late due to adverse weather conditions, allowing the assailants to escape. A thorough search of the cargo hold revealed two compromised containers but surprisingly, nothing was reported stolen. However, in a twist, authorities discovered bags containing 1.322 kilograms of cocaine within two other containers, which were still damp. This raised questions for law enforcement regarding the drug's origins—whether it was brought on board by the intruders or had been loaded during the ship's previous port stay. This incident came just days after another Grimaldi Group ship, the 'Grande Nigeria', experienced a cocaine trafficking attempt while docked in Santos on August 7. The maritime community remains on high alert following these unsettling events.

On November 18, 2016, the ro-ro vessel 'Grande Francia' encountered engine troubles while navigating the English Channel, approximately 14 miles north of Cherbourg. The ship, which was carrying a cargo of vehicles and containers, began to drift toward the French coastline at a speed of 4.5 knots, amidst challenging weather conditions. The situation was spotted by the Hornet semaphore of the National Marine, prompting them to notify the Maritime Préfecture. In response, the salvage tug 'Abeille Liberté' (IMO: 9308699) was dispatched from the Marine Operations Center of the Maritime Prefecture (COM) to provide assistance. By 5:30 PM, the 'Grande Francia' was located 11 miles offshore when the tug arrived at its position. A team consisting of two officers from the tug boarded the disabled ship to evaluate the issue. Fortunately, the crew was able to diagnose and resolve the problem, which originated from water contamination in the fuel system, successfully restarting the engine. Subsequently, the vessel continued its journey, departing from a position five miles off the coast, guided by the tug in a northeastern direction to ensure the integrity of the repairs. Later that evening, it was confirmed that the 'Grande Francia' posed no further risk, allowing the escort to conclude at the traffic separation scheme of the Casquets. The vessel, which had set sail from Douala, reached its destination in Hamburg, docking at O'swald Quay on November 20 at 9:45 PM.

The German emergency tug, Nordic, has futilely scoured the North Sea for containers that were lost overboard from the Grande Francia during the severe winds of Storm Gonzalo, southwest of Borkum Reef. The vessel faced intense rolling due to gusts reaching up to 12 Beaufort. During this tumultuous weather, structural failures caused bolts to give way, resulting in the containers shifting and falling overboard, which also damaged a section of railing measuring 15 meters in length. Currently, the Grande Francia is docked in Hamburg to facilitate the cleanup of the debris. Reports indicate that several other containers sustained damage during the incident. The Water Police have since initiated an investigation into the matter. It is feared that ten containers loaded with tires are now irretrievably lost at sea. For more details and related images, visit the German news sites: [NDR](http://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/Grande-Francia-verliert-zehn-Container,grandefrancia102.html) and [Presseportal](http://www.presseportal.de/polizeipresse/pm/6337/2862397/pol-hh-141023-2-grande-francia-verliert-bei-schwerer-see-zehn-container-wasserschutzpolizei).