The Oocl-Japan: Crew Feedback and Vessel Data

On February 28, 2019, the container vessel OOCL Japan encountered a significant challenge while navigating the waters approximately 25 nautical miles southwest of St. Catherine's Point. The ship, which was on its way from Felixstowe to Port Said, experienced a main engine leak at coordinates 050 16 00.6 N, 001 43 24.6 W at around 10:40 a.m. Fortunately, the crew acted swiftly to address the issue, completing repairs within an hour. After resuming its journey, the OOCL Japan is now expected to arrive in Port Said on March 8.

On June 6, 2018, the 'OOCL Japan' experienced a steering malfunction while navigating through the Suez Canal, specifically near the 18-kilometer mark. As a result of the incident, the vessel veered off its designated path and collided with the embankment. This mishap led to a significant portion of the adjacent roadway collapsing, resulting in a vehicle belonging to the Suez Canal Authority falling into the created void. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries. Emergency services quickly responded, deploying a crane to rescue the stranded car. Following the grounding, the 'OOCL Japan' was efficiently assisted back to its course by tugs and was able to resume its journey. Despite causing delays for the northbound convoy, which temporarily slowed down, normal operations were restored within approximately thirty minutes. The 'OOCL Japan', which incurred only minor damages, continued its voyage from Singapore to Felixstowe, with an estimated arrival date of June 14. For further details, including photos from the scene, refer to the report available at Masrawy.

On October 18, 2017, the container ship "OOCL Japan" encountered a significant challenge while navigating the Suez Canal, en route from Singapore to Felixstowe. Around noon, the vessel experienced a steering gear malfunction, causing the rudder to become stuck in a hard-over position. This issue resulted in the ship running aground, aligning itself perpendicularly to the canal’s fairway. Fortunately, the "Maersk Kimi," which was trailing behind, managed to halt its progress just in time to avoid a collision. In response to the emergency, tugboats were called in to assist in freeing the "OOCL Japan" from the embankment. The grounding inflicted damage to the ship’s fore peak tank below the waterline, necessitating urgent underwater repairs. After overcoming these setbacks, the ship successfully berthed in Felixstowe on October 26, 2017.