What Crew Members Say About Sandnes

On February 29, divers inspected the 'Sandnes' at berth 9.4 in Cuxhaven, following its grounding incident off the Este estuary on February 28. Maritime inspectors conducted a thorough survey of the vessel to assess any potential damage. Preliminary investigations suggest that a communication barrier between the ship's master and the pilot might have played a role in the grounding, which left the bulk carrier stranded on the Elbe for several hours. By 5 p.m. the same day, the vessel was cleared and set sail from Cuxhaven, destined for Jelsa to take on a gravel cargo, with an estimated time of arrival on March 2. For further details, you can view the German report accompanied by a photo here: http://www.cn-online.de/stadt-land/news/sandnes-kapitaen-versteht-lotsen-nicht.html

On the morning of February 28, the Antigua Barbuda-flagged self-discharging bulk carrier 'Sandnes', weighing in at 17,357 gross tons (IMO: 9306029), encountered trouble when it ran aground in the Elbe River at the Mühlenberg Hole. The vessel, which was empty after leaving Sietas Yard in Hamburg-Neuenfelde post-maintenance, was heading towards Norway for subsequent loading operations. At approximately 7:40 a.m., the 'Sandnes' got stuck after navigating through the narrow Mühlenberg Hole, reportedly due to a navigational error as it passed the Este estuary. During the low tide, the ship became stranded near Blankenese, prompting salvage efforts. Salvors quickly initiated preparations, and by 7:45 p.m., a team of five tugs—'Bugsier 7', 'Bugsier 19', 'Zyklon', 'Taifun', and 'Löwe'—successfully freed the vessel from the mud bank. After overcoming the challenge, the 'Sandnes' made its way to Cuxhaven, where it berthed just after midnight. For detailed coverage and visuals, refer to German media reports: [Welt](http://www.welt.de/regionales/hamburg/article152731893/Auf-Grund-gelaufener-Frachter-wieder-frei.html), [Spiegel](http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/hamburg-schlepper-ziehen-frachter-sandnes-frei-a-1079791.html), [T-Online](http://www.t-online.de/nachrichten/panorama/id_77110566/hamburg-frachter-sandnes-ist-vor-dem-hafen-auf-grund-gelaufen.html), [Hamburg1](http://www.m.hamburg1.de/nachrichten/27741/Wieder_steckt_ein_Containerschiff_fest.html), [NDR](https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/Frachter-in-der-Elbe-ist-wieder-frei,frachter398.html), [Abendblatt](http://www.abendblatt.de/hamburg/altona/article207101487/Die-Havarie-der-Sandnes-vor-Blankenese.html), and [Mopo](http://www.mopo.de/hamburg/schon-wieder--frachter-riese-laeuft-in-der-elbe-auf-grund-23635500).

In a maritime incident that unfolded shortly after high tide, the bulk carrier 'Sandnes' (IMO: 9306029) became stranded on a sandbar within the confines of Esbjerg port. This unexpected grounding occurred just 20 minutes after the peak tide in harbour basin 6. Fortunately, the situation was swiftly addressed with the assistance of a Svitzer tug, which managed to refloat the vessel carrying a substantial cargo of 20,000 tons of gravel. The prompt response ensured minimal disruption in port operations.