New salvage tactic for grounded APL ship
Salvage crews working on an APL containership that ran aground off the coast of Mexico are trying a new tactic — creating a channel alongside the stranded ship — the San Diego Union Tribune reported.
A specialized dredger vessel will attempt to free the 'APL Panama,' which ran aground Dec. 25 as it tried to enter the Port of Ensenada.
Attempts to move the ship with barges and tugs have been unsuccessful so far, with all 4,000-plus TEUs of containers on board stranded.
'The bow has been moved 50 degrees toward open water, but not far enough to float the ship,' the paper reported. 'The ship’s position, parallel to shore, has made for an especially challenging scenario and the vessel is now hemmed in by sand piled as high as 16 feet on its starboard side.'