Essen makes it to Mexico
After weeks of drama at sea, the Maersk containership finally arrived at a refuge port in Mexico.
By Michael McGrady, Maritime Direct Americas Correspondent
Marine and transit claims consultancy WK Webster announced that the Maersk Essen finally arrived at a port of refuge in Mexico.
“We can report that the Maersk Essen arrived at Lazaro Cardenas port anchorage as a port of refuge,” Webster reported. “It is understood that the vessel may not berth until January 30 whereupon cargo operations can commence. These operations are expected to take several weeks to complete given the complexity and dangers involved.”
Maritime Direct previously reported on the Essen incident. Copenhagen-based Maersk, the world’s largest containership line, announced earlier this month that its 13,100 TEU Maersk Essen vessel lost 750 container boxes during a storm in the Pacific.
Reports suggest that the cargo loss occurred 430 nautical miles north northeast of Hawaii earlier this month.
The Danish-flagged Essen was en route to the port of Los Angeles, Calif., in the United States.
On December 26, the containership departed a port in China on its regular route across the Pacific Ocean to Los Angeles.
Essen was scheduled to arrive on January 22. Given high traffic into the port of Los Angeles at the time, Essen set sail for Lazaro Cardenas for repairs and insurance recovery purposes.
