A Dutch-flagged cargo ship lost its rudder off the central Portuguese coast on January 26 and is awaiting a tug for assistance. According to a report from The Maritime Executive, the general cargo ship Eikborg, operated by Royal Wagenborg, touched bottom as it was departing the port of Figueira da Foz.
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The 89-meter vessel, carrying a cargo of pulp to Germany, got only a few miles off the coast before reporting the rudder failure. Paulo Mariano of the port authority told reporters the ship is “trying to maintain some course by sailing backwards,” a method he described as “counterproductive” but the only solution as the captain contends with rough seas.
The ship was positioned about four nautical miles southwest of the port entrance on Monday afternoon. A tug has been dispatched from Leixoes, and the Eikborg is expected to be towed to either Lisbon or Setubal.
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Port officials emphasized they believe the incident was caused by a failed dredging job at the port’s entrance, not the heavy weather. They stated that EUR28 million was spent to transfer three million cubic meters of sand, and problems with the sandbar have persisted since the work was completed.
The port was ordered closed to all large vessel traffic as of 2:00 p.m. local time on January 26. Pilots are refusing traffic in and out due to the sand problem. Port officials said this was the second incident this month and that some ships had already begun diverting to other ports.
