JLR and JCB cargo ship rights itself
THE stricken cargo ship stranded in the Solent since Saturday with a payload of luxury Jaguar Land Rover vehicles has righted itself.
The Hoegh Osaka, which was also carrying millions of pounds worth of JCB construction equipment, refloated yesterday at high tide.
It has been towed away to a secure mooring in Southampton where the vessel and the cargo will be inspected for damage.
Jaguar Land Rover revealed earlier this week that 1,200 of its vehicles destined for the Middle East were on board the ship Osaka, while excavator manufacturer said 105 of its machines also formed part of the cargo.
Neither has revealed the full cost of the cargo but estimates place the value of the cars at somewhere between £35m to £100m. In addition to the JLR vehicles, there are also 65 Minis on board the ship plus a £260,000 Rolls-Royce Wraith.
The 50,000-tonne vessel is operated by Norway-based Höegh Autoliners and is registered in Singapore. The 25-strong crew were rescued after the ship ran into trouble.
