On October 9, a call of gratitude was made to Wenzhou Port Service Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Wenzhou Port Group (hereinafter referred to as Wenzhou Port Service Company). Sinotrans Shipping Agency Co., Ltd. Wenzhou Branch (hereinafter referred to as Sinotrans Wenzhou) called to thank Wenzhou Port Service Company for promptly dispatching three tugboats, successfully resolving a crisis where a foreign vessel had been drifting out of control for over 20 days due to malfunction, thereby alleviating their urgent need.
The entire sequence of events began two days before the National Day holiday. On September 29, Wenzhou Port Service Company received an urgent request for assistance from Sinotrans Wenzhou: a foreign container ship named “MEDKON QUO” had been drifting off the coast of Wenzhou for more than 20 days due to a main engine failure. Previously, the Wenzhou Maritime Safety Administration had coordinated with the Donghai Rescue Bureau to tow the vessel from the distressed waters offshore to the Wenzhou Yuanyu Anchorage for temporary anchoring. There was now an urgent need for Wenzhou Port Service Company’s support to further tow the vessel to the Zhuangyuan’ao Port Area of Wenzhou Port and ensure its safe berthing.
It is understood that the “MEDKON QUO” is 139 meters long, 22 meters wide, with a draft of 7 meters. The vessel is large-sized and had lost its autonomous power, making the towing operation face multiple challenges such as narrow channels and rapid currents. Any misstep could potentially lead to collisions or grounding accidents. To address this, Wenzhou Port Service Company actively consulted with the Wenzhou Maritime Safety Administration and the Wenzhou Pilot Station, conducted in-depth studies of the hydro-meteorological conditions of the planned route and various potential emergencies, and formulated a detailed and meticulous towing plan and contingency measures.
At 11:00 on September 29, a towing fleet composed of three high-horsepower tugboats—”Wen Xiao Tuo 18″, “Wen Xiao Tuo 1”, and “Wen Tuo 8″—rushed at full speed to the Yuanyu Anchorage. During the operation, the three tugboats coordinated and applied precise force, acting like maritime “trackers,” firmly controlling the course and speed of the “MEDKON QUO”. After four and a half hours of intense work, they successfully towed the vessel smoothly to the Zhuangyuan’ao Port Area of Wenzhou Port for safe berthing.
From coordinating with multiple parties to develop plans to dispatching tugboats for precise operations, Wenzhou Port Service Company resolved the maritime emergency with efficient action. This not only demonstrated the responsibility and commitment of a state-owned enterprise but also safeguarded the navigation safety of Wenzhou’s waters with their high level of service. It is reported that since the beginning of this year, Wenzhou Port Service Company has participated in 11 maritime emergency rescue operations and completed 107 special operations including maritime towing, escort, and monitoring, continuously contributing significantly to ensuring the safety of life and property at sea.
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