Subsea Search for YM Efficiency’s Lost Boxes About to Start

A subsea search for the missing containers from the YM Efficiency containership will begin in the next few days as soon as weather conditions allow, Australian Maritime and Safety Authority (AMSA) said.

As World Maritime News reported earlier, the Liberian-flagged YM Efficiency lost over 80 containers after being battered by heavy weather some 30 kilometres off the coast of New South Wales on June 1, while the ship was underway from Taiwan to Sydney.

The operator of YM Efficiency, Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation, informed earlier that the vessel’s crew was safe and that there had been no significant damage to the containership. YM Efficiency berthed alongside the DP World terminal in Sydney on June 6.

AMSA has now confirmed that the ship’s insurers have contracted Port of Newcastle to provide their hydrographic survey vessel to initially conduct a five-day search.

“The initial search will focus on the high priority areas around where the containers were lost, and where modelling indicates that most of them are likely to be located,” AMSA said.

“It will take approximately a fortnight to process and analyse the survey data and provide quality safety advice with associated maps and locations. “

AMSA further informed that the total number of containers lost has been revised down from 83 containers to 81, leaving 79 containers still unaccounted for.

“Mariners should remain on the lookout for navigational hazards in the area until all the containers have been located,” the authority cautioned.