North Sea debris presents a hazard

North Sea yachtsmen are warned to be on the lookout for wooden debris after about 60 tons of wooden planks fell overboard from the Norwegian cargo ship, Sally, about 55 nautical miles east of Lowestoft in the U.K. in very heavy seas. According to reports, the Great Yarmouth Coastguard said it was working with its Dutch counterparts to find and retrieve the planks which fell off the 260-foot cargo ship. The Coast Guard warns that yachts and other small vessels could face significant damage from the debris.

Yarmouth (U.K.) Coastguard watch manager Mario Siano said that individual planks breaking loose from larger bundles may not present a threat to larger vessels in the regular shipping lanes.

Heavy seas threaten to split contained bundles of lumber and create an even larger debris field in the area. The cargo was headed for Humber in the U.K. at the time of the incident.

By Ocean Navigator