We have received reports over recent months of ships losing an anchor during severe weather. When an anchor is lost at the anchorage or in a port, the authorities will in most cases give instructions for a search-and-recovery operation. Given that a lost anchor is formally deemed to be a ‘wreck’, the authorities may in certain cases give that instruction directly to NNPC, in its role as the insurer.
But because the authorities can also elect to organise a search-and-recovery operation themselves, it is important that we respond to any such request quickly. Together with our local contact, we will then build up a picture of what the options are. To assess this properly, we ask that you send us at least the following information:
- The ship’s incident report
- Notification to the agent and the local authorities
- Dimensions and weight of the anchor (plus anchor chain if applicable)
- The exact location of the vessel (longitude and latitude) at the moment of the incident, plus a copy of the ECDIS data
- The purchase value and market value of the anchor
Depending on what the options are and the quotations received, NNPC will attempt to reach an agreement with the authorities about the timelines and effort required for locating the anchor and then recovering it if it is found.
We recommend that our members should notify the NNPC claims team of the loss of an anchor or anchor chain without delay through claims@nnpc.nl. If you have any questions or remarks about this subject, you can contact us through that same e-mail address or by phone on +31 (0)50-534-321.
