Leeuwin tall ship smashed into, wrecked by container ship in Fremantle Port

WA’s iconic Leeuwin tall ship has been left a wreck after being smashed into by a container vessel at Fremantle Port.

The STS Leeuwin II was left with broken masts and debris strewn across the waterway after the Maersk Shekou ran into the anchored ship as it berthed in port about 6am on Friday.

Photographs of the aftermath showed the Leeuwin as a crumpled mess.

Two crew members aged aged in their 20s and 60s were aboard the Leeuwin at the time and were taken to Fiona Stanley Hospital and Royal Perth Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The men were sleeping in the hull when they were woken by a loud crack. It is believed they suffered the injuries as they escaped the ship.

Fremantle Ports government and public relations manager Neil Stanbury said it was a terrible incident.

“Unfortunately, the two fellows who were on night shift on The Leeuwin ... one may have minor injuries, perhaps a broken arm, but they’re both OK and we’re very glad,” he said.

Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation chairman Jay Weatherill added: “Both were injured but managed to escape from the vessel and are being assessed and receiving medical treatment.

“Our first concern is for their safety and welfare and our thoughts and best wishes are with our crew mates for a speedy recovery.”

Mr Weatherill said that he was “horrified” when he saw the damage and the crew aboard would have suffered “major trauma”.

“The damage also in my mind raises the very real risk that there could have been loss of life. Fortunately, we’re not dealing with that,” he said.

“Once our crew are cared for, a proper assessment of the vessel will be undertaken and we will update on the status of the vessel.

“However, it is clear that the damage to the STS Leeuwin is significant and will result in a temporary cessation of our adventure-based training program.”

It is not known how much repairs will cost or how long it will take but it is hoped the Leeuwin’s hull was largely spared any damage and is intact.

The Maersk Shekou appeared to have a huge gash on its side as it was being guided away from the scene by a tugboat.

A port worker — who did not wish to be named — watched the Maersk as it came into berth during a storm.

“The Leeuwin was obscured but the ship seemed to be battling for about 40 minutes,” the worker said.

A witness said he was on his way to Rottnest Island when he noticed all the commotion in the port.

“The Leeuwin has been absolutely smashed to pieces,” he said. “None of its mast is standing and it’s listing over and hanging over onto the port.

“That container ship has come into the port and smashed into The Leeuwin.

“They’ve dropped the anchor to try and halt it and now they can’t get the anchor back up. It must be lodged on the bottom.”

Fremantle Port chief executive Jodie Ransom said the container ship had also “slightly impacted” the Maritime Museum nearby.

“The bow of the Maersk vessel has struck the Leeuwin and the stern of the Maersk vessel has made a slight impact with the Maritime Museum,” she said.

“At the moment, we’ve got structural engineers reviewing the Maritime Museum’s structural integrity and ensuring that it’s safe before we allow people back in this afternoon.

“The advice I’ve received at the moment is the damage is superficial.”

The Maersk has been berthed, with officials assessing the damage to both vessels.

“There’s an investigation that will follow and and that will determine the cause of it, and what actions we might take in the future,” Ms Ransom said. “This is a rare occurrence for the port and we have very strict operating parameters that we’re constantly revising to make sure that the port operates effectively and safely.

“The Leeuwin is a foundational piece within the port and seeing the damage occur and the incident occur is stressful for all of us, and particularly our concerns are for the crew on board the Leeuwin who were injured.” Ms Ransom said operations at the port were on hold while debris was cleared.

The Fremantle Port, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau have launched an investigation into the incident.

“The ATSB is deploying a team of four transport safety investigators from its Brisbane, Canberra, and Sydney offices, with expertise in shipboard operations, pilotage, and recorded data systems, to the site,” ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said.

“They will conduct a range of evidence-gathering activities, including vessel examination, interviews, and the recovery of any relevant recorded data, as well as documents, records and weather information.

“A final report will be released at the conclusion of the investigation and will detail evidence, analysis and findings.

“Should a critical safety issue be identified during the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so safety action can be taken.”

A video of the incident shows the cargo ship coming into a port as heavy rain pours before a loud long crack rings out and the ship puts its horn on.

It is believed the crack was the sound of the ship hitting the side of the museum.

Local Richard Evans said it was “upsetting” to see the damage to the iconic vessel.

“I was shocked, I almost couldn’t believe it,” he said.

“It’s a bit of a tragedy for WA, I can’t imagine how it would have happened without it smashing the whole boat.

“I was there when they raised the keel back in the 80s and I was there for the America’s Cup, I think we all have so many memories of the Leeuwin off the coast and off Cottesloe beach and stuff.

“Hopefully they can fix it but it looks like a big job looking at it with all the masts smashed.”

Mr Weatherill said it was hoped to get the Leeuwin operational again as soon as possible.

“The Leeuwin has been helping the youth of Western Australia for more than 35 years and remains a community-based volunteer driven organisation,” he said.

“The Leeuwin has sailed roughed seas over these years and we hope it will return to the service of the youth of WA as soon as possible.”

LEEUWIN QUICK FACTS

• The ship is a three-masted barquentine, with an 1850s style rig
• It is 55m long. Its main mast is 33m high. It has 16 sails and 810sqm of fabric
• It has a steel hull and a teak deck
• The first Leeuwin — Dutch for “lioness” — was a galleon whose crew explored and mapped, in 1622, what would become part of the WA coast
• Leeuwin II cost $3.7 million to build
• It took 22 months to build and was constructed upside down because it was easier to weld facing down than facing up