News / The mystery of APL Vanda deepens, as CMA stays tight-lipped

Movements of APL Vanda on VesselsValue AIS 6 July.

The bizarre saga of the CMA CGM-owned ship anchored off Djibouti took another twist today with the news that the APL Vanda will discharge Southampton-bound cargo in Tangier, to be transhipped onto another vessel, but the Vanda will arrive in Morocco 11 days after its connecting ship.

APL Fullerton, a 17,300 teu sister ship to the APL Vanda, is currently in the Mediterranean, north of Alexandria and steaming towards Tangier, with an estimated date of arrival on 19 July, 11 days before the Vanda, currently still at anchor off Djibouti according to the latest AIS data from VesselsValue, is due to arrive in the Moroccan port on 30 July.

A customer of another Ocean Alliance carrier was given an advisory stating that the APL Vanda is omitting Southampton and will be discharging cargo in Tangier for next available transhipment.

“However the initial proposed connection is not feasible since APL Vanda is only arriving to Tangier on 30 July while APL Fullerton will be calling at Tangiers on 19 July.”

Ocean Alliance partners are currently waiting for further updates from CMA CGM.

Moreover, the VesselsValue hourly tracking system reveals that the Vanda was heading west to Suez on 2 July, while the next ‘hourly’ update was 5 July with the vessel still heading west, but now with a destination of Djibouti.

This would seem to indicate that its tracker was deactivated on the 2 July, the day before the mysterious incident, but that the ship was using its own engine and rudder to manoeuvre, according to a former captain.

The vessel then, under its own steam, headed back to Singapore on the 6 July, before returning to its anchorage in Djibouti on the same day.

CMA CGM had originally posted an advisory on 7 July stating: “Subject: APL VANDA (0FMADW1MA/ 0FMAEE1MA) Dear Valued Customer, While proceeding on her westbound voyage, our APL Vanda deployed on FAL3 faced an unexpected incident in the Indian Ocean on Sunday 3rd July 2022.

“Vessel is currently at anchor in Djibouti. She is so far expected to arrive in north Europe with 2 weeks delay.”

However, one UK forwarder, with more than 20 containers aboard the Vanda, advised The Loadstar: “Our containers had an ETA of 22 July in Southampton, we have now been advised by CMA CGM that the boxes booked with CMA will arrive in the UK on 9 October.”

CMA CGM has said it will not comment on this incident further. The Loadstar invites anyone with knowledge of “the incident” to contact the publication at [email protected]. All  communications will be treated in the strictest of confidence.