Cargo Ship Hits Several Moored Boats After Engine Failure at Cowes Harbour

A 75-metre cargo vessel, Shetland Trader, struck several moored boats after suffering an engine power failure while docking at Medina Harbour in Cowes, Isle of Wight, on the evening of 4 November, 2025.

According to Cowes Harbour Commission, the incident occurred at around 1900 hours when the vessel lost engine power while transiting the River Medina.

The Cowes Pilot on board initiated an emergency procedure by deploying the ship’s anchor in an effort to slow and control the vessel’s movement.

Despite this, the ship continued drifting for a short distance before colliding with a moored yacht and a motorboat, eventually coming to a complete stop.

No injuries were reported among the crew of the Shetland Trader or individuals onshore. The Commission confirmed that no one was on board the moored vessels at the time of the collision.

Harbour officials said that during the incident, the yacht’s moorings parted and became entangled with the cargo ship’s structure. With the assistance of local boat owners, the yacht was later detached from the vessel’s bow and secured alongside a pontoon.

The cargo ship subsequently regained engine power, recovered its anchor, and proceeded to the commercial wharf in Cowes.

Eyewitnesses at the scene described the moments leading up to the collision. A yachtmaster student from the UK Sailing Academy, who was on a nearby boat, reportedly heard the ship’s horn before seeing it scrape along a pontoon and drag a sailing vessel along its bow, deforming its mast.

Harbour staff were said to have reached the scene promptly to assist with moving the affected vessels safely and conducting initial inspections. They also boarded the Shetland Trader to take statements from both the vessel’s master and the pilot involved.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch confirmed that it is aware of the incident and has begun making initial enquiries.

Cowes Harbour Commission said that all relevant vessel owners and authorities have been notified and that a full investigation is now underway. It also expressed gratitude to all those who assisted during and after the incident for their cooperation and prompt response.

According to vessel tracking data, the Shetland Trader had arrived in Cowes earlier that day from the Port of Sluiskil in the Netherlands.

Reference: Cowes Harbour Commission

Source: Maritime Shipping News