At 2021 on the evening of 3rd January the 51,770gt/2000 built Hoegh Osaka departed from Southampton’s eastern docks bound for Bremerhaven on a routine sailing. It was a calm evening and, as the ship negotiated the turn to port at West Bramble Cardinal Buoy from the Thorn Channel into the Solent off Cowes to head eastwards to The Nab, she became unstable and developed a severe list to starboard. In a commendable attempt to save the ship and her crew the Captain and Pilot decided to turn the ship hard to port and beach her on the Bramble Bank.