When Mother Nature takes the helm of a ship and sends it bobbing out of control in a frothy sea, the resulting casualty typically requires a remedy that is no match for the average marine salvage company. Such was the case on a stormy morning in August 2013, as a partially laden, 52,289- ton, Hong Kong-flagged, bulk carrier approached the harbor entrance to the port of San Antonio, Chile, en route from Panama, and dropped anchor to await calmer seas. However, the anchor was helpless against the angry seas and quickly began to drag. The crew had no choice but to cut it loose, sending the ship on an unguided detour 1.5 miles south, where it became stuck fast in the offshore sands battered by the surf at Llolleo Beach.
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