“IT COULD take months.”

That's the warning from the team drawing up plans to rescue the stricken Hoegh Osaka from The Solent.

They say plans are being drawn up to free the 51,000 tonne vessel, but warned that it could lie on a sand bank in the Solent for several months before it is safely removed.

And there are also fears some of its cargo, valued at more than £30m and including 50 tonne diggers and top-of-the-range Jaguars and Land Rovers, could have come loose causing huge damage and further complicating attempts to rescue the ship.

As reported, the Hoegh Osaka left Southampton on Saturday afternoon for Germany, laden with 1,400 cars and more than 100 pieces of industrial equipment.

But hours after setting sail, the skipper and an Associated British Ports pilot who was on board helping to guide it out of the city's docks, were forced to ground the 180m ship on Bramble Bank sand bank after it began listing and was in danger of capsizing.

A dramatic late-night rescue mission was launched which saw the RNLI, Solent Coastguard and an RAF helicopter rescue the 25 crew members, one of whom was taken to hospital for treatment for a broken leg.

At a press conference on Sunday, Ingar Skiaker chief executive of owners Hoegh Autoliners said he would not speculate on what caused the listing of the vessel.

Theories include some of its cargo coming loose, an issue with the ship's fuel or ballast or problems with its rudder.

And now it is feared the transporter could lie on the sand bank for months, with owners Hoegh, salvors Svitzer, the Secretary of State's marine salvage representative Hugh Shaw and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) drawing up a plan to free it.

A spokesman for the MCA told the Daily Echo: “The operation will be carefully managed.

“It's probably going to be around for quite a long time, it could be weeks, it could be months.

“At this time of year there could be bad weather which could hamper opportunities.

“It is definitely being done at the correct pace.

“It will be there for as long as it needs to be. It's not causing hazards, it's not in the way and as long as it stays intact it's safe.”

Hoegh Osaka was carrying 1,400 vehicles, including 1,200 Jaguars and Land Rovers worth more than £27m, and 65 BMW Minis worth about £1.3m.

It was also carrying more than 100 items of heavy industrial and construction equipment, including stone crushers and JCB diggers weighing up to 50 tonnes.

And there are fears some of the heavier cargo, stowed on the Hoegh Osaka's lower deck, could have come loose, after Mr Shaw said there was a “high probability” that some items had shifted.

An expert worker at Southampton's docks said that while items were held down by up to 20 straps, each designed to keep in place one tonne of weight, he believes some of them may have broken.

He said: “There could be a domino effect.

“If one of those straps goes and the equipment becomes loose it could take everything with it.

“The weight would be high, if one chain goes and it slides down then nothing could stop it.

“That would make it very difficult to get everything back out again.”

Daily Echo:

The investigation into how the giant transporter ran aground is also set to take months, with experts from the Southampton-based Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) gearing up for one of their biggest operations on home shores.

A spokesman said: “There is a lot of work to be done and our role is to find out how it happened and work with the owners and the crew.

“The importance now is the salvaging and make sure there is no risk posed to the environment.”