Leeuwin footage, photographs capture moment container vessel runs into iconic tall ship, leaving it a wreck

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Leeuwin footage, photographs capture moment container vessel runs into iconic tall ship, leaving it a wreck

Dramatic footage has emerged showing the agonising moment a huge carrier container vessel ran into and destroyed the Leeuwin tall ship in Fremantle Port.

The vision shows the Maersk Shekou smash into the STS Leeuwin II and someone unseen in the background saying: “*****, *****.”

The noise of what sounds like grating metal can be heard as the Maersk slides to the right before a ship fog ***** blows loud and long.

The container ship also clipped the Maritime Museum building, which could explain the grating sound.

Separate pictures taken from Victoria Quay’s harbourcam shows the short time it took for the Leeuwin, which was berthed in port, to be wrecked as tugboats desperately tried to head off the impending danger.

Camera IconThe wrecked Leeuwin. Credit: Neil Macleod/

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Witnesses have told of poor weather as the Maersk tried to berth about 6am on Friday, with a possible big wind gust pushing the vessel into the Leeuwin.

It is believed the Maersk was tied to tugboats as it berthed but the ropes broke.

It appeared to have a huge gash on its side as it was being guided away from the scene by a tugboat.

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A port worker — who did not wish to be named — watched the Maersk as it came into berth in the storm.

“The Leeuwin was obscured but the ship seemed to be battling for about 40 minutes,” the worker said.

A witness said he was on his way to Rottnest Island when he noticed all the commotion in the port.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconA fallen mast from the Leeuwin. Credit: Ian Munro/The West ***********

“The Leeuwin has been absolutely smashed to pieces,” he said. “None of its mast is standing and it’s listing over and hanging over onto the port.

“That container ship has come into the port and smashed into The Leeuwin.

“They’ve dropped the anchor to try and halt it and now they can’t get the anchor back up. It must be lodged on the bottom.”

Two crew members aged aged in their 20s and 60s were aboard the Leeuwin at the time of the incident and were taken to Fiona Stanley Hospital and Royal Perth Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The men were sleeping in the hull when they were woken by a loud ******. It is believed they were injured while escaping the tall ship.

LEEUWIN QUICK FACTSThe ship is a three-masted barquentine, with an 1850s style rigIt is 55m long. Its main mast is 33m high. It has 16 sails and 810sqm of fabricIt has a steel hull and a teak deckThe first Leeuwin — Dutch for “lioness” — was a galleon whose crew explored and mapped, in 1622, what would become part of the WA coastLeeuwin II cost $3.7 million to buildIt took 22 months to build and was constructed upside down because it was easier to weld facing down than facing up

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