The vessel developed a heavy list soon after leaving the port of Southampton on Saturday night.
Salvor Svitzer is currently mobilising resources to try to save the 51,770-gt Hoegh Osaka (built 2000).
The vessel is reported to be in a stable condition and early fears it might sink as a result of a 45o list have eased.
But the list has increased to 52o making it more likely that the cargo of 1,400 cars and about 75 pieces of earthmoving equipment will have shifted, further complicating what looks to be a difficult salvage operation.
Preliminary reports suggest the vessel had steering problems and had developed a list prior to grounding although Hoegh Autoliners said it was too early to speculate about the cause.
Hoegh Autoliners chief executive, Ingar Skiaker, however says the vessel was deliberately grounded on a sandbank by the master and pilot which confirms there was a serious problem early in the voyage.
All 24 crew and a pilot were taken off the car carrier during an overnight rescue operation. Two crew members are reported to have been injured including one who suffered a fractured leg during the evacuation of the vessel by helicopters and lifeboats.
No pollution has been reported but the vessel has bunkers of about 500 tonnes of heavy fuel oil and marine diesel.
Hugh Shaw the ‘sosrep’ who acts as the UK government’s supervisor of salvage operations indicated the Hoegh Osaka was unlikely to be moved for some days but refused to speculate if the salvate operation would run into weeks or months.
The Norwegian owned Hoegh Osaka had four non detainable deficiencies when visited by port state control inspectors at Bremerhaven in July.
These related to the vessels propulsion and auxiliary machinery, charts and radar as well as documentation.
The hull and freight interest insurance of the Hoegh Osaka is led by Gard, with the Norwegian insurance club also providing the protection and indemnity cover.
As the Hoegh Osaka is aground on Bramble Bank, a know hazard to navigation in the Solent, access to the port of Southampton is not obstructed.
Although the last year has been benign in claims terms there has been a spate of casualties since last weekend.
In addition to the Hoegh Osaka there has been serious loss of life as the result of a major fire on the 26,900-gt ro-ro ferry Norman Atlantic(built 2009) on a voyage from Greece to Italy and the sinking of the 56,000-dwt bulk carrier Bulk Jupiter (built 2006) where 18 crew members are missing.
There has also been the capsize of the 2,327 Cemfjord(built 1984) off northern Scotland where eight crew are missing presumed dead, the loss of the 300-dwt general cargoship Sea Merchant (built 1982) along with its chief engineer in Phillippine waters and an oil spill off Singapore from the 116,000-dwt tanker Alyarmouk(built 2008) following a collision with a bulk carrier.
There have also been two merchant ships - the 2,560-dwt Blue Sky M(built 1976) and 2,300-dwt livestock carrier Ezadeen (built 1966) - carrying many hundreds of refugees abandoned in the Mediterranean with autopilots set to run the vessels aground on the Italian coast.
