Righting attempt planned for listing cargo ship

(CNN)  A last-ditch attempt to right a badly listing ship off the coast of France is planned for Monday, French maritime authorities said.

The unmanned, stricken cargo ship, foundering off the southwest coast, was as of Sunday night not able to be righted due to gusty winds and 20-foot waves, Vice-Admiral Emmanuel de Oliveira said in a press conference.

It is hoped that the righting operation can take place once conditions are calmer. Previous efforts to right it have been unsuccessful.

The ship's current position is 50 nautical miles (57 miles) from Arcachon, near Bordeaux, on France's Atlantic coast. Given prevailing currents, if Monday's rescue fails, the 538-foot ship, named the Modern Express, is expected to run aground on the Landes coast in the southwest of France some time between Monday and Tuesday night.

Trouble strikes

The Modern Express, a Panamanian registered roll-on/roll-off cargo ship, began listing last Tuesday some 200 nautical miles (230 miles) southwest of Penmarch, a town farther north on the Atlantic coast. All 22 crew members were airlifted to safety by Spanish rescue helicopters.

The cargo, nearly 4,000 tons of wood and some vehicles, does not present an environmental hazard, de Oliveira told journalists. The fuel tanks are also intact, he said, and any breaches, should the ship run aground, would be immediately addressed.

Several ships, including a salvage vessel chartered by the owner and several Navy vessels, are in the area monitoring the Modern Express' condition and position, and are standing by to attempt to right the ship.