INTERNATIONAL
SALVAGE UNION
"Insurers need salvors; salvors need insurers"
ISU Members and Associates were
well represented at the annual Salvage
and Wreck Conference organised
by Seatrade Maritime with ISU as a
supporting organisation.
ISU President, John Witte, gave the
opening address in which he set out the
current state of the industry and noted the
gulf in income between the insurers and
the salvors (below right). He also pointed
out the importance of salvor's being left
to get on with the job using their expertise
to prevent disasters without unnecessary
influence from shore-based advisors.
Mr Witte also emphasised that the
Salvage Convention and Article 13
awards must remain the cornerstone of
the industry to retain the concept of the
professional salvor available to deal with
all kinds of incidents around the world.
ESG considerations were again at the
forefront of the conference content and
the insurers recognised the importance
of the salvage industry. Jenna Hales from
Hiscox said: “insurers need salvors and
salvors need insurers so there is much
common ground”. There is the possibility
of the London Joint Marine Claims
Committee introducing a default clause
requiring the use of Lloyd's Open Form
but that initiative is not yet concluded.
John Witte described the US OPA 90
system and said it was unlikely to work
internationally because it was based on
the requirement for existing relationships
IMO Bravery Award 2023
Caleb Halle, Aviation Survival
Technician Second Class of the United
States Coast Guard (USCG), based at
the Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic
City, received the 2023 IMO Award for
Exceptional Bravery at Sea, for his
outstanding courage, endurance and
determination shown during the rescue
of the seven-strong crew of the tugboat
LEGACY in January 2023.
between owners and salvors.
Nina Hanevold-Sandvik from Skuld
described the importance of ESG
credentials – both in the screening of
would-be contractors and in preparing
reports on ESG performance at the end
of an operation. She said they were still
trying to establish a baseline and that
vetting the supply chain was not unique to
the salvage and insurance industry and is
now common in business.
Grant Hunter from BIMCO and Richard
Janssen outlined the changes that have
been agreed to the popular BIMCO
Wreckstage contract which is nearly
finished and ready for publication.
Seperately, Smit Salvage described the
work to stabilise the FSO SAFER off
Yemen and remove the crude oil which
was on board.
The Allianz Safety and Shipping Review
was presented to the conference and a
36 per cent reduction in casualties was
recorded in the past ten years. The South
China Sea, Indonesia and the Philippines
remain “hot spots”. Looking ahead, fire
continues to be a major concern. There
have been 64 losses in the last five years
from this cause.
A panel addressed salvor’s liability and
criminalisation. Eline Muller, chair of
the ISU salvage sub-Committee and a
director at Multraship, described the case
of the FREEMANTLE HIGHWAY and
LEGACY was towing a barge when its tow
lines snapped in strong winds and heavy
swells. The vessel and its crew of seven
were adrift in violent rolling seas, 35 nm
off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland, US.
After several unsuccessful rescue
attempts by a USCG cutter, a helicopter
rescue team was dispatched. The
helicopter crew attempted a hoist
1
December 2023
the ever present worry when responding
whether the salvor would be criminalised.
She also emphasised the importance of
being paid and encouraged “to go out and
respond”.
Future fuels and innovation in tugs and
firefighting was discussed and Gary
Dockerty from tug builder Sanmar noted
that in future “tugs of opportunity” - if
electric or hybrid - are unlikely to be able
to undertake salvage and firefighting as
they will not have the endurance and
capability required to operate at, or near,
full power for very long.
And today many tugs are not
commissioned with fire fighting capability
as it requires substantial additional power
to drive the FiFi monitor pumps and
increases prices.
operation from the stern of LEGACY.
In hugely challenging circumstances,
AST2 Halle was able to help three
survivors to be recovered. Running low
on fuel, the helicopter had to depart the
scene. But AST2 Halle volunteered to
remain on board to reassure the four
remaining tugboat crew and to assist
a relief Coast Guard helicopter when it
arrived.
Continued next page
IMO Bravery Award continued
A new helicopter returned as darkness was falling.
Communications between AST2 Halle and the helicopter
were lost as it approached but its swimmer and Mr Halle were
able eventually to assist the four remaining tugboat crew to
safety from the violently pitching main deck of the tugboat.

AST2 Halle conducted a final search inside LEGACY to

ensure no one was left behind. A large wave hit the boat -
and at this point the water-tight seal of his survival suit was
damaged.

As the two rescue swimmers were about to be hoisted off the

tugboat, it suddenly pitched violently upwards, throwing them
both into the freezing and turbulent water, close to the tugboat
propellors. AST2 Halle's survival suit was beginning to flood.
The situation was critical, but once the helicopter was able to
regain position, both rescue swimmers were finally winched
from the sea.

The Panel of Judges - including ISU past President,

Charo Coll - agreed that, throughout the operation, AST2
Caleb Halle clearly demonstrated exceptional bravery
and determination, despite the extreme conditions and
the complexities of a multi-unit rescue, coupled with
2023 IMO Bravery Award Winner AST2 Halle, USCG, is congratulated
communications failures.
by Charo Coll, ISU past President and award judge.

Nippon Salvage - coral reef operation

In early 2023 XIN HAI ZHOU 2 - 8,461
gross tonnes - grounded on a coral
reef in a national park off Ishigaki
Island, Okinawa, Japan. Nippon
Salvage was contracted for an
inspection and bunker removal by
the P&I club. Nippon’s salvage tug
KOYO MARU - 2,474 gross tonnes and
10,000BHP - was swiftly dispatched
with a salvage team and equipment.

After mobilising the necessary assets, the

bulker was safely connected to KOYO
MARU and a locally sourced barge and
bunker removal was completed.

At the end of June, Nippon was also

contracted to remove the wreck and
the operation is continuing with care
to prevent further damage to the
environment.

Nippon said it is in “close communication”

with competent authorities and local
communities and continues working
towards the complete removal of the
wreck in the “challenging area” which is
not only the biggest coral reef habitat in
Japan but is also affected by seasonal
wind and typhoons.

2
ISU News

ISU Associate Members' Day 2024
The ISU Associate Members’ Day
Conference will be held on Wednesday
20 March 2024. The popular event will
be held in a new venue, Landing Forty
Two, the Leadenhall Building in the City
of London, opposite the Lloyd's building.
The event will be preceded by the Annual
Dinner on 19 March 2024 at Trinity House
in London. Invitations for both events will
be issued in the New Year.
ISU Annual General Meeting 2024
The ISU AGM 2024 and associate events
will be held 11-13 September 2024 in
Istanbul, hosted by ISU Member, Aras.
The AGM and associated events will
follow the now-established format of
an Executive Committee meeting, local
visits and an Opening Reception on
Wednesday 11 September, the AGM
on Thursday 12 September followed in
the evening by a Gala Dinner and other
activities and visits the day after the AGM,
Friday 13 September. Full details will
be issued in Q1 2024 but members are
advised to note the date and that there will
be requirement to confirm room bookings
earlier than usual to ensure best prices
are available.
Statistics
The ISU will launch its two annual
statistics surveys in the New Year: the
general Salvage Industry Statistics and
the Pollution Prevention Statistics.
ISU members will be contacted directly
with the call to participate and it is a
requirement to submit the information
which is handled confidentially, in the case
of the general statistics, by a third party,
accountants BDO. It means confidentiality
is guaranteed and only aggregated
numbers are published.
ISU Secretary General, James Herbert
said: “Performance in submission of
statistics has been variable and we are
looking forward next year to an excellent
response from members. These are
the only statistics about the state of the
industry to be published and are therefore
very important. The Pollution Prevention
Statistics are also central to our work
in promoting the value of our industry
and the role that our members play in
preventing environmental disasters.
Please do respond to the survey.”
Lloyd’s
ISU participated fully, along with many
industry partners, in the workgroups
considering how best to re-invigorate
the Lloyd’s Open Form salvage contract.
The work concluded in June and Lloyd’s
is expected to announce a number of
initiatives. These will include a revised
Fixed Cost Arbitration Procedure under
which many more LOF arbitrations are
likely to be handled as Fast Track Paper
Only arbitrations.
Contractors and owners will also be
expected to submit, confidentially for
aggregated publication, data about settled
cases and also for each LOF there will be
a requirement for parties to supply data
relating to the Environmental, Social and
Governance aspects of the case. Lloyd's
will issue further details explaining the new
requirements.

Harbor Star oil spill cleanup in The Philippines

In what it called a “remarkable
display of teamwork and dedication”,
ISU member, Harbor Star Shipping
Services, Inc., collaborated with
international contractor Le Floc De
Pollution to lead the successful
shoreline cleanup response in Oriental
Mindoro, Semirara, and Liwagao
following a devastating oil spill
caused by the sinking MV PRINCESS
EMPRESS in February.
The operation involved the participation of
nearly one thousand local volunteers and
resulted in the collection of a 576 cubic
meters of solid contaminated waste.
Harbor Star said the oil spill response,
which was conducted in close
coordination with the International Tanker
Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) to
ensure compliance with international and
local standards, “stands as a testament
to the commitment and expertise of
contractors.”
The incident left the picturesque coastal
areas heavily impacted by the spill and the
cleanup effort involved a comprehensive
approach that prioritised the safety of
both the environment and the volunteers
(above right). Stringent protocols
were implemented to minimise further throughout the operation.
damage and efficiently remove the oil-
contaminated waste. “The successful cleanup operation
restored the affected areas and served
The involvement of local volunteers, as a reminder of the importance of
working hand-in-hand with Harbor Star, preparedness and collaboration in
played a crucial role in the operation's mitigating the impacts of such incidents.
success. Harbor Star said: “Their tireless Harbor Star Shipping Services, Inc.
efforts and dedication to restoring their remain committed to their roles, working
beloved shoreline were instrumental in diligently to prevent future oil spills and
achieving the remarkable outcome. These protect our precious coastlines.”
selfless individuals showcased the true
spirit of community and environmental
stewardship.”
The huge amount of solid contaminated
waste collected underscores the
magnitude of the oil spill and the major
effort required to dela with it. A meticulous
planning process and advanced
techniques mean that Harbor Star
identified every piece of contaminated
waste, collected it and properly disposed
of it, leaving no trace (below right).
The company said it “demonstrated its
commitment to the community and the
environment” and that its expertise was
“invaluable in navigating the challenges
posed by the oil spill. Its dedication
to upholding the highest standards in
environmental responsibility was evident

3
Smit in action around the world
In October the passenger/Ro-Ro Ship
MARCO POLO ran aground on a rocky
seabed some 5 nm off the coast of
Sweden near Karlshamn.
The vessel was carrying passengers
and trucks and due to the severity of the
incident and an initial reported oil spill
the passengers were evacuated by the
Swedish Coast Guard.
A Smit team was mobilised and following
inspections performed by the team and
the Coast Guard, it was concluded that
the vessel had sustained extensive
damage to the hull. Several tanks were
breached and oil leakage was confirmed
to be coming from the vessel’s bunker
tanks. The Coast Guard had installed two
oil booms and several patrol boats were
on standby in the vicinity of the casualty.
The Smit team made extensive
preparations inside the vessel to
enable an effective refloating operation.
Meanwhile, tugs, a dive support vessel
and oil receiving vessels came on
site, after which some of the bunkers
were taken off prior to the arrival of an
approaching severe storm which pushed
the vessel towards a different grounding
location, complicating the situation.
The salvage team managed to
successfully pressurise the breached
tanks and the Smit team working with
local resources safely refloated the
casualty and brought her to a nearby
anchorage 10 days after the incident.
After a follow up dive inspection at the
anchorage, and because of further
incoming bad weather, the vessel was
brought into the port of Karlshamn.
The entire cargo was offloaded and the
remaining accessible bunker oil and other
pollutants were pumped to the receiving
vessel and to shore facilities.
The final phase of the project consisted of
towing the damaged vessel to drydock in
Gdansk.
The BATAVIA EXPRESS, a bulk carrier
transporting wood pulp bales from
Brazil to China, experienced a fire in its
Cargo Hold 1 during the passage. The
vessel diverted to Cape Town, where
the crew and local firefighters attempted
unsuccessfully to extinguish the fire.
Subsequently, the vessel owners engaged
Smit Salvage for assistance. After
receiving approval from local authorities,
the BATAVIA EXPRESS was brought into
the Port of Cape Town and measures
were taken to inert the affected cargo
hold using CO² and a portable Inert Gas
Generator. The adjacent cargo holds had
their sound cargo discharged and stored
in a warehouse for later backloading.
Cargo Hold 1 was then opened, and a
combination of an “orange peel grab”
and bale cargo spreader, along with fire
suppression measures, were used to
remove the affected cargo (above).
Depending on its condition, the cargo was
either sent to a certified waste disposal
site or to the designated salvage buyers'
warehouse. After clearing Cargo Hold
1 of its 7,628 tonnes of cargo, the hold
was cleaned, and efforts were made to
backload all sound cargo for the vessel to
resume its journey to China.
During the last quarter of the 2024 Smit
Salvage also carried out five emergency
tows of disabled vessels. In the North
Sea during a severe autumn storm a
semi-submersible heavy lift vessel was
secured in challenging circumstances and
safely brought to Rotterdam by one of the
powerful Boskalis tugs.
Off Taiwan a drifting LNG carrier was
towed to OPL Kaohsiung for emergency
repairs. In the South China Sea a Boskalis
tug brought a drifting container vessel
to the safe anchorage of Singapore and
an LNG carrier was brought into port in
Australia and will subsequently be towed
to Hong Kong and in the Red Sea a
4
chemical tanker was towed to Jeddah.
All the towages were executed under the
close supervision and guidance of Smit’s
Salvage masters and naval architects.
In Trinidad &nd Tobago, Smit recently
recovered the bow leg of a jack-up rig
after it had to be cut from the rig last year
during an emergency situation leaving the
cut leg on the seabed, but freeing the rig.
After the necessary preparations of the
leg and waiting for a suitable seastate
and weather window, the Taklift 4 had to
be demobilised for another commitment.
Determining that the best alternative
asset for the recovery was the Boskalis
operated 3,000 tonnes Crane Vessel
Bokalift 1, a specially designed lifting
frame had to be fabricated.
The leg was standing vertically with the
spud-can still 12 meters deep in the
seabed and after 24 hours of pulling and
jetting the leg was freed (above). The
jack-up rig had been transported earlier
by a Boskalis heavy transport vessel and
the leg and rig were reunited in dry dock in
early December.
Members' and Associate’s News
Resolve Marine
Captain Nick Sloane will retire from
Resolve Marine at the end of December
2023. He is also immediate past President
of ISU and has also retired from the ISU
Executive Committee after eight years of
service.
Nick Sloane has had a 40 year-career
starting with the South African Merchant
Shipping Company, SAFMARIN and
transferring to their salvage division in
1983. The company was bought by Smit
in 1997. Thereafter he worked for Svitzer
Salvage and joined Resolve Marine in
2015 as Regional Director for Africa and
the Middle East and worked on projects in
the Philippines, Bangladesh, Singapore,
Malaysia, Chile, the Mediterranean and
around Africa. He was also deployed on
emergency response for hurricane relief in
the Caribbean over the years.
Commenting on Captain Sloane’s
retirement, Joseph Farrell III, Deputy-
CEO and COO said, “Nick's deep
understanding of the complex facets of
salvage operations has been invaluable.
He has "seen it all" and his ability to
pinpoint the subtleties that determine the
success or failure of a salvage job both
operationally and commercially has made
his leadership both at Resolve Marine and
the ISU incredibly impactful. It has always
been a privilege working with him.”
Captain Sloane has been appointed to
the panel of Lloyd’s Special Casualty
Representatives to start in the New Year.
Tsavliris
In October Tsavliris assisted with the
towage of the Passenger/Cruise Ship
"QUEEN of the OCEANS" - 77,500 gross
tonnes - with two of their Patras-based
tugboats, PROTEAS - BHP 3,200 and 45
tonnes BP - and HERMES - BHP 2,725
and 43 tonnes BP. Towage commenced
from Patras Port to Platygiali terminal,
Astakos Port, Greece.
In corporate news, the Tsavliris Cultural
Foundation is offering a full scholarship
"In Memory of Alexander G. Tsavliris" to
commemorate the 50 years since the
passing of the Group’s Founder.
It is a merit-based scholarship for an
undergraduate degree in shipping, in
Greece and amounts to €12,000. The
scholarship was announced during an
event at the main offices of Tsavliris
Salvage, in Piraeus (picture below). It is
offered by Nicolas, George and Andreas
Tsavliris, the three sons of the founder of
the Group, through the Tsavliris Cultural
Foundation. Applications are open and
the Scholarship winner will be announced
during Posidonia events in June 2024. For
more information www.tsavliris.com
Tsavliris Cultural Foundation was
established in 2015 to commemorate
100 years from the birth of the founding
father of the Tsavliris Group, Alexander G.
Tsavliris. The aim of the Foundation is to
support and promote education, culture
and the arts.
The Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers
Greek Branch held its 18th Annual Forum.
The title was: "Shipping 2024: sailing with
wisdom".
Mr Nicolas A. Tsavliris, FICS, Chairman
of the ICS Greek Branch and Tsavliris
Salvage Group welcomed the attendees
of the Forum. Emphasising the importance
of wisdom in the shipping industry, the
Chairman reflected on the ICS role in
navigating both industry challenges and
global crises.
Roll Dock
Roll Group has updated its corporate
profile and reports that it owns and
operates a wide range of land-based
equipment and vessels to complete “some
of the most demanding” heavy lifting and
specialist transport projects.
Its head office is located in Capelle
aanden IJssel, The Netherlands,
and along with two smaller hubs in
Sassenheim and Breda it oversees
Roll Group operations worldwide. Their
presence in the USA is managed from its
operational facility in Dayton, Texas. The
5
main office for the Asian region is located
in Singapore which oversees smaller
branches in Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur,
Bangkok, Yokohama and Seoul. Roll
Group also work with various agencies
based in strategic locations across the
globe and its nine vessels are frequently
used in salvage operations. For example
assisting with a damaged navy corvette
and an expedition cruise ship (below).
Seacontractors
Seacontractors has announced additions
to its fleet with the acquisition of two
Anchor Handling Tugs, SERAYA and
SENTOSA each with 120 tonnes bollard
pull. Both vessels are have dedicated
and experienced crew, accommodation
on board is provided for 24 persons and
they have fully integrated FiF systems
to enhance their emergency response
capabilities.
They are designed for multi-purpose
operations and Seacontractors says they
have “exceptional towing characteristics
and their versatility allows them to be
deployed worldwide for various tasks,
including single and double towing,
pushing, anchor handling, anchor
recovery, rig move assistance, salvage
support, wreck removal, escorting, and
deck and cargo transportation.”
Seacontractors has a diverse fleet of over
25 Anchor Handling Tugs (AHT) and Multi-
Purpose Vessels.
Recent operations include the SEA
VANQUISH towing the WILSON SKAW
from Iceland to Norway after she had
grounded with only minor damage
carrying a cargo of salt. The hull suffered
only minor damage, and no leakage
Continued next page
Members' and Associate’s News continued

occurred.

Elsewhere the DIAN KINGDOM, guided
by the salvage master, refloated the bulker
DEFENDER near Kalundborg, Denmark
while laden with a substantial 10,000
tonnes of cargo.
Shipowners' Club
The Shipowners’ Club, the leading P&I
insurer in the smaller and specialist vessel
sector, has announced the appointment
of four new directors to its Board, effective
from the Club’s Board meeting in March
2024.
The new directors are Mark Ko,
the Executive Director of the Club’s
longstanding Member, Tian San Shipping,
based in Singapore.
ISU Salvage sub-Committee Chair,
Eline Muller, co-owner and a senior
executive of the Club’s longstanding
Member, Multraship based in Terneuzen
in The Netherlands with a fleet providing
harbour and terminal towage, sea towage,
support to the offshore energy and marine
infrastructure industries and emergency
response salvage.
Siana Surya, President Director of the
Club’s longstanding Member, PT Berlian
Laju Tankers based in Indonesia.
Simon Swallow, the recently retired
Chief Executive of the Association’s
management company, The Shipowners’
Protection Limited.
Solis
Solis Marine Engineering won the
Excellence in Marine Innovation Award
during the National Maritime SME Awards
2023 held during London International
Shipping Week 2023. Simon Hindley,
Managing Director of Solis Marine
Engineering, said: ‘We are very proud
to have been recognised for our work in
clean shipping.”
Minnitt who joins Solis Marine as a
Master Mariner/Marine Consultant based
in Singapore he is coming ashore after
33 years at sea including 15 years of
command experience.
Waves group
Waves Group announced the appointment
of Captain Stanislav Ivanov as Vice
President of the Houston office. He is one
of the lead Consultant Master Mariners
in Waves Group and a recognised expert
within the casualty, insurance, shipping
and offshore energy industries. He will
be responsible for the coordination
and development of operations in the
Americas.
His portfolio includes the investigation of
marine casualties, client’s representative
on salvage and wreck removal projects
and providing expert opinion on charter
party disputes and cargo claims.
With a Class 1 Master Mariner certification
and 28 years in the shipping industry,
Captain Ivanov's expertise covers a wide
area: the investigation of major marine
incidents, including container vessel
stow collapses, cargo losses, collisions,
groundings and fires.
AMSA
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority
(AMSA) has secured its next emergency
response vessel to patrol and protect the
Great Barrier Reef and the Torres Strait.
Smit Lamnalco, has been awarded a 10
year contract worth AS $196 million for
AMSA’s first response emergency towage
capability.
The vessel and its crew are tasked
with protecting these precious marine
environments and global shipping routes
from pollution and rescuing seafarers in
distress.
Smit Lamnalco will deliver a bigger, more
powerful, faster and more fuel-efficient
towage vessel than AMSA’s current
vessel, the CORAL KNIGHT, which comes
to the end of its contract in June 2024.
The new vessel (image below) will have
greater bollard pull than the Coral Knight
(120 tonnes versus 82 tonnes) to address
the rising threat of maritime casualties
involving ships of unprecedented size and
greater top speed.
The new vessel will also be more fuel
efficient with a hybrid propulsion system.
And there is the possibility of use of
methanol as an alternative future fuel
source.
The new vessel will be built over the next
two years and delivered for service in mid-
2026. Smit Lamnalco has committed to
an interim capability which also exceeds
AMSA’s current capability in both bollard
pull and top speed.

And Solis Marine Group LLP has

welcomed Captain Mike Melly to the
global team as Marine Consultant based
in Durban, South Africa. Mr Melly has
more than 45 years experience of the
marine industry and Solis said that with
their growing presence in Southeast Asia,
China, Europe and the United Kingdom
they are “excited to be able to expand our
services into Southern Africa.”

Additionally the firm says it is “expanding

its technical knowledge and expertise”
with the appointment of Captain Neil

6
Multraship - North Sea and inland waterway operations
In November, Multraship successfully
freed the stranded tugboat OCEAAN
II from the beach at Zandvoort, on the
Dutch Coast. The tug found itself in a
challenging situation while attempting
to assist the grounded fishing vessel
YM22 and ended up grounded high on
the beach itself.

With the assistance of Koole Contractors

and the KNRM Lifeboat Association,
Multraship managed to connect
MULTRATUG 18 to the OCEAAN II with
a 1500 metre length of Dyneema, while
digging a channel during low tide.

At high tide MULTRATUG 18 succeeded

in refloating OCEAAN II and got her
back to the open sea. Multraship said
it was an operation “characterised by
unprecedented skill and teamwork
displayed by the salvage team.”
Also in November a storm passed over
the North Sea and River Scheldt keeping
the Multraship Salvage teams busy.
The pilot boarding vessel PERSEUS
suffered from complete black out and
was immobilised off the Dutch Coast near
Westkapelle, drifting in heavy seas.
Above: Channel dug to assist refloating of beached tug OCEAAN II
pumped out. Provisional repairs and After demobilisation of the equipment,
reinforcements were then made to the hull the Upper Scheldt was again navigable
to provide sufficient buoyancy, limit further in both directions and the blockage
damage and prepare the damaged hull was lifted. Multraship said the salvage
for transport. The JOGO 4 could finally operation was carried out in “good
be towed by the MULTRATUG 22 and cooperation” with the Flemish Waterway
MULTRATUG 5 to shipyard de Schroef and owner and insurers of the JOGO 4.
in Sluiskil and she was redelivered.

The crew was evacuated with the help

of the Coastguard’s SAR Helicopter.
MULTRATUG 19 got a team on board and
made a connection and brought her under
control. Later, assisted by MULTRATUG
32 and MULTRASALVOR 3, the tugs
brought the vessel safely into Flushing.

The same day the tanker TORM LOKE

needed salvage assistance after strong
gusts of wind caused her to come loose
from the mooring buoys in Flushing Sloe
Harbour. Six tugs responded and brought
the vessel under control.

In December, Multraship, together with

LM Diving Service, successfully lifted the
barge JOGO 4, which sank in the Upper
Scheldt. The busy waterway between
Oudenaarde and Ghent became blocked
after the vessel suddenly folded and sank.
Only the stern remained partially above
water.

Fuel was pumped out of the vessel and

the cargo of 1,100 tonnes of limestone
was discharged. Two salvage pontoons
were then positioned on either side of the
JOGO 4, equipped with winches to which
lifting slings were attached.
Above: JOGO 4 seen sunken in the middle of the Upper Scheldt - the waterway linking Oudenaarde
The vessel could then be lifted and water and Ghent. Below: pontoons either side of the casualty which has been lifted with slings and winches.

7
Detek - underwater repairs and refloating operation
In March in Yazici Port in Iskenderun,
Turkey, M/V MORAZ began to drift
towards rocks because of stormy
weather conditions. The vessel’s
engine room plating was damaged and
water began to flow in.

In August, the owners commissioned re-

floating work and Detek divers surveyed
the damaged areas. The vessel was
grounded on a stoney bottom and the
rudder was embedded and there was
water in the engine room up to the level
of the main engine. In consultation with
owners and authorities works were carried
out to prevent water inflow to the rudder
equipment. The assembled parts were environmental precautions in place, the sea
room of the ship with sheet metal sealing
and welding works around the rudder shaft. completely welded to the hull of the ship water in the engine room was discharged
with permanent welding, using underwater to bilge level with submersible pumps. All
The damaged engine room sides were cut welding electrodes and underwater welding three holds of the ship were checked and
away with underwater cutting equipment equipment by the diver and water tightness
found to be dry and after some two months
and new sheet plates prepared on the was ensured.
diving vessel and installed by divers of operations the ship was refloated and
using underwater mounting and welding With the necessary safety and safely towed away by tugs.

Boluda Towage - jack-up and floating turbine tows

In October, Boluda Towage assisted
the jack-up unit SEAFOX from
the North Sea to Wiltonhaven in
Rotterdam.

Boluda Offshore tug VB BEVER safely

performed the rig move on the North Sea.
and after arriving at Maas Entrance, the
convoy was assisted by Boluda Towage’s
VB EXPLORER and VB STERLING.
Together with VB THAMESBANK they
also assisted the jack-up unit during its
positioning the berth (picture right, below).

Elsewhere and earlier in the year, Boluda

Towage assisted the first float of the
Provence Grand Large (PGL) floating
offshore wind farm from Marseille in
May 2023 in what is a milestone in the
development of floating offshore wind in
France.

Three tugs from Boluda Towage’s

Marseille fleet were deployed for what
the firm said were “substantial and highly
technical operations.”

In September the first floating wind turbine

of the PGL project was also towed by
Boluda Towage (France) from the port of
Picrture above
Marseille-FOS (picture right, above) to the
courtesy: SBM
installation site at sea more than 17km Offshore / Franck
from the coast. It will be joined by two Delmas / EDF
further turbines. Renouvelables
Picture courtesy: ShipShot

8
Raul y Negro Parana River barge job
In September, the barge IMPERIAL 318 loaded with 3000
tonnes of iron ore, suffered damage due to impact with the
bank at Km 483 on the Parana River in Argentina.

Raul y Negro was engaged and performed complex underwater

repairs under NKK class standards to restore buoyancy without
removing the cargo on board.

An anchor field was deployed and along with calculations and

fabrication of structures and with assistance from the Pontoon
Grua 255 and tugs and the operation was successfully completed.

Resolve Marine international operations

Resolve Marine was engaged by
owners and underwriters to assist
in the righting operation of the S/V
EUROPA, which partially rolled over
while being transported for launch in
Cape Town, South Africa.
Resolve Marine used a modular portal
frame and strand jacks to right the vessel
then shift her laterally back into alignment
and onto the track system.
Elsewhere, a bulk carrier laden with
bauxite struck an uncharted rock in the
Banda Sea resulting in several ballast
tanks being breached. Her owners
immediately engaged Resolve Marine
to conduct a dive survey, determine the
extent of damage and develop a salvage
plan. A salvage team and portable
salvage equipment were mobilised from
Resolve’s base in Singapore. Temporary
repairs were conducted followed by a
partial lightering of the cargo before the
vessel sailed for the repair yard.
Closer to Resolve’s Florida home, in
August, it was contracted to conduct the
wreck removal of a pusher tug that sank
2.5 miles offshore Myrtle Beach, South
Carolina. Resolve’s salvage barge, RMG
1000, mobilised to the site and the tug
was refloated and redelivered less than
one week after arriving on site.

Outstanding Acheivement Award 2023

At the recent Salvage and Wreck
Conference (see P1) the Outstanding
Acheivement Award was given to J
Arnold Witte Jr. who was unable to
travel and his son, ISU President, John
Witte, collected the award on his behalf
and paid tribute to his father.
Arnold Witte planned and executed
hundreds of salvage operations in his 55
years of service to the marine community
and is a globally recognised expert in this
field. From his teenaged years, and during
his education, Mr Witte had worked as
salvage assistant on salvage and wreck
removal and vessel demolition for Witte
Marine Equipment Co., Inc., Staten Island,
NY. In 1967 he founded Donjon Marine
Co., Inc., which, under his ownership and
direction, grew from a regional salvage
services provider to an internationally
recognised and respected marine salvage
and related services organization. Donjon
has held the contract for international
salvage for the US Navy for more than 40
years.
Before founding Donjon, Mr Witte had
qualified as a lawyer and practiced
admiralty law from 1963-1967 as an
associate at Dow and Stonebridge, New
York working on cases in shipping, marine
personal injury, collision, salvage and
contracts of sale.
Mr Witte served twice as President of
the ISU and was the President and
a founding member of the American
Salvage Association. In addition, he was a
member of the Board of Directors for the
American Club (IG P&I member) and also
later served with distinction as Chairman
of the Board. And he has been an active
member of the Salvage Committee of the
U.S. Maritime Law Association.
At the same ceremony the Lloyd’s Appeal
Arbitrator, Jeremy Russell KC, was given
the Lifetime Achievement award for more
than 40 years’ service to the industry.
INTERNATIONAL
SALVAGE UNION
Salvage World is produced
by the International Salvage Union.
Email: ISU@marine-salvage.com