Multraship and co-contractor URS, working under an LOF agreement, deployed the tugs ‘Multrasalvor’ and ‘Schouwenbank’ but were unable to arrest the grounding. They were forced to wait for the next tide, whereupon the vessel was refloated at around 01:00 on 7 December thanks to the efforts of five tugs.

The Aburdees was then anchored at Flushing roads, where inspections, including Port State Control, got under way immediately. The salvors remained on standby while inspections determined if the vessel could continue on its way.

Meanwhile, the same two salvors came to the rescue of the 800 dwt inland navigation lighter ‘Ru-San’ when the vessel grounded at approximately 19:00 hours on 6 December near the port entrance of Terneuzen East harbour on the River Scheldt. ‘Multratug 16’ refloated the vessel which, although damaged and sinking, was successfully towed by Multratug 16 and the ‘Zeeland’ into the port’s eastern harbour, where Multraship and URS installed pumps and mobilsed divers as well as another vessel to take off cargo.

The salvors worked all night to effect provisional repairs, to transfer cargo, and to get the vessel stable and keep it afloat. At around 14:30 on 7 December permission was granted to tow Ru-San through the Terneuzen-Ghent canal to a yard in Sluiskil for further repairs.

Multraship managing director Leendert Muller said, ‘These types of incidents, with their potential for loss of life and serious commercial and environmental damage, serve to illustrate the value of maintaining a proper and responsive salvage capability in the area. These two operations involved the deployment of ten tugs/salvage craft and a salvage team of 18 experienced people.

‘It is very easy for both politicians and the maritime industry in general to take for granted the presence of an experienced and well equipped salvage capability. But incidents such as these two casualties, in such a short space of time, demonstrate the potential dangers of any such complacency.’

MJ Information No: 22608