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'Tricolor' Salvage Suspended
01 Dec 2003
The salvage consortium Combinatie Berging Tricolor hassuccessfully cut the vessel into nine sections and removed five to Zeebrugge for scrapping. Severe winds of up to Beaufort Force 8 last month made removal of the four remaining sections too dangerous to undertake. These sections have been weakened due to the cutting operation and forces generated by severe weather in the shallow waters where they lie. Remobilisation of the salvage crew and equipment is a time consuming process so continuation of the operation is only feasible if the weather forecast indicates improvement for an extended period of time.
In order to secure the safety of vessels passing the wreck, an internationally accepted safety system of cardinal buoys will remain on site and adequate guarding will be maintained.
An estimated 1.5% of Tricolor 'soriginal bunkers may still be on board and cannot be recovered at present. When the remaining sections are eventually lifted, the salvage team will once again deploy an oil pollution control vessel to recover any oil that might escape.
The majority of Tricolor 's cargo of luxury cars is in the remaining sections, but remnants of cargo are also scattered near the wreck. The salvors will not only remove the final four sections, but also collect cargo and debris from the seabed.
Until this operation is finished, there remains a risk that some components of the cargo may float and drift in the Channel.
MJ Information No: 18917
