Also in November, SvitzerWijsmuller responded under a Lloyd’s Form to the grounding of a cement carrier off the Dutch coast near Simson Bank. That vessel was also refloated in two days.

November operations extended to include assistance for another newbuild, this one lost whilst under tow in stormy weather off Portugal, with the hull finishing high and dry on a beach some 60 miles north of Lisbon. Two tugs out of the SvitzerWijsmuller office in Portugal (Lisbon Tugs) were despatched. The vessel was freed following some dredging and weight redistribution.

Lloyd’s Form operations in October included a grounded fish factory vessel of the Murmansk fleet off Copenhagen, which was redelivered within 24 hours. The response involved the internal transfer of bunkers to a safer position and mobilisation of tugs.

The Dutch standby tug Walker, operated by SvitzerWijsmuller Salvage, worked with Terschelling based partners Rederij Noordgat to prevent yet another newbuild hull, this one under tow from Poland, from grounding on the Dutch coast off Texel. With the two connection lost in stormy weather, the tug Hunter and the fast rescue craft Tempest responded. The casualty was towed out of shallows and taken to the port of Harlingen.

September saw the tug Svitzer Leixoes, again of Lisbon Tugs, respond to a mechanical failure on board an 11,350dwt Norwegian chemical tanker off the Portuguese coast. In the same month SvitzerWijsmuller Salvage joined SMIT Salvage in response to the grounding of an LNG carrier south of Mumbai. The 16,228dwt was redelivered under a Lloyd’s Form salvage.

September also saw SvitzerWijsmuller Salvage join US partners Resolve Marine Group in a response to the grounding of a 170m long laden bulk carrier off Fort Lauderdale. Salvage personnel from the Netherlands and the USA mobilised for this operation. The 2004 built vessel with 27,330 tons of bauxite, a partial discharge of which was required. Refloating was then achieved and the cargo was reloaded.

MJ Information No:22609