Tsavliris Longed for a Calm Christmas
27 Jan 2008
The company's 12,000 hp salvage tug SB-408 was engaged in mid-August to assist the 22,000 dwt bulk carrier Antreas, which was bound from China to East Africa and disabled about 250 miles north of Seychelles following machinery problems. The vessel was loaded with general and project cargo, steels, vehicles and equipment. The SB-408 towed the casualty to Mombasa and stayed alongside in order to provide it with electricity to until 23 September 23, when it was delivered to its owners.
Tsavliris were then engaged to refloat the fully cellular 27,000 gt containership Jolly, which ran aground on 17 October 2007 off the coast of Dubai. The company promptly mobilized a salvage team and local tugs and the vessel was refloated on 19 October without lightering and was redelivered to its owners
The 10,000 hp salvage tug Leopard then proceeded from its salvage station at Mindelo on 25 October to assist the bulk carrier 65,000 dwt Theodoros P, which was fully laden with corn when disabled some 800 miles south of C.V.I. due to rudder damage. Leopard towed the casualty towards Las Palmas and handed it over to AHT Boulder for onward towage to the Spanish Mediterranean.
Next the 5,000 hp salvage tug 'Alexandros 5' proceeded from Piraeus in order to assist the 6,000 dwt Ukrainian general cargo vessel Mikhael Isakovski, which was laden with steel products and bound from Mariupol to Naples when it grounded off Corfu in Greece. Following a diving survey, refloating attempts were made and the vessel was refloated unscathed.
In another case, the salvage tugs 'Matsas Star', 'Alexander 5' and 'Ifestos I' proceeded on the morning of 4 November to the assistance of the suezmax tanker 'SCF Valdai', which was laden with some 135,000 tons of crude oil and bound from Novorossiysk (Russia) to Fos (France) when it was disabled in Stenon Keas and required urgent tug assistance. The three tugs arrived at the scene of the casualty and observed her drifting westerly south westerly dangerously towards rocky shores.
'Matsas Star' connected to the bow as towing tug and 'Alexander 5' connected to the stern as steering tug. Towage to Piraeus was undertaken with the tug 'Ifestos I' providing escort. The flotilla arrived at Piraeus on 5 November, where the casualty anchored, with Alexander 5 and Ifestos 1 remaining alongside in attendance as standby tugs.
The salvage tug Tsavliris Hellas then proceeded from its station at Cape Town on 9 November to assist the 26,600 dwt bulk carrier 'Bright Ruby', which was laden with some 24,000 tons of corn in bulk when disabled about 100 miles west of the Cape of Good Hope due to machinery problems.
Tsavliris Hellasarrived at scene on the morning of 10 November and towed the casualty to Cape Town, arriving on the evening of 11 November
Tsavliris dispatched the tug Bugsier 15 on 20 November to the assistance of 2007 built Cypriot flagged product chemical tanker 'Lisa', disabled in the Baltic Sea due to gearbox damage. Bugsier 15 towed casualty to Rostock where arrived on 21 November.
Tsavliris' last endeavour of the year again involved the Tsavliris Hellas, which proceeded from Cape Town on 21 November to the assistance the 3,200 dwt general cargo ship 'Venus Scan', which was disabled some 125 nautical miles off the Cape of Good Hope due to a main engine gearbox problem. Tsavliris Hellastowed the casualty back to Cape Town and delivered it to its owners.





