Double salvage success for Ardent

The first, and more involved operation took place after the general cargo vessel Sternö partially sank following grounding on the river Göta älv in Sweden. The vessel was bound for Gothenburg with a cargo of 1,400t of grain at the time and came to rest with a 54 degree list, and resting on a jetty.

The salvage operation followed a tried and tested method of first stabilising the vessel by reducing the list and then refloating by dewatering. The operation, involving parbuckling techniques was complicated by icy weather and with the parbuckling strand jacks secured to bollards on the opposite side of the river, the need to maintain navigation on what was an active ship channel. Another consideration was the requirement to mitigate pollution risks as the local community’s water source intake was less than 200m away from the stranding site.

Ardent mobilised salvage craft and equipment to the scene and three strand jacks were secured to bollards on the opposite bank whereby the list of the Sternö was reduced to 11 degrees. The refloating stage was then able to continue with lightening of the cargo and removal of water from the engine room.

The pumping operation further reduced the list to four degrees and the ship was refloated whereafter it was manoeuvred through the locks and moored alongside a nearby quay for the remaining cargo to be discharged. With Sternö now afloat and with a list of just two degrees, salvage services were terminated, the vessel later towed from Lila Edet to Gothenburg, Sweden by the tugs Svitzer Bob and Svitzer Bonden.

Meanwhile, just 7.5km upstream from the Sternö operation a separate Ardent salvage team were dealing with another grounding incident. The 3,171dwt general cargo vessel Skagern was on passage from Kristinehamn, Sweden to Hull, UK with a cargo of timber when it ran aground on the banks of the Göta river at Intagan south of Trollhättan following a mechanical failure.

The grounding on rocks, resulted in hull damage and water ingress causing a 10 degree starboard list, fortunately the vessel’s own pumps were able to control the flooding. The grounding occurred outside of the main fairway and passing shipping in the area was not affected.

Authorities were notified of the grounding and booms were placed around the vessel as a precaution against any potential pollution. Tugs were despatched to the site along with divers who reported that the damage was limited to a ballast tank with no risk of pollution. The vessel was secured to the shore to prevent further movement and the Skagern was later successfully refloated by an Ardent salvage team.

By Peter Barker