Early 2022 a busy period for Smit Salvage

Smit Salvage was contracted to assist with assets mobilised from Spain and the Netherlands to assist with the Felicity Ace fire that MJ reported on in March.

A salvage team was airlifted to the ship and a towing connection established with Boskalis’ AHT Bear. Other assisting tugs were reported as: ALP Guard, Dian Kingdom and VB Hispania. The ship’s crew were picked up by another vessel and landed ashore by Portuguese navy helicopters. Two weeks later however, Felicity Ace gave up the struggle and sank.

Smit was involved in another ship fire when contracted to assist the passenger/roro vessel Euroferry Olympia with 239 passengers and 51 crew on board. The vessel was engulfed by fire while on passage in the Ionian Sea with an intense SAR operation ensuing, where sadly it appears 11 people did not survive the incident. A team of 12 salvors from Smit were assigned to assist in the firefighting operations with further recovery activities continuing with the vessel alongside port of Astakos, Greece.

The Dutch salvor is involved in a complex wreck removal operation in Mumbai, where the accommodation work barge Papaa 305 sank after breaking from moorings and alliding with a fixed structure. Smit plans to cut the wreck into around 10 sections to be lifted by its sheerlegs Taklift 7 with a large hydraulic grab also mobilised to assist lifting pieces from the mud.

Also in India, when the bulk carrier Aviator and tanker Atlantic Grace collided, they became locked together and following unsuccessful attempts to separate the two Smit, along with its local alliance partner VMW, were tasked to assist. Bunker fuel was removed from Aviator into two tank barges and after interlocking pieces of steel were cut, the pair were separated. They were towed to a nearby anchorage for dive inspection, the collision impact leaving a 9x9m hole in the side of Aviator, which after some minor epoxy repairs was towed to a nearby port of refuge.