Boskalis tugs kept busy in the North Sea

If your ship requires assistance there are definite advantages if it happens on the doorstep of the Dutch salvage industry, including Boskalis and its subsidiary Smit Salvage. So, when the 189m long, 37,200dwt bulker Julietta D encountered problems while anchored off IJmuiden during storm Corrie the Dutch soon became involved.

Julietta D was adrift and following contact with another vessel and two offshore structures started to take in water in the engine room, also losing its rudder. Helicopters, lifeboats and local tugs including Multraship’s Multratug 18 were soon on scene with all 18 crew safely evacuated by helicopter.

Boskalis’ tug Sovereign was conveniently available in Rotterdam and soon arrived with a Smit salvage team airlifted to the casualty by helicopter and Sovereign and Multratug 18 establishing towing connections. A second Boskalis tug, Manta, also arrived with additional equipment and personnel, and with the tugs having 457tbp available collectively regained control of Julietta D and towed it to Rotterdam, a ‘port of refuge’ where Multraship and Smit continued work including dewatering and machinery preservation under a joint LOF contract.

Just three days later Sovereign and Manta were heading out again in better weather but for a potentially more serious incident when the container ship Mumbai Maersk (399m, 20,568teu) ran aground off the Frisian island of Wangerooge while inbound to Bremerhaven.

No injuries or pollution were reported and a flotilla of around eight local tugs were soon on the scene. After an unsuccessful refloating attempt, Smit Salvage was once again involved, with Sovereign and Manta tasked to assist. The German Havariekommando (Central Command for Maritime Emergencies) also assisted, including from the emergency response vessel Neuwerk. Boskalis’ Sovereign along with Neuwerk and six smaller tugs were able to refloat Mumbai Maersk two tides later, whereafter it proceeded to Bremerhaven for diver inspection.

When built for JP Knight Lowestoft in 2003 (as Anglian Sovereign) the 180tbp Sovereign was chartered to the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency for around eight years as one of its four Emergency Towing Vessels covering UK waters before joining the fleet of Smit and Boskalis.