Bad weather affects salvage projects
Florida based shipwreck recovery specialist, Odyssey Marine Exploration, recently announced it is putting ‘Gairsoppa’ and ‘Mantola’ recovery operations on hold due to current weather conditions in the North Atlantic.
Odyssey started work on the SS Gairsoppa and SS Mantola shipwrecks in June this year. Under contract with the UK Department for Transport, the company is required to search and recover the wreckages.
During the initial 83 operational days, the team opened and cleared around 70% of the holds and compartments of the SS Gairsoppa. ROV controlled hydraulic shears, deck removal tools and a small grab system were used to inspect the areas from almost three miles above the shipwreck site. A total of 1,218 silver ingots were salvaged from the ship, as well as several hundred artefacts.
Procedures were also carried out on the SS Mantola to test ship and equipment capabilities during the early part of the task. Recovery operations are planned to continue immediately after completion of the SS Gairsoppa.
Odyssey expects to resume operations in Spring 2013 and hopes to search and clear remaining areas of the SS Gairsoppa within 30 to 45 operational days upon returning to the site.
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