Busy Start to 2004 for Tsavliris

The Orion 1 was on a voyage from Chioggia with 2,200 tonnes of steel products on deck when it ran aground in February near the breakwater of the Italian port. Several days of initial efforts to refloat the vessel, which was later found to be resting on stone along 30m of its bottom, were unsuccessful.

In addition to subcontracting a salvage tug to assist the casualty, Tsavliris hired a crane and a cargo-receiving barge to be used for discharging cargo from the deck and forward part of the hold. After a lightering operation, the vessel was refloated and redelivered to its owners after an underwater inspection of damage.

In another case earlier this year, Tsavliris’ own fleet was called into action when the 35,000dwt Marilla suffered a mechanical breakdown on a voyage from Novorossiysk to Malaysia carrying fertiliser in bulk. The vessel was immobilised about 700 miles southeast of Socotra. The Tsavliris operated tug SB-408 sailed from Columbo, Sri Lanka to provide assistance and successfully towed the Marilla back to Columbo.

Tsavliris’ two giant salvage tugs, Nikolay Chiker and Fotiy Krylov , have also been in action recently. The 40,000hp Nikolay Chiker was called from its salvage station in Cape Town last month to Quissico in Mozambique, where the capesize ore carrier CSK Tribute was at anchorage. The vessel had suffered collision damage during a voyage between Brazil and China and its number one hold was flooded.

By arrangement with the owners, Nikolay Chiker stopped at Durban to take on board patching material and a repair team. After arriving alongside and connecting up to the casualty, the tug towed the vessel to Nacala, the convoy arriving safely earlier this month.

In a simultaneous operation, Nikolay Chiker’s sister ship Fotiy Krylov left Ponta Delgada to assist the 160,000dwt Suezmax tanker Genmar Spyridon , which was immobilised with tailshaft damage some 700 nautical miles southwest of the Azores.

Fotiy Krylov safely towed the tanker to Setubal in Portugal where it was berthed following a tank inspection.

MJ Information No: 19323