Busy times for Smit Salvage

The stranding of the container ship Ever Given in the Suez Canal in March 2021 certainly grabbed everyone’s attention; the subsequent salvage operation covered in detail in MJ. Just a month later the Dutch-flagged multipurpose vessel Eemslift Hendrika was also the centre of attention after developing a severe list in heavy weather around 60 miles west of Älesund, Norway. The crew abandoned the vessel and concern intensified as it drifted perilously close to the rocky shore presenting a potential environmental disaster.

Smit was engaged to assist under LOF with two tugs mobilised for the operation and in close coordination with Norwegian Coastal Authorities a salvage team was winched on board by helicopter as darkness descended. Two pre-prepared towing connections were established which prevented the ship from grounding and after a successful tow to a safe haven the list was corrected thus averting further escalation of problems for the owners, underwriters and coastal communities.

Smit also reports ‘less visible services’ in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans including responding to a fire on the container ship Interasia Catalyst while at anchor off Port Klang, Malaysia. Fire-affected containers were offloaded onto barges and landed ashore allowing the ship’s hatches to be lifted and after inspection of the holds unaffected boxes reloaded allowing the vessel to resume its voyage.

During a typhoon on India’s east coast the bulk carrier Denali dragged its anchor towards shallow waters. Against a tight deadline due to impending further bad weather Smit deployed its parent company-owned 204tbp AHTS Boka Alpine to relocate the vessel to a safe anchorage for repair.

Salvage operations can continue long after the initial incident and after almost 10 months of work Smit has redelivered the VLCC New Diamond to its owners following a devastating fire while off Sri Lanka. After the damaged tanker was brought to Kalba anchorage UAE, Smit discharged around 100,000t of crude oil into other tankers. Further work included gas-freeing and washing of the tanks, an otherwise common operation complicated by damage to the pump room and engine room affecting the hull integrity of New Diamond and requiring an extensive team of specialists and the cooperation of port authorities.

By Peter Barker