On Sunday 3 May, Multraship Salvage and Herbosch-Kiere successfully raised the sunken inland vessel Sola Gratia from the bottom of the Scheldt. The salvage operation began at 13:00 on Sunday 3 May and lasted several hours.
The 86-metre-long inland vessel sank during the night of 17 to 18 April, after colliding with mooring posts at the Royers Lock near Antwerp. The vessel, loaded with around 1600 tonnes of sand, sank completely. Fortunately, the crew were rescued in time. Multraship Salvage and Herbosch-Kiere were jointly contracted to carry out the salvage operation.
Also read: Multraship and Herbosch-Kiere start salvage on Scheldt
‘Careful preparation’
On Monday and Tuesday, the cargo of sea sand was carefully removed from the sunken inland vessel to ensure the ship’s stability. In the days that followed, the lifting slings (heavy steel cables) were fitted to enable the ship to be hoisted above water. Lifting slings were fitted at three points to distribute the weight evenly and thus reduce the risk of the vessel breaking during the hoisting operation.
‘Salvaging a ship like the Sola Gratia is a complex operation involving a large specialist team,’ explains Leendert Muller, CEO of Multraship Salvage. ‘Fitting the lifting slings and steel cables is precise and risky work, and the hoisting itself also had to be carried out with great care. The weight had to be distributed evenly to prevent the ship from breaking. Together with our partner Herbosch-Kiere and specialist subcontractors, we were able to successfully complete this important stage of the salvage operation.’
Lifting completed within the time window
The lifting operation began at around 13:00. During the operation, two floating derricks, two crane pontoons, tugboats, auxiliary equipment and specialist divers were deployed. The vessel was lying at a depth of 15 metres at low tide, and there were strong currents and tides in the Scheldt, which limited the time window for the hoisting. The hoisting was carried out safely and in a controlled manner within that time window.
Benny De Sutter, CEO of Herbosch-Kiere: ‘Specialised equipment was deployed during the lifting operation. Thanks to our experienced teams and close collaboration with Multraship Salvage, every step of this operation was carried out with the utmost care, with constant attention to safety and the environment.’
Also read: Multraship expands Black Sea fleet with Multratug 30
Follow-up
Following the lifting operation, attempts were made to remove all the water from the vessel to make it float again. Inspection has revealed that this may yet prove to be a lengthy task due to the extensive structural damage to the ship’s hull. While this operation continues, the ship will be kept stable in the slings of the floating cranes. It is not yet known where the ship will subsequently be taken.
Picture by Multraship Salvage and Herbosch-Kiere.
