Three active months for the TSAVLIRIS SALVAGE GROUP began just before Christmas with commencement of a major project to salvage a frigate after it stranded on a reef 80 miles north of Jeddah. TSAVLIRIS was engaged to plan, manage and supervise a delicate two-month operation involving 700 salvage personnel that eventually succeeded in refloating the frigate, "MAKKAH" , without any further damage. The operation was a landmark case in TSAVLIRIS' long history of salvage and wreck removal. Since use of cranes was ruled out, and there was no cargo to lighten, the warship had to be carefully refloated by alternative means of adding buoyancy until it could be pulled off the reef by the TSAVLIRIS-operated tug "SB 408".

At the same time as the operation in the Red Sea was proceeding, TSAVLIRIS was enjoying a busy start to 2005 in terms of its traditional Lloyd's Open Form work, with operations spanning the Far East, Atlantic and Mediterranean. As early as the second week in January, the company was contracted to salve the 14,000 dwt container vessel "GILLIAN", which suffered an engine room explosion while on a laden voyage from Jakarta to Singapore. TSAVLIRIS dispatched a subcontracted tug "SEABULK CARROLL" from Singapore and the casualty was taken under tow, arriving in Singapore on January 12.

A major LOF operation (during the period) commenced later in January after a bulk carrier grounded near the Tartous (Syria) port breakwater. A weather-interrupted operation lasting six weeks was undertaken to lighten about 8,000 tonnes of maize from the holds of the vessel, which was carrying a 31,000 tonne cargo of maize and soya beans. Four vessels and a wide array of salvage and cargo-handling equipment were used in the effort to refloat the bulker, which was successfully concluded in early March.

Under another LOF contract (Scopic invoked) TSAVLIRIS was engaged to salve the general cargo vessel "ELANTA", which grounded in severe weather just 30 metres off the South coast of Chios island while carrying scrap iron from Morocco to Turkey. A floating crane and three barges were mobilized from Piraeus and were used in discharging about 1,000 tonnes of cargo before the vessel was successfully re-floated, using various pulling combinations performed by three tugs. 

TSAVLIRIS had the rare opportunity to perform a salvage operation in its home port when exceptionally bad weather on February 15 damaged a number of yachts in Zea Marina, Piraeus. Contracted under LOF (Scopic invoked) to salve the sunken motor yacht "SURF", TSAVLIRIS deployed two floating cranes and a dive support vessel, as well as a tug for the operation. After deployment of booms and removal of pollutants from the yacht, the casualty was lifted using TSAVLIRIS' 100-t floating crane "DIAS" and thereafter towed to Elefsis Shipyards.

Other operations included salving of the chemical tanker "ECO PRINCESS", disabled about 350 miles off Cape Verde Islands by the salvage tug "LEOPARD". TSAVLIRIS' 40,000 hp salvage tug "NIKOLAY CHIKER" was also in action, leaving its station in Cape Town to assist the laden handysize tanker "RADWAN", which suffered engine failure 500 miles away. The casualty was safely towed back to Cape Town. The Group's super tugs were also busy performing towage contracts in early 2005. "NIKOLAY CHIKER" and tug "DE DS" towed a floating production (FPSO) vessel from Cape Town to its offshore station at Cabinda Angola, assisting with positioning. Sister vessel "FOTIY KRYLOV" was engaged to tow the bulk carrier "MANI P" Mani P from Las Palmas to Lorient.