Ferry / Cruise Vessel "EUROPALINK" 2014

On 21 September 2014 the large modern PAX/RORO vessel "EUROPALINK" (46,119 GT, 9,653 DWT) allided with rocks off Peristeria Islet, north-east Corfu island, Ionian Sea, Greece during a voyage from Patras to Ancona (via Igoumenitsa) with 692 passengers, 70 crew members and 366 vehicles onboard.

The vessel, which sustained severe bottom damage and a substantial ingress of seawater, managed to proceed to Corfu by her own means, where at the entrance to the port she sustained black out and lost power. The casualty was berthed with the assistance of local tugs.   Shortly after arrival at berth, all persons and vehicles were evacuated, while the vessel submerged due to flooding.

Following a tendering process, TSAVLIRIS SALVAGE  was engaged as the lead salvage contractor (working with a group of specialised co-contractors) to salve the casualty.  It performed  first aid services and delivered the vessel safely afloat to the designated repair yard under tow.

TSAVLIRIS SALVAGE  team consisting of a Salvage Master, Salvage Engineers, Naval Architects and Divers was mobilised from Piraeus while portable salvage equipment (pumps, compressors, generators etc.) was dispatched onboard the Tsavliris tug "HERMES" from Patras. In the meantime, the anti-pollution oil recovery vessel "AEGIS", with full anti-pollution equipment  (skimmers, oil booms etc.) was deployed from Piraeus with the anti-pollution oil separator craft "AKTEA 15".

The casualty was thoroughly inspected internally (by the salvage team) and externally (by the diving team). Using 3D modeling, it was verified that all the bottom tanks and some of the side tanks were flooded and communicating due to the internal breakage.

A salvage plan was prepared and approved by the client and also by the local authorities.

-The following services were rendered (some of them in parallel) on a "round the clock" basis:

-Environmental protection facilities around the Vessel, covering also supporting vessels for the entire operation, during which no sea pollution occurred.

-Temporary repairs from inside ensuring water tightness of the tailshafts, tunnels, stabilizers room and center tunnel, making them all dry.

Patching (including cutting away) of damaged flat bottom plating and restoring hull integrity and water tightness. More than 80 holes and cracks of various dimensions were patched, including four  big fractures of approximate dimensions 4 m x 1 m and 11 m x 1 m. Additional reinforcements were fitted in respect of the big fractures in order to reinstate longitudinal member continuity.

-Testing and verification of the watertightness of the engine room (main engines, boilers and purifiers compartments).

-Washing down with fresh water and chemicals (oil removers/cleaners) the entire engine room, boiler room, tailshaft's tunnels, stabilizers room and center tunnel.

-Pumping out oil from the flooded engine room by portable pumps into the oil recovery vessel "AEGIS".

-Purifying of the oily water by skimmers (to authorities' satisfaction) and pumping  clean water back into the sea; monitoring continuously oil ppm content (less than 5 ppm).

-Pumping out 5,000 – 6,000 tons of  oily seawater from the flooded engine room etc. with portable pumps via the separator craft "AKTEA 15" and, after separation, pumping the oil into the oil recovery vessel "AEGIS".

-Cleaning the engine room with high pressure fresh water jet and preservation of all the machinery and electrical parts consisting of cleaning, removal of sea water and contaminated oil, flushing with clean oil and applying special preservation oil internally and externally.

-Pumping out washing residues into "AEGIS", which returned to Piraeus, where she discharged about 100 tons of oily residues to appropriate shore installation.

Following final inspection by the Port Authorities, Port State Control and the Vessel's Classification Society, the casualty was prepared for towage and the towage plan was approved by the Vessel's Flag State and the Greek Authorities.

The Tsavliris Salvage tug S/T "MEGAS ALEXANDROS" (dispatched from her salvage station at Piraeus) towed the casualty to Yalova, Turkey.  During the tow, the Tsavliris Salvage team remained on board, as riding crew, both for safety and operational reasons.

After her arrival at the destination, all portable salvage equipment was recovered by S/T "MEGAS ALEXANDROS", which demobilised to Piraeus.

The substantial services, which overall lasted about seven weeks, were entirely successful.