Salvage & Towage Services - Operations Reference List 2003
- Motor Vessel "CHIQUITA NEDERLAND"
The 14,000 dwt Motor Vessel "CHIQUITA NEDERLAND", laden with 8,000 tons of bananas and deck cargo of containers, sustained rudder damage approximately 75 miles of Azores. TSAVLIRIS salvage tug "FOTIY KRYLOV", proceeded immediately to assist the casualty and towed her to Antwerp to discharge cargo.
- Motor Vessel "BLUE PRINCESS"
The 37,000 dwt Motor Vessel "BLUE PRINCESS" was anchored and made fast astern at Neos Molos Drapetsona (Greece). On the night of October 9, bad weather suddenly developed, her mooring lines broke and dragged her anchor. As drifting, she was hitting against the dock and nearby vessels. TSAVLIRIS engaged the following tugs for the salvage operation: "ATLAS", "TAXIARCHIS" and "MEGALOCHARI 10".
- Motor Vessel "PATRIOT"
The 26,700 dwt Motor Vessel "PATRIOT", laden with about 13,000 tonnes of steel products and destination to Australia, was immobilized 900 miles east, south-east of Taiwan due to engine failure. TSAVLIRIS subcontracted tug emerged to the casualty in order to begin refloating operations.
- Bulk Carrier "PRITZWALK"
The Bulk Carrier "PRITZWALK", laden with 4,500 tonnes of general cargo, ran aground on the 11th of August at the entrance of Banana, at the Congo River, two nautical miles from the port of Soyo at Angola, while she was proceeding to discharge. TSAVLIRIS subcontracted a salvage tug in order to assist the casualty.
- Motor Vessel "ARGOLIKOS"
The 30,500 dwt vessel reported fire in the diesel generator while traveling at Bandar Abbas roads. "ARGOLIKOS" was laden with containers from Felixtone to Dubai, discharging some units at Bandar Abbas. TSAVLIRIS sent a salvage team to attend the casualty and refloat the vessel.
- Motor Tanker "TASMAN SPIRIT"
A prime example of how local politics can engulf even the succesful salvor made headlines in 2003 when TSAVLIRIS altogether recovered 39,500 tonnes of crude oil aboard the 87,500 dwt "TASMAN SPIRIT" after the tanker ran aground in July and later broke in two outside the port of Karachi in Pakistan's worst-ever marine spill.
The vessel reportedly began leaking its cargo of 67,500 tonnes of oil as soon as she stranded . It is estimated that up to 20,000 tonnes of crude had been lost before TSAVLIRIS arrived on the scene-mobilising its tug the "SB-408" as well as chartering an additional tug and three lightering tankers. The TSAVLIRIS team worked closely throughout with the owners, the P& I Club and with the local authorities who approved each phase of the cargo discharging, tank inerting and overall polluntants removal, and who were highly complimentary on the salvors' skills. But on demobilisation, the salvage team and its assets were prevented from leaving Pakistan as the result of the highly charged political atmosphere and blame game which caught up almost everybody associated with the casaulty and the clean-up operation.
TSAVLIRIS assets were released some months later in two stages, but it was not until April 2004 that salvage master Nikos Pappas was finally permitted to return to Greece following increasingly energetic pressure from the Greek government, the European Union, the IMO, the US State Department, the ISU and other leading maritime institutions - to all of which TSAVLIRIS would like to express its heartfelt gratitude.
- Motor Vessel "CARIBE C"
When the 9,000 dwt Motor Vessel "CARIBE C" ran aground in July 2003 off Namibe, Angola with a cargo of bagged sugar, the "NIKOLAY CHIKER" set out immediately from Cape Town and was to spend three months off its salvage station attending to the salvage operation, including lightering and eventual refloating of the stranded vessel.
- Motor Vessel "LADY"
The 41,000 dwt Motor Vessel "LADY", while in ballast condition, grounded near Singapore. TSAVLIRIS subcontracted tug rushed to assist the vessel.
- Bulk Carrier "BASKA"
The Bulk Carrier "BASKA", 14,164 dwt, while in ballast condition, was immobilized due to engine failure near the North Channel, at the Irish Sea. TSAVLIRIS subcontracted tugs emerged to the casualty and all the necessary arrangements were made in order to refloat the vessel.
- Bulk Carrier "PANTOKRATOR"
The Bulk Carrier "PANTOKRATOR", 25,400 dwt, laden with about 22,000 tons of wheat, while en route from Mississippi to Barranquilla in Colombia, reported grounding close to the mouth of the River Magdalena. TSAVLIRIS' subcontracted tugs rushed to the casualty and towed the vessel.
- Bulk Carrier "NEW WIND"
The 41,400 dwt Bulk Carrier "NEW WIND", laden with about 40,000 tons of raw sugar in bulk, suffered engine failure about 100 miles east of Socotra, while en route from Thailand to the Black Sea. TSAVLIRIS subcontracted tug was engaged in refloating the vessel.
- Passenger Vessel "JET ONE"
The Passenger Vessel "JET ONE", while on route from Santorini to Crete, in heavy sea, with passengers on board, sent a signal of distress, after there was water ingress in the fore peak tank. A subcontracted tug was immidiately dispatched and safely towed the vessel to Santorini on June 2.
- Bulk Carrier "JUPITER"
Not all salvage contracts result in due reward,despite the salvor's best endeavours. A curious example of this occured in April 2003 when the 24,000 dwt Bulk Carrier "JUPITER", laden with milled wheat,ran aground off the Moshchnyy Islands near St. Petersburg. TSAVLIRIS was awarded an LOF to assist the vessel and a locally contracted tug was given permission to proceed to the casaulty. This permission was later rescinded on grounds the area was under military supervision ,and a commercial salvage operation was thus thwarted.
The case has since become mired in the Russian courts and, in spite of TSAVLIRIS' best efforts to uphold its contractual interests, lawyers advise that the wheat cargo remains shrouded in mystery; abandoned by its underwriters, it has nevertheless been discharged. Prospects of any payment at all under the salvage contract now seem dismal.
- Motor Vessel "MAGNA GRAECIA"
"MAGNA GRAECIA", a 74,100 dwt Panamax bulker, ran aground at 530 km of Rio Parana on the 13th of April. The vessel was fully laden with about 33,800 tons of soya beans en route from Diamante to Rosario, for completion of loading and with destination the Far East.
The vessel was successfully refloated by subcontracted tugs under supervision of TSAVLIRIS' salvage Masters and was towed to Buenos Aires for rudder repairs.
- Bulk Carrier "AEGEAN SEA"
The Bulk Carrier "AEGEAN SEA", 22,600 dwt, laden with about 11,000 metric tons of copper concentrates ex coquimbo and antofagasta and about 10,500 metric tons of zinc concentrates ex gallao, experienced engine problems due to explosion in turbocharge, southwest of Galapagos Islands.TSAVLIRIS immediately dispatched a subcontracted tug to assist the immobilised vessel.
The operation ended on April 22, where a safe delivery certificate was signed in Balboa, Panama.
- Bulk Carrier "MADREDEUS"
The Bulk Carrier "MADREDEUS", 44,300 dwt, laden with about 38,000 metric tons of hot steel coils, suffered structural damage due to impact with heavy ice floes about 90 miles west of St. Petersburg. Arrangements were made by TSAVLIRIS for three ice-breakers and a locally based salvage tug to assist the casualty to resume voyage outside Russian waters, where TSAVLIRIS salvage team could board the bulker by helicopter.
Damage inspection revealed water inside the hull to have frozen solid and temporary repairs (followed by dewatering) were carried out successfully. In deteriorating weather a second tug was added to the convoy and Madredeus was safely redelivered to her owners in Gdansk, where permanent repairs could be carried out.
- Motor Tanker "KEYMAR"
The Aframax Tanker "KEYMAR" ran aground in ballast during a spell of very bad weather while at anchor off the new port of Skilda, awaiting permission to berth at the terminal. TSAVLIRIS salvage tug, "MEGAS ALEXANDROS", proceeded to assist the casualty, refloated her after strenuous efforts and towed her to Piraeus for repairs.
- RoRo "GALAXY"
"GALAXY", a 10,270 dwt ro-ro vessel experienced main engine problems in a position 25 nautical miles south of Marsalla, Sicily, while en route from Tunisia to Palermo. The vessel was partly laden with laden containers and cars. As soon as an LOF agreement was signed on 29/01/2003 a motor tug was subcontracted by TSAVLIRIS SALVAGE INTERNATIONAL, which sailed from Augusta to assist the casualty.
Meanwhile, "GALAXY" managed to arrive and anchor by her own means at Palermo at 30/01/03.
- Motor Vessel "GRAIN TRADER"
"GRAIN TRADER", a 30,000 dwt bulker laden with 28,200 metric tons of alumina in bulk, sailed from the Port of Esquivel (Jamaica) to Port Alfred (Canada) via rebunkering Port of Halifax (Canada). Whilst en route to the above port, the vessel experienced main engine problems and the voyage continued at reduced speed under heavy weather conditions.
On request for tug assistance by the vessel's master, TSAVLIRIS immediately dispatched a salvage tug, which sailed from its base at Halifax. The convoy arrived at Halifax and the "GRAIN TRADER" was safely delivered to her owners.
- Bulk Carrier "ANANGEL VENTURE"
TSAVLIRIS' most powerful tug "FOTIY KRYLOV" towed the Bulk Carrier "ANANGEL VENTURE" from San Lorentzo, Argentina to Fredericia, Denmark. The vessel was towed across the Atlantic for the fitting of a new rudder.
- Motor Vessel "ISMINI"
"ISMINI", a 7,200 dwt cargo vessel, ran aground while exiting the port of El Arish, Egypt. During the incident, the vessel was fully laden with 7,000 metric tons of silica sand stowed in all three holds, with destination Gaeta, Italy.
Services were rendered in Egypt involving the provision of a salvage tug and a lightering vessel, as well as a salvage officer and divers. According to the diving inspection, the vessel was aground by way of her entire length and lightering of approximately 1,500 tons of cargo was required in order to refloat her. The salvage services were completed with the delivery of the casualty to Piraeus port.
