Operations List

"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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The 41,000 dwt Motor Vessel "LADY", while in ballast condition, grounded near Singapore. TSAVLIRIS subcontracted tug rushed to assist the vessel.

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.

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.

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.

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.