Salvage Operations 2025
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LOF dd 27/06/2025
M/V “VILAMOURA”
On 27th June 2025, motor tanker “VILAMOURA” (158.000DWT, built 2011) suffered an explosion in the engine room, about 100nm north of the port of Zuetina in Libya. As a result of the explosion the vessel’s engine room was flooded leaving the vessel immobilised. The vessel was carrying onboard about 130,000 metric tons of heated crude oil from Zuetina bound for Vietnam and Malaysia. An LOF was agreed with her owners and FOS engaged the 200bp tug “BOKA SUMMIT” to assist, which was the nearest available tug at the time, ballasting in the Mediterranean some 300nm away from the casualty. The owners were concerned about the vessel drifting close to the Libyan coast and wanted the vessel towed away as soon as possible. Also, given her condition, it was evident that she would require to be taken to a shipyard for major repairs to her hull and engine room and as such, all cargo would have to be offloaded from onboard. This would require an over the top ship-to-ship (STS) transfer operation using external pumping, inert gas and cargo heating means.
It was decided to tow the “VILAMOURA” to Greece and pursue the STS operation in Piraeus Anchorage. “BOKA SUMMIT” reached the casualty on 28th June and took the vessel under tow, headed for Southern Peloponese in Greece. At the same time salvors commenced the STS application procedure and putting together the personnel, equipment and crafts required for the intended operation. In the course of the following days, STS experts Proliquid were engaged to provide the specialized hydraulic pumping gear, portable inert gas system and operators. Given the size of the task, Proliquid mobilized equipment from their stores in Rotterdam, Houston, Singapore and Durban. A large array of pumping, diving and patching equipment was also mobilised from FOS salvage equipment depot in Lavrion, Greece. A salvage team including salvage masters, engineers, divers, riggers, safety officers, marine chemists etc were also mobilised from Greece supported by four greek-flagged tugs (the “PROTUG-85”, “SVS II”, “LYBOUSSAKIS MINOAS” and “VERNICOS SCAFI II”), the floating and accommodation barge “IGNATIOS XX” and specialized antipollution vessel “ORCA”. A technical bureau was appointed to run various discharge scenarios and stress and stability calculations while cargo experts were appointed to advise on the specific requirements of the particular cargo. Following the salvors assessment, the general plan was that the STS would be done over the top with the receiving vessel providing cargo heating and inert gas to the casualty throughout the STS.
On 2nd July the owners of the casualty nominated sistership motor tanker “PETALIDI” as the receiving vessel, giving ETA in Greece on 5th July. By the morning of 6th July, “VILAMOURA” and “PETALIDI” were secured alongside each other while drifting in international waters of the Laconic Bay in Greece, cargo heating lines between the two ships were connected and the heating of the cargo onboard the casualty commenced with steam being provided by “PETALIDI”. Cargo heating was done while “BOKA SUMMIT” was slowly towing the two tankers tied together while the four greek-flagged tugs supported the convoy as needed. Following the complexity of the conditions and demands by the Greek Authorities in order to allow the STS to take place at anchor in Piraeus, it was decided on 9th July to abandon the idea of the STS taking place there and opt instead for the STS to take place at the convoy’s drifting position in international waters off the Laconic Bay. On the 11th July “BOKA SUMMIT” was released and “PROTUG-85” took over as the towing tug supported by the other tugs. On the 13th July floating crane and accommodation barge “IGNATIOS XX” arrived at the site and discharged all the salvage and STS equipment onboard “VILAMOURA”. Rigging of the STS equipment onboard and underwater patching operations began and on the 18th of July the actual cargo transfer operation started.
A total salvage team of 35 persons was engaged onboard working around the clock for the intended operation with a further antipollution team of four based in the nearby port standing by to engage in the event of a pollution with the antipollution vessel “ORCA”. The pumping of all cargo from “VILAMOURA” to “PETALIDI” was completed on 30th July. The two vessels were separated on the same day and collection of all salvage equipment onboard the floating crane began. Diving operations and the patching and skimming of oil from the engine room were also completed that day. The casualty was redelivered to her owners on the 1st of August at sea on termination of the LOF. The owners kept tug “PROTUG-85” and some Proliquid personnel and equipment at the site on a separate contract for their own purposes, while the rest of the crafts, personnel and equipment demobilized accordingly.
LOF dd 4/3/2025
M/V “ERRIKOS”
On 4th March 2025, bulk carrier “ERRIKOS” (56.500DWT, built 2014) was immobilized about 40nm off the Swedish coast due to a blackout onboard. The vessel was laden with fertilizer from Murmansk, Russia to Vila do Conde, Brazil. As the vessel was drifting towards the coast, the Swedish Authorities were alerted and dispatched an ocean going patrol boat to monitor the situation. The crew was unable to restore the power and the owners of the casualty agreed an LOF with Five Oceans Salvage. The salvors fixed the tug BORG PARAT from Tromso to assist, being the nearest available tug. Around noon on 5th March, BORG PARAT reached the casualty and connected her towline. However, it turned out that the tug could not tow the casualty as her rudder was stuck hard to port. As a result, when the tug reached a speed of about 2 knots, the tow tended to overtake the tug which created a safety risk for the tug. Salvors were notified however that the Emergency Towing Vessel KV JARL was mobilizing and expected to reach the convoy’s locations within the course of the following hours. It was therefore decided that the BORG PARAT would turn and hold the casualty against the weather for the comfort of the crew, until the ETV arrived at the site and the tug masters liaised for the way forward. Eventually later in the same day, KV JARL connected to the bow as leading tug and BORG PARAT to the stern of the casualty and braking and steering tug and commenced towing to an anchoring position off Tromso, allocated by the Authorities. Salvors began arrangements to provide a portable generator to the casualty and various other stores (cables and other electrical supplies) needed to effect repairs in the anchorage and restore power onboard. In the morning of 7th March ERRIKOS was anchored off Hansnes in Sweden. BORG PARAT remained standing by until power was restored onboard the casualty, for her safety and in compliance with the Authorities requirements. The vessel was successfully repaired with power fully restored onboard in the morning of 13th March and later in the same day the services under the LOF were terminated
LOF dd 15/01/2025
M/V “MANASOTA”
On 14th January 2025, bulk carrier “MANASOTA” (171.000DWT, built 2004) suffered an explosion and subsequent fire in the engine room, about 270 nm northeast of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. As a result of the explosion there was a human casualty onboard. The vessel was fully laden with bauxite from Guinea to China. The crew attempted to put the fire out unsuccessfully and the following day her owners signed an LOF with Five Oceans Salvage. Salvors engaged the tug POSH EAGLE that was at the time passing off Colombo, Sri Lanka, being the most prompt available tug. Salvors mobilised a Salvage Master and two Marine Firefighters from Europe to proceed to the vessel and handle the fire. The salvage team reached Mauritius on 17th of January and boarded the game fishing cabin cruiser PAILLE EN QUEUE to take them out to the casualty. In the morning of 18th January POSH EAGLE sailed from Colombo having bunkered and taken onboard provisions and stores for the casualty’s crew while the salvage team reached the casualty in the evening of the following day. The casualty’s engine room was entered by the salvage team and the fire found to have died down. An inspection was made by the team, various leaks stopped, the engine room was ventilated and safe access works were made for the crew to be able to safely move around in the engine room. In the course of the following days the salvage team assisted the crew to power parts of the accommodation and deck from the emergency generator, make preparations for the towage, secure the rudder and tailshaft. During the same time salvors liaised with the owners of the casualty and the Authorities in Mauritius to find a way to land the deceased crewmember ashore, as maintaining him onboard on emergency power was impossible. On 26th January, POSH EAGLE arrived at the site, assisted in transferring the body of the crewmember onto a a boat arranged by the owners, delivered stores and provisions from Colombo to the casualty, connected the towline and started towing towards Singapore. The salvage team disembarked and proceeded ashore on PAILLE EN QUEUE for demobilization. In the course of the following weeks various scenarios were explored in relation to the destination of the tow and the services going forward. Eventually the owners of the casualty decided to take redelivery of the vessel with her cargo onboard in Nipah Anchorage, Indonesia, where they would organize a transhipment operation. On 17th of February salvors mobilized also the tug POSH HARDY to meet the convoy inside the Malacca Straits, connect to the tow’s stern and assist with braking and steering the casualty while being towed in the congested approaches to Singapore. Salvors also dispatched the small tug KIM HENG 1630 from Singapore to deliver spares, stores and provisions to the casualty that were urgently needed onboard. On 21st of February the convoy consisting of POSH EAGLE, MANASOTA and POSH HARDY arrived in Nipah Anchorage where the casualty was safely anchored, the services under the LOF were completed and the vessel was redelivered to her owners
