Salvage Operations 2025

On 4^th 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 5^th 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 7^th 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 13^th March and later in the same day the services under the LOF were terminated

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 17^th of January and boarded the game fishing cabin cruiser PAILLE EN QUEUE to take them out to the casualty. In the morning of 18^th 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 26^th 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 17^th 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 21^st 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