INFORMATION ON WRECKAGE RECOVERY
Oct 12 2006
Pursuant to the agreement re “Recovery of wreckage located by the northern and southern Breakwater” entered into with the limited liability company UAB “Garant”, winner of international tender, on 23 March 2004, wreckage recovery operations commenced in the harbour of Klaipeda as of 15 July 2004. The said company must lift approx. 5 500 tons of wreckage under the terms of the contract.
Wreckage recovery operations in progress and/or completed:
- Recovery of wreckage of the ship RUDOLF BREITCHEID (length – 64 m, breadth – 18 m and height – 11 m), which sank in 1988 and lay near the northern breakwater from the sea side;
- Recovery of wreckage of the tanker GLOBE ASSIMI (length – 170 m, breadth – 24 m), which sank as a result of control errors and hurricane wind in 1982, near the northern breakwater;
- Recovery of wreckage near the southern breakwater on the side of the interior channel of the floating crane SPK-15 sunken in 1994 fully completed.
Operations of underwater wreckage cutting, chain threading, and sand pumping were conducted until the previous week. The operations were delayed as the weather conditions in the area of works were worse than planned; therefore divers were not able to perform wreckage cutting for a long time.
Last summer, the leased Danish crane SAMSON with lifting capacity 800 tons attempted to lift some wreckage, however, its lifting capacity proved too low. At the moment, the wreckage is being recovered by the crane MATADOR with lifting capacity 1500 tons leased from the Dutch company Boon&Mees. We had to wait for this crane all the summer, as such cranes in the Baltic and neighbouring regions are few. Until arrival of the Dutch crane, the contractor UAB “Garant”, using smaller cranes and other facilities, had lifted 1 878 tons of wreckage.
On 11 October 2006, at about 19:30, the largest piece of wreckage so far was lifted, which weighted approx. 850 tons. This piece was lifted by the mentioned crane MATADOR from the sand layer, which in places was as thick as 3-4 metres. Following lifting the 850 ton wreckage, the harbour master in person from the LET tower organised and controlled the wreck towage operation: the wreck was put on the barge and towed with a crane to Quay No. 67 and placed on the quay at around 2:00 in the morning. The towage group was convoyed by the port authority’s fully operational salvage ship ŠAKIAI and an oil collection team on duty. The towage operation went smoothly and did not interfere with the busy traffic in the harbour.
Today the operations will be conducted in the area of the wreckage of the ship RUDOLF BREITCHEID near the northern breakwater from the sea side. Recovery of another two pieces each 500-700 tons is planned.
On 12 October 2006, at about 16:00, a similar operation of towage of another recovered 750-ton wreckage of the motor ship RUDOLF BREITCHEID (hold 5) is scheduled. Expected duration of the operation is approx. one hour.
For more information please contact the harbour master Viktoras Lukoševičius, tel. 499 690.
Dalintis
Susijusios naujienos
Susijusių naujienų nerasta