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Salvage News

19 Mar 2025

Xenos Marine Acquires Heavy Lift Vessel

Image courtesy Xenos Marine LLC

Xenos Marine recently acquired the VB-10,000 Heavy Lift Vessel which is currently in dry dock in Galveston, Texas. The asset will be renamed TX-10,000 at a christening ceremony in Galveston on March 23, 2025. TX-10,000 is the largest US Flagged and Jones Act compliant Heavy Lift Vessel; a twin-gantry catamaran heavy lift vessel with a 7,500-tonlifting capacity. It is currently undergoing maintenance at the Gulf Copper Shipyard in Galveston, Texas, preparing for her next working season in the Gulf of America.

12 Mar 2025

Salvage Ops Set to Begin as Fire Diminishes on Stena Immaculate Tanker

Stena Immaculate (Credit: Stena Bulk)

A fire onboard the Stena Immaculate oil tanker has greatly diminished with no visible flames, as initial salvage activities begin in the North Sea, the manager of the vessel Crowley reported.Crowley said it is working closely with U.K. agencies to support the incident response, salvage and environmental impact mitigation operations resulting from container ship Solong striking the tanker Stena Immaculate while at anchor on Monday, March 10.Worth noting, Solong’s owner has characterized…

11 Mar 2025

Boskalis to Salvage Stena Immaculate Tanker Following Collision

(Credit: Stena Bulk)

Dutch marine provider Boskalis will salvage the U.S.-flagged tanker Stena Immaculate, which was struck by a container ship off northeast England on Monday, a spokesperson said on Tuesday, confirming earlier Dutch media reports.He could not give a time frame for the salvaging but added that four ships carrying foam and extinguishing agents were already en route to put out the fire caused by the collision.Another company would salvage Solong, the other container ship involved in the collision, Boskalis' spokesperson said without specifying which company.The Stena Immaculate was anchored when it

04 Mar 2025

Resolve Marine, Construction Solutions Merge

Resolve Marine said it will merge operations, equipment and personnel with the marine division of Construction Solutions International, expanding Resolve Marine Service Centers in the U.S. Gulf region. Construction Solutions International is a regional provider of industrial marine and commercial diving services and supports industries across the Theodore Industrial Canal and West Mobile, Alabama. Founded in 1984 by Jerry W. Bailey Jr., the transaction includes cranes, barges, equipment, the M/V Enterprise, a 64-foot shallow draft river tugboat, her captain and three workers.

17 Feb 2025

MSC Baltic III Grounded, Crew Safe

Source: NL Maritime (Damien Joyce)

Canada’s Marine Communications and Traffic Services received a MAYDAY on Saturday from the MSC Baltic III as it ran aground located approximately 12 nautical miles outside the entrance to Bay of Islands, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.The vessel reported a loss of power, and unable to secure an anchor in the adverse conditions, grounded in Wild Cove west of Lark Harbour. All 20 crew have been airlifted to safety.Weather in the area continues to be a factor as work is underway to assess the situation and determine the next steps.

12 Feb 2025

Potomac River: Safety of Navigation Fully Restored

Source: USACE / Jeremy Todd

The section of the Potomac River affected by the Jan. 29 midair collision of an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has now been fully restored, six days ahead of schedule.After aiding in initial rescue and recovery operations, 49 US Army Corps of Engineers subject matter experts worked alongside more than 2,000 responders from 45 private, local, state and federal agencies as they began preliminary assessments required for wreckage removal operations.Pre-staging operations commenced Jan.

10 Feb 2025

Divers Investigating Aircraft Debris

Source: NTSB

Divers from the FBI continue are investigating multiple underwater targets in the Potomac River that could be additional aircraft debris from the collision between a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) RJ Aviation (Bombardier) CRJ700 and a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.The PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 airplane operated as American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, to Reagan Washington National Airport and the US Army helicopter collided at 8:47 p.m. ET on January 29…

06 Feb 2025

Large Wreckage Removed from Potomac River

Source: USACE

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and U.S. Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), have removed all the major components of the American Airlines regional jet and U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter from the Potomac River.The PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 airplane operated as American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, to Reagan Washington National Airport and the US Army helicopter collided at 8:47 p.m. ET on January 29…

05 Feb 2025

Bayesian's Mast to be Removed Before Recovery

Bayesian (File photo: Perini Navi)

The superyacht that sank off Sicily last year, killing British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and six others, will be recovered once its mast is dismantled in a salvage operation likely to begin after the middle of April, a source close to the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.The recovery of the British-flagged Bayesian, lying on its right side at a depth of around 50 meters (164 feet), could help explain why it sank during a severe and sudden storm off the port of Porticello, near Palermo - an event that has baffled naval experts.Twenty-two people were on board…

03 Feb 2025

NTSB Studies Flight Data from Washington Plane Crash

Source: NTSB

The NTSB, in coordination with the U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage, has recovered the aft fuselage, right engine and right pylon of the Bombardier CRJ700 after its midair collision with a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.The PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 airplane operated as American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, to Reagan Washington National Airport, and the US Army helicopter collided at 8:47 p.m. ET on January 29, 2025, killing 67 people.The salvage of both aircraft is expected to take several days.

21 Nov 2024

Misunderstanding General Average Concepts Could Harm Offshore Operators

© corlaffra / Adobe Stock

At a recent seminar in London organized by the International Underwriting Association of London (IUA) and the Association of Average Adjusters (AAA), participants heard how ignoring or not fully understanding the concept of General Average (GA) when concluding charter-party contracts for offshore services could cause problems in the event of an incident or accident.Michiel Starmans, a Fellow of the AAA and Director Legal Department of the Spliethoff Group and Alf Inge Johannessen…

24 Oct 2024

Dali Owner to Pay US $102 Million Over Baltimore Bridge Collapse

(Photo: Dylan Burnell / U.S. Army Coprs of Engineers)

The owner and operator of the cargo ship that struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, killing six people, have agreed to pay $102 million to the federal government, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday.The department in September filed a civil claim seeking $103 million from two Singaporean companies, Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited. The claim was intended to recoup the money the U.S. government spent responding to the disaster…

09 Oct 2024

Manawanui Sinking: Speedy Cleanup Will Be Crucial, But Many Challenges Ahead

Manawanui listing on the reef, October 6. (Photo: Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority)

Speed will be of the essence as salvage crews attempt to stop fuel leaking from the sunken New Zealand naval ship off the coast of Samoa.The HMNZS Manawanui ran aground last weekend on a reef about one nautical mile off the south coast of Upolu, Samoa’s most populated island. The specialist dive and hydrographic vessel was on its third deployment, conducting a reef survey, when it caught fire and sank.The ship has come to rest at a depth of up to 150 metres, which means it may be relatively undisturbed even during storms.

01 Oct 2024

Barge Breaks Free in High Water on the Tennessee River

© Chris / Adobe Stock

A barge that broke free on the Tennessee River near Loudon, Tenn. has been recovered and secured, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.The breakaway was caused by high water stemming from Hurricane Helene.The Coast Guard said it is cautioning mariners to monitor river levels and proceed with caution when transiting the Tennessee River as the high water situation persists.Helene slammed into the Florida Panhandle as a major hurricane on September. 26, and its winds, rain and storm surge killed over 100 people across the U.S. Southeast and Midwest.

30 Sep 2024

Death Toll Climbs in Oil Barge Sinking Off Venezuela

(Photo: Social Media)

At least four people have been reported dead following the sinking of an oil barge operated by a contractor of Venezuela's state-run energy company PDVSA at the country's Lake Maracaibo, according to a report of the accident on Thursday and sources.Another 19 people had been successfully rescued by Thursday morning at the accident site, the report added.Incidents involving barges that carry Venezuelan oil and fuel between domestic ports and to the Caribbean have become frequent.

20 Sep 2024

Yacht Fire Triggers Oil Spill in California

Clean-up efforts are underway after a 100-foot yacht caught fire in Marina del Rey, Calif. (Photo: Frank Lower / U.S. Coast Guard)

Cleanup efforts are underway after a 105-foot yacht caught fire, capsized and spilled oil in Marina del Rey, Calif., the U.S. Coast Guard said.The motor yacht The Admiral reportedly went up in flames around 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, and a crew from Los Angeles County Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire. No injuries were reported.By Thursday morning, the yacht was discovered to be discharging red-dye diesel. The vessel’s fuel capacity is said to be 6,000 gallons.A Unified Command including members of the Coast Guard…

14 Sep 2024

Salvors Begin Towing Stricken Tanker Sounion in Race to Avert Catastrophic Oil Spill

(Photo: European Union Naval Force - Operation Aspides)

The operation has started to tow a Greek-registered oil tanker stranded in the Red Sea after an attack by Houthi militants last month, a shipping source told Reuters on Saturday.Towing the 900-foot (274.2-metre) MV Sounion to safety is the first step in a risky operation to salvage the vessel that caught fire after it was repeatedly attacked on Aug. 21.The second step is the transfer of its cargo of about 1 million barrels of crude oil. Saudi Arabia, a key player in the region…

12 Sep 2024

New LOF Clause Boosts Transparency Around Tug Services

Source: LMA

The outcome of over a year’s consultation with underwriters, owners, Lloyd’s and other interested parties including P&I Clubs, brokers and salvors is a new clause for incorporation in marine hull policies. The shipping community has recognized the necessity of maintaining Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF) as a contract with pre-agreed terms that can be easily used in the event of an emergency, said the Lloyd’s Market Association (LMA) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS). The…

12 Sep 2024

Philippines Fishermen Call for Justice After Oil Tanker Sinks

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

Efren Dominico has been a fisherman in the Bay of Manila in the Philippines for 43 years and survived countless storms, but nothing prepared him for the day when an oil tanker sank off the coast in July and cut him off from his livelihood.The motor tanker Terranova capsized and sank off the tow of Limay, on the western side of Manila Bay, carrying 1.4 million litres of oil, the largest oil spill in the country since 2006.Days later, two more fuel tankers sank off the coast of a neighbouring town…

12 Sep 2024

Risky Salvage of Houthi-hit Tanker Sounion to Restart This Week

Oil tanker Sounion was attacked by Houthi forces on August 21, 2024, igniting fires on board and causing the crew to abandon ship. Several days later, Houthis boarded the vessel and set off a series of explosions on board. (Credit: EU Aspides)

Experts will this week resume a risky operation to salvage the Sounion tanker which was attacked by Yemen's Houthis in the Red Sea last month and still holds about one million barrels of crude oil, maritime sources said on Thursday.The towing of the Greek-registered vessel - which was struck, lost power and caught fire on Aug. 21 - was paused after it was deemed unsafe by the companies initially involved in the project.Officials have said the towing operation will be particularly delicate…

06 Sep 2024

US Justice Dept Will Inspect Containership Dali, Signaling Potential Lawsuit

(Photo: Christopher Rosario / U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

The U.S. government signaled in a court filing on Wednesday for the first time that it may file a claim against the owner of the ship that caused the March collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.U.S. Justice Department attorney Laine Goodhue submitted a letter, opens new tab notifying U.S. District Judge James Bredar that the government is among the "claimants and prospective claimants” that have negotiated with the registered owner of the ship Grace Ocean and its…

03 Sep 2024

Salvors Say It's Unsafe to Tow Tanker Sounion Hit by Houthis in the Red Sea

(Photo: EUNAVFOR ASPIDES)

Private companies involved in salvaging the Sounion tanker, which was attacked by Yemen's Houthis in the Red Sea, are exploring other options after the towing operation was deemed unsafe, the European Union's naval mission said on Tuesday.The Sounion, which was struck on Aug. 21 and which the Houthis and maritime sources have said has been rigged with explosives, is laden with about one million barrels of crude oil and still on fire.The EU's naval force Aspides has said it will…

30 Aug 2024

Salvage of Stricken Oil Tanker Sounion Expected in Coming Days

Satellite image of the Greek-flagged crude oil tanker Sounion that was recently attacked by Yemen’s Houthis in the Red Sea. [Satellite image © 2024 Maxar Technologies]

A salvage operation to recover a Greek registered oil tanker stranded in the Red Sea after an attack by Houthi militants is expected to start in the coming days, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Friday.What was decided yesterday is an initial gameplan, of the operation starting in 48 hours," one of the sources said. A second source said the operation was likely to be complex, since Houthis had rigged the vessel with explosives.At stake is the safe removal of a…

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