Salvage and towage company Multraship has successfully righted the Turkish general cargo ship Gulizar Ana, which capsized on September 10 in the Romanian port of Galati while loading cargo, and has redelivered the vessel to its owners. It is thought that the capsizing of the 3,300 dwt vessel was due to shifting of its cargo of steel coils and forklifts, although investigations are still under way.
Having been awarded the LOF contract to salvage the vessel on September 13, Multraship mobilised its floating sheerlegs vessel Cormorant (the only sheerlegs in the area with sufficient capacity to undertake the task), and the tug Fonda from its base in Bourgas, in the Bulgarian Black Sea. It also mobilised a salvage team, sludge barge, skimmer vessel, pumps and other equipment, all of which were on site by September 17. The Romanian authorities gave permission to start salvage operations the following day.
The Gulizar Ana was leaning at an angle of about sixty degrees, and was prevented from listing further by a floating crane moored between the vessel and the quay. Following complex diving inspections and preparations by the Multraship team, the lifting operation got under way on September 20.
The vessel’s engine room and accommodation were pumped out into a sludge barge, and the list was brought back to about 28 degrees. Removing one of the vessel’s two forklifts further corrected the list to roughly twelve degrees, at which point the Romanian authorities carried out an inspection and authorised the Multraship team to remove the remaining forklift and one steel coil, which task was completed on the morning of September 21. The vessel was then ballasted and returned to an even keel, ready for redelivery to its owners.