SMIT Finalizes Preparations for Refloating Vermontborg

SMIT Salvage has made progress for preparations to refloat the Vermontborg. A helicopter is scheduled to transport the required pumps and generators to the stricken vessel. These items will be used to pump out the water from the ballast tanks and thereafter to pressurize a number of tanks. Upon completion of this phase of the Salvage Plan, the attending tugs will commence with efforts to refloat the vessel. In further news, specialist equipment is being loaded onto the “Anglian Prince” in Cherbourg, France. The bulk of this specialist equipment is the so-called Dynema wire rope, which combines strength with buoyancy. An additional tug, the “Boxer”, is scheduled to rendezvous with the “Anglian Prince” at the scene of the grounding in the early hours of Tuesday morning, January 7, 2003 to assist with the refloating. The refloating attempt will be undertaken upon completion of the ongoing patching operation and the subsequent pumping/pressurising. Expectations are that this will be feasible within the next few days.