Beached Japanese Fishing Vessel – Salvage Now a Priority

The South Africa Maritime Safety Authority says salvage of the Japanese fishing vessel stranded on Clifton’s First Beach has become an issue of national importance

Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, the City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management spokesman, said another attempt at dislodging the stranded  Eihatsu Maru was scheduled to start soon, according to a IOL news report.

Smit Amandla Marine, the maritime service provider that has a contract with Samsa, led a team of engineers and salvage specialists on to the boat on Monday to assess the best way of dislodging the vessel.

Dave Colly, Samsa’s regional manager, said that after considering other possibilities, the team took the decision to stick with the method previously used – spanning a rope around the accommodation unit and pulling.

“This is a very sensitive environmental area. Currently there is a low risk of any oil pollution, because the vessel is not on the rocks,” said Solomons-Johannes, adding that no fuel or cargo would be removed from the vessel before the salvage attempt was made.

The ship is carrying about 90 tons of fuel and 40 tons of tuna.

One attempt at salvaging the vessel has already failed. On Saturday night, the tow rope attached to the hull of the ship snapped. On Sunday, rough seas led the city’s disaster response team to call off a second attempt at dislodging the ship.

To avoid failure again, heavier equipment, stronger ropes and personnel would be airlifted on to the ship on Tuesday morning.

“It was definitely time to up the ante,” said Colly, referring to the fact that the salvage mission was upgraded to a national priority, and to the decision to airlift personnel and equipment.

“We can’t quibble about costs and logistics any more; it just needs to get done.