Maritime Salvage News

There are a few stories that I often tell when the subject of leadership in disasters is discussed. I figured I’d put them down on paper so I can stop repeating myself.It was pre OPA90, a single-skin tanker had run over a rock in the Port of New Jersey. It put a hole in the bottom, and heavy fuel oil was draining out the bottom and would do so until the oil head level in the tank would equalize with the waterline. The tanker would hit bottom at low tide, but the hole was small, and quick action would reduce oil in the harbor.

Crowley, the manager of oil tanker Stena Immaculate that was struck on its port side by the container ship Solong, causing a blaze, has reported that all 23 members of the ship’s crew are safe and without reported injuries, as it launches spill containment response efforts.On March 10, 2025, while stationary and anchored off the North Sea coast near Hull in the United Kingdom, the Crowley-managed tanker Stena Immaculate was struck on its port side by the container ship Solong.Crowley…

Boluda Towage – one of the divisions of Boluda Corporación Marítima that focuses its activity on port, coastal, and offshore towage, as well as maritime salvage – has acquired the towage company Resolve Salvage and Fire (Gibraltar) Ltd.Resolve Salvage and Fire, owned by Resolve Marine Group, provides towing and marine salvage services as well as in engineering and maintenance projects for marine installations and construction. Two divisions are part of the sale: the company's harbor towing operations and fleet were sold to Boluda Towage Europe…

Marine salvage, rescue, emergency response and specialized services company Resolve Marine announced the formation of a government relations departmentRetired Navy Capt. Gregg Baumann has been appointed government program manager to lead the effort from the Washington D.C. area. In this newly created role, Baumann is responsible for developing strategy and objectives to grow the company’s government services business, with a primary focus on the United States and Canada. He will also oversee government business development and project mobilization and de-mobilization…

Boluda Towage's tug Bremen Fighter passed all administrative procedures and inspections to officially operate, as of February 21, its maritime salvage activity under the German flag.Bremen Fighter is displaying the official German coast guard colors, with a commitment to protect maritime safety in the eastern Baltic Sea, under the command of German Federal Waterway Authorities. Bremen Fighter, an offshore tug, is the most powerful tug in the Boluda Towage fleet.Earlier , the German…

The Suez Canal Authority is considering expanding the southern section of the waterway where the container ship Ever Given became stranded, its chairman said on Tuesday.It is also looking into procuring cranes that could potentially offload cargo at heights of up to 52 meters, Osama Rabie told Reuters in an interview.“Our procedures are sound, we are just aiming to improve the service,” he said.The 400-meter-long Ever Given became grounded diagonally across the southern section of the canal during high winds on March 23.

A statement from a Singapore Ministry of Law spokesperson outlines details of  a Bill for read in Parliament today regarding maritime salvage:The Singapore Ministry of Law will table the High Court (Admiralty Jurisdiction) (Amendment) Bill (“the Bill”) for First Reading in Parliament on 4 May 2020. The High Court (Admiralty Jurisdiction) Act is the primary legislation on admiralty jurisdiction in Singapore. The Bill will extend the Singapore High Court’s admiralty jurisdiction to special compensation claims arising from salvage operations which prevent or minimize environmental damage, even if the ship or its cargo are not saved. Salvors may hence enforce such special compensation claims by way of actions in rem (i.e.

Dutch dredging and marine services giant Boskalis has acquired the U.S.-based maritime emergency response specialist Ardent Americas.Ardent, created by the 2015 merger of salvage divisions of Svitzer and Crowley, specializes in emergency preparedness and response, wreck removals, subsea services and decommissioning for the offshore oil and gas industry. Ardent Americas was a subsidiary of Ardent Global Marine Services, headquartered in IJmuiden, the Netherlands.Boskalis has also…

Salvage operations continue on board the cargo vessel MV Kaami after it ran aground in the Minches in March in northwest Scotland.A HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter winched all of the eight-person crew to safety from the cargo vessel which ran aground in adverse weather conditions in the early hours on March 23.The vessel, which made contact with the Coastguard and reported taking on water, remains on hard ground at Sgeir Graidach rock and is being monitored by the U.K.'s…

International Maritime Organization (IMO) is continuing its work to promote ratification of the international treaty covering wreck removal – at the 10th Maritime Salvage & Casualty Response Conference in London, this week (11-12 September).Depending on its location, a shipwreck may be a hazard to navigation, potentially endangering other vessels and their crews.The Nairobi Convention covers the legal basis for States to remove, or have removed, shipwrecks, drifting ships, objects from ships at sea, and floating offshore installations.The Nairobi convention includes provisions for coastal States to take action in cases of container fires on board ships…

The Maersk liner vessel Maersk Honam, which was hit by a serious fire on 6 March, will reach anchorage outside the Jebel Ali Port (UAE) on Tuesday 24 April 2018. The fire broke out around 900 nautical miles southeast of Salalah, Oman, and remains under control. Firefighting activities were initiated by the Indian Coast Guard until vessels with special firefighting capabilities arrived at the scene. Salvage operations are led by Smit Salvage and Ardent – two best-in-class companies within maritime salvage. After careful evaluation with port authorities in the area, Jebel Ali was chosen as the most suitable to accommodate the vessel. During…

Maritime services provider Ardent and Singapore Salvage Engineers (SSE) have joined forces for future operations within Singapore and adjacent waters. The two companies signed a cooperation agreement on the 19th of January 2018 to closely work together on future opportunities and at the same time retain their own corporate identities. “Through SSE’s strong background within the immediate region of Singapore and adjacent waters in combination with the diversity of resources they operate, this cooperation enables the provision of high quality, cost efficient and prompt response solutions towards the maritime and offshore industry in this particular region.” said Bas Michiels, Ardent’s Director Asia.

Salvage operations are expected to commence shortly in order to remove the wreck of the MV Ella which sank in July off Lowestoft, England. MV Ella formerly served as a floating restaurant and was unmanned and under tow from Hartlepool to Rochester when she began to take on water. The tow was cut and the vessel sank approximately 3.5 nautical miles southeast off the Port of Lowestoft on July 6, 2017, resulting in a hazard to navigation and a danger to shipping. The Secretary of State’s Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP), established a Temporary Exclusion Zone (TEZ) of 500 meters around the wreck, and Trinity House has marked the site with Emergency Wreck Marking Buoys.

What is the legal basis for removing a hazardous wreck at sea? Who bears the liability? These and many other wreck removal questions were addressed by IMO’s Jan de Boer at the ACI’s Maritime Salvage & Casualty Response conference in London (13-14 September). Speaking to a wide variety of stakeholders (Participants from salvage companies, tug & towage companies, authorities, ship owners, ship managers, P&I clubs, maritime lawyers and consultants) concerned with wreck removal, Mr. de Boer gave an overview of IMO’s Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, which provides the legal basis for States to remove, or have removed, shipwrecks that may threaten the safety of lives, goods and property at sea, as well as the marine environment.

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency has made a new appointment to the role of Secretary of State’s Representative (SOSRep) Maritime Salvage & Intervention, which oversees the response to accidents at sea. Les Chapman has been appointed to the role and will join the Agency on Monday 21 August. He will work alongside the existing SOSRep Hugh Shaw OBE for several months, to allow a substantial transition period in this important role, and will not assume the role and responsibilities of the SOSRep until an agreed time later on in the year. The SOSRep is responsible for reducing the risk to safety and the environment arising from accidents at sea.

The ISCO-BIMCO spill response contract was well received at the ACI Maritime Salvage and Casualty Response Conference that took place in London last week. The contract is still under development, but is expected to be published towards the end of this year. Grant Hunter, BIMCO’s Chief Officer Legal and Contractual Affairs, who spoke at the conference said:“There was an encouraging level of interest from the conference participants in the new spill contract and its aims and objectives. It seems that people appreciate what ISCO and BIMCO are trying to achieve by working together to develop a contractual solution to improve efficiencies in sourcing and hiring services and equipment for spill response work on a global basis”.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO)  treaty covering wreck removal is on the agenda at the 7th Maritime Salvage and Casualty Response Conference in London (7-8 September). IMO’s Jan de Boer gave an insight into the Organization’s Nairobi Wreck Removal Convention, which provides the legal basis for States to remove, or have removed, shipwrecks that may threaten the safety of navigation, the marine environment as well as the coastline or related interests. The treaty also provides uniform international rules for the prompt and effective removal of wrecks located beyond territorial seas, and optional application of the rules in countries’ territories, including territorial seas.

Providing critical support to ensure the safety of this historic journey is Ardent’s Global Preparedness Cover (GPC), whose staff are on 24-hour response throughout the cruise ship’s transit through the Northwest Passage. “Ardent has been on the forefront of provide emergency preparedness services to its marine industry for many years, and this goes hand in hand in being prepared to respond in all regions in the world including the Arctic,” said Oliver Timofei, Ardent’s Director Emergency Management.

A team of eight salvors is now making its way on board the drilling rig Transocean Winner which is currently grounded off the Isle of Lewis. They’ll now be carrying out a full assessment of the rig and intend to work to make it habitable so that they can remain on it overnight. There’s also work being done to help provide a supply line for the team so they can get equipment and supplies on board. Rope access technicians have created a safe alternative access after the prevailing weather conditions made it too difficult to winch the team down to the installation. The team from Transocean and Smit will look at the diesel oil tanks looking…

Final preparations are being made to put a small team of salvors on board the grounded semi-submersible oil rig Transocean Winner off the Isle of Lewis this afternoon. The rig broke free from a tow line in severe weather Monday and ran aground off the western isles of Scotland. Salvors are conducting an initial assessment of the rig as part of the ongoing operation to remove it. "Weather permitting, it’s then intended to put a second larger group of salvors on tomorrow to carry out a more detailed inspection." Shaw said. Three vessels including the ETV Herakles remain on scene. A temporary exclusion zone of 300 meters has been implemented around the rig.

Severe weather has caused semi-submersible drilling rig Transocean Winner to break free from tow and run aground off the western isles of Scotland, the U.K. Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) said. There are no personnel on board the rig and there is no risk to life, MCA said. There is 280mt of diesel on board. The tug Alp Forward encountered severe weather west of the Isle of Lewis while towing the Transocean Winner, and remained connected to the rig overnight on Sunday but was unable to make headway with the tow. The MCA’s Emergency Towing Vessel Herakles was deployed from Orkney on Sunday night to assist. Early Monday morning, the tow line parted, and due to the severe weather conditions it was not possible to reconnect.

Last month Svitzer and Titan Salvage announced plans to merge their salvage operations. Peter Pietka, former chief executive of Svitzer Salvage, takes the helm of the new combined company – to be dubbed Ardent and headquartered in Houston – on May 1. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News spoke with Pietka for insights on the path ahead. Svitzer, the salvage division of AP Moller-Maersk and Titan Salvage, a division of Crowley Maritime Corp., will effectively meld two of the enviable corporate cultures in the maritime world…

More than 250 shipping and insurance professionals gathered for the first ever Asian Maritime Casualty Forum held during Singapore Maritime Week. The two-day conference, hosted by global marine and engineering consultancy London Offshore Consultants (LOC), highlighted some of the vital issues in salvage and vessel wreck removal and in particular rising costs, technological challenges and the need for the parties involved in major casualties to work more closely together. The industry…