The 87 meter long, 3269 dwt freighter Wilson Dover allided with the lock wall and gate on the Ijmuiden at Papenburg, Germany. The freighter was a bit impatient and proceeded to exit the lock before the lock gates had opened. The vessel attempted to slow down but hit the lock wall before hitting the lock gate. The vessel suffered dents in the bow along with scrapes against the hull. The lock gate was slightly bent from the incident. No reports of injuries or pollution released.
After one year, the cruise ship Costa Concordia still remains aground off Isola del Giglio, Italy. Salvage plans to remove the wreck began in earnest in May 2012 with plans to refloat the crippled ship in early June 2013. Back in January 13, 2012, the Costa Concordia began its first leg of a cruise around the Mediterranean Sea with 4,252 people on board. The captain had deviated from the ship’s scheduled route to pass closely by Isola del Giglio. As the vessel approached near the island, it struck a reef gashing a large hole into the hull. The vessel soon lost power before it capsized onto its side. A six hour evacuation of the vessel nearly all the passengers were brought ashore, but 32 people perished as the vessel sank. Later, it was announced that the Costa Concordia was a constructive total loss. Latest reports state damages from the incident will cost over 500 million US dollars.
The plan, which will re-float the vessel’s hull, places the highest priority for ensuring the lowest possible environmental impact as well as the conservation of tourist and economic activities on the island of Giglio, with maximum safety precautions.
Environmental protection will be the top priority throughout operations of this mammoth recovery. The plan also includes measures to safeguard the economic and tourist activities on the island of Giglio. Staff will work to remove asbestos. The work is not expected to have any significant effects on the summer tourist season. To further reduce any impact on the activities of the Marina del Giglio, the base for the salvage operations will be off the island, near Piombino, where equipment and materials will be collected for the work.
There are four stages of operation in the salvage plan, as follows:
Once floating, the wreck will be towed to an Italian port. Once the removal is complete, the salvage team will clean the waters and the restore the marine flora.
The plan was evaluated from a technical standpoint by a committee, composed of experts representing Costa Cruises, Carnival Corporation & plc, London Offshore Consultants and Standard P & I Club, in collaboration with RINA and Fincantieri, in accordance with the requirements and recommendations set by the Italian authorities. The plan was evaluated to ensure that it would meet the main requirements: removal of the entire wreck with maximum safety precautions and as little impact to the environment, tourism and economy of Giglio.
The 199 meter long, 44621 dwt bulk freighter Marcos Dias became disabled and allided with the berthed 254 meter long, 106659 dwt freighter ABML Eva at Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Marcos Dias was maneuvering in the port when it suffered a power blackout. The crew attempted to slow the vessel by dropping two anchors, but the Marcos Dias did not stop and struck the ABML Eva and a container crane. The Marcos Dias had its port and bow bulwark damaged. The ABML Eva had only minor damage with the crane suffering some undisclosed damage. No reports of injuries or pollution released. The Port authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
