Even when crew or passengers are rescued already, salvage of a wreck stays a matter of urgency – especially when the accident has happened in a remote area as an example of Resolve Marine Group shows
Resolve Salvage & Fire was contracted to provide cargo & wreck removal services to the RoRo ferry »Amadeo 1« which had grounded on[ds_preview] the very southern tip of Chile near the entrance to the Magellan Straits. The vessel was partly submerged, listing 70 degrees and in jeopardy of sliding into deep water. An extensive mobilization effort ensued utilising assets from across the globe including the 134t bollard pull (tbp) tug »Resolve Earl«, the 78tbp tug »Resolve Commander« and the deck cargo barges »RMG 302« and »RMG 280«. 25 of Resolve’s custom-built 325MT hydraulic chain pullers along with 5,000m of 76mm chain and with various other specialized salvage equipment were mobilized from the company’s warehouses in Mobile, Alabama, Fort Lauderdale, Florida and as far away as Singapore, Mumbai, Gibraltar, Rotterdam and Cork.
Upon reaching the casualty site, the first priority was establishing a hold-back system to ensure the vessel did not slide into deeper water further complicating the project. A specialized hydraulic drilling system from Germany was utilized to drill 28 anchor points along the shore whilst avoiding any damage to the sensitive environment. Due to the remote location and lack of available resources, an extensive contingency and redundancy plan was developed to ensure all logistical challenges were met and spares for all equipment were available onsite. Otherwise, a simple equipment failure could have led to project delays and subsequent cost implications.
Salvage Master Andy Butts and the crew worked tirelessly in freezing conditions for four months to successfully upright and refloat the vessel, ensuring the safe removal and disposal of HAZMAT (hazardous material) cargo, residual oils, cargo, trucks, trailers and other vehicles onboard. Resolve’s high standards for pollution control and remediation – elevated from experience with the »Rena« in New Zealand – helped to comply with Chile’s stringent environmental regulations. Resolve also partnered with local organizations to ensure a constant Chilean presence throughout the project. The Marine Group worked closely with all stakeholders including owners, owners P&I, authorities and consultants to ensure a successful operation. On September 21, 2015, the »Amadeo 1« was scuttled in 2,700m of water approximately 70km from Diego de Almagro Island, Chile.
