Salvage crews from global marine services company Ardent used a parbuckling method to right and refloat cargo vessel M/V Sternö (IMO 7035420), which was loaded with 1,400 tons of grain when it suffered a collision and rested on a jetty structure with a 54-degree list.
Ardent salvage crews were mobilized late last month and completed the operation on March 22nd, the Houston-headquartered company, which was formed in May 2015 through the merger of Svitzer Salvage and Titan Salvage, said.
“We mobilized salvage craft and equipment, connected three strand jacks to bollards on the opposite side of the river to parbuckle the vessel,” said Johan Foks, Ardent Salvage Master. “There were a lot of elements that we had to battle. The icy weather and the traffic on an active ship channel were big considerations.”
“The parbuckle operation corrected the list to 11 degrees, and then we lightered the cargo for the refloating operation,” said Rob Rutten, Ardent’s Naval Architect for the M/V Sternö. “Once we pumped the water out of the engine room and holds, the vessel refloated and was stabilized at a four degree list. We manoeuvred the vessel through the locks and moored it quay-side for remaining cargo discharge. The vessel was at a two degree list once we were finished.”
When sufficiently righted the vessel was towed by the Svitzer Bob and Svitzer Bonden from Lila Edet to Gothenberg, Sweden. Ardent had simultaneously refloated the M/V Skagern with a separate team, 7.5km upstream from the M/V Sternö on the river Göta älv on March 9th.
According to database the 1,300 grt Sternö is entered with Skuld for Member Fiducia Rederi AB.