The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has revealed that ongoing rough weather conditions have delayed the salvaging of the MV Ultra Galaxy, a cargo ship stranded off South Africa’s West Coast.
The stormy weather has prevented them from installing a crucial monitoring system on the vessel as part of the salvage efforts.
This system is needed to check the ship’s condition and decide how best to remove it from the beach. The bad flying conditions have made it difficult to get the equipment in place.
Despite these issues, SAMSA reported some progress. “Earlier this week, salvage teams conducted dive inspections to recheck the structural integrity of the ship and its fuel tanks, both of which remain intact,” SAMSA said.
The teams were also able to access key areas of the ship using special equipment. A survey of the water around the wreck has been completed, and some of the fuel has been removed.
A bathymetric survey of the waters surrounding the wreck has conducted, and approximately eight tons of marine gas oil have been removed from the vessel’s fuel tanks.
To speed up the process, a Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) is set to arrive in Cape Town on July 29 to pick up equipment for removing fuel and other salvage tasks.
“The PSV will then depart for the wreck (and) once stationed off the wreck, the PSV will use its dynamic positioning system and two anchors to position itself as close to the wreck as possible. The PSV will serve as a stable working platform, and the remaining fuel will be pumped from the wreck to the PSV via pipelines,” said SAMSA.
It warned that severe weather is still affecting the coast. An Orange level 6 warning for strong winds and waves had been issued by the SA Weather Service (Saws), which would last through the past weekend and into Monday. Salvage work will continue when the weather improves.
The public is asked to watch out for debris that might wash ashore from the wreck, such as cargo bags or steel hatch covers. Any found debris should be reported to SAMSA’s Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at 021 938 3300 or 012 938 3303.
“The public is also advised not to attempt to salvage any debris themselves. It is important to properly dispose of any debris to minimise harm to people and the environment.
“The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) remains on standby, ready to respond should an oil spill occur and sea birds become affected,” said SAMSA.
IOL