PUBLIC
NOTICE - WEDNESDAY, 17 July 2006: - The container
ship 'Safmarine Agulhas' has been aground for
21 days off of the Western Breakwater, Port of
East London. The vessel ran aground on Monday
26th June after suffering engine failure shortly
after she exited the port en route to Durban.
Several refloating attempts utilising harbour
tugs and the tug 'Smit Amandla' did not achieve
success and the vessel remained firmly aground.
Subject to grounding forces and the continuous
powerful action of the sea, the deterioration
of the vessel's structural integrity remains cause
for concern and is being assessed and monitored
by the onboard salvage team.
Following a fuel removal operation
that has seen some 720 tonnes of heavy fuel oil
being removed from the 'Safmarine Agulhas' in
the last 17 days, today light oily sheen was reported
to be emanating from the vessel, as spotted by
the Department of Environmental Affairs &
Tourism's (DEAT) patrol aircraft Kuswag VIII.
The patch of sheen was spotted moving away from
the coast in a southerly direction and the oil
pollution abatement vessel 'Kuswag IV' is on the
scene and working to great effect to assist in
breaking up the light sheen. The situation with
respect to sheen emanating from the vessel is
being constantly monitored and the DEAT's patrol
aircraft is stationed in East London and overflying
the casualty daily. A team of experts from DEAT
has been stationed in East London since the vessel
ran aground and oil spill abatement equipment
is on site and will be utilised if necessary.
The team is conducting daily beach patrols to
monitor any impact on the environment. With the
vast majority of the heavy fuel oil off of the
vessel, the risk that the 'Safmarine Agulhas'
now poses to the marine environment has been significantly
reduced.
All parties are working together
to expedite the completion of the fuel removal
operation and the cargo removal operation. Of
the 747 tonnes of heavy fuel oil onboard the vessel
when she ran aground, all but 20 tonnes remain
unaccounted for. The salvage team continues efforts
to skim heavy fuel oil from the engine room and
holds in which water ingress has been reported.
All deck cargo as well as containers located in
two of the vessel's four holds have been removed
and the salvage team is now focussing on removing
the remaining 199 containers from the cargo holds
open to the water. By this evening 24 of these
containers had been removed from the 'Safmarine
Agulhas''. Should the vessel's structural integrity
deteriorate, a decision will be made as to whether
any future refloating attempts will be possible.
The tug 'Smit Amandla' remains connected to the
'Safmarine Agulhas' and is holding her off of
the breakwater.
Adverse weather conditions on
Friday 14th July resulted in Master, Officers
and Crew of the grounded container ship 'Safmarine
Agulhas' as well as the salvage team from SMIT
Salvage being evacuated from the ship as it became
more lively due to its lightened condition and
the high swells. Operations onboard the vessel
were suspended overnight and by Saturday morning
the salvage team and ship's crew were back onboard
and the cargo removal and fuel removal operation
continued in improved conditions.
JP Louw(Chief Director of Communications)
