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MV Benita during the re-floating operation,
Sunday, July 24, 2016. Photo: Five Oceans Salvage
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More trouble for salvors of the MV Benita
wreck just a few days they were able to refloat the vessel from the southern
shore of Mauritius where it spent more than a month aground.
As of Tuesday the ship was under tow on a one
way trip to an Alang shipbreaker. Now it’s questionable whether of not the
vessel will ever make it to its final destination.
After the refloating of the Benita on Monday,
the salvage team from Five Oceans Salvage has been assessing the tow-worthiness
of the vessel as they prepared for the tow to Alang, India for demolition.
An update Wednesday from the company said
that crews initially began towing the vessel by the stern, but as they reached
deeper water towing by the stern was no longer possible and they are now
adjusting the towline connection from the bow. The process of adjusting the
towing arrangement is proving difficult and slow, since the prevailing sea
conditions are preventing a boarding team from getting aboard.
Five Oceans added that crews expect to resume
the towage later Wednesday and follow a course that will keep the convoy clear
of any islands.
As you’ll recall, the Liberian-flagged MV
Benita ran aground after one of its crew members attacked other members of the
crew on onboard. The ship ran aground after the attacker locked himself in the
engine room, causing damage to equipment that resulted in the ship losing
propulsion. The salvage team spent more than a month removing fuel and other
oils from the vessel, repairing damage, and repressurizing the ship’s tanks
prior to the refloating.
Source: g captain.
27 July 2016
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