RMS Mulheim: What happens next?

[Trevor M]

Does anyone know what happens next in this sort of situation?

(See link below)

T

[Bren Tierney]

Does anyone know what happens next in this sort of situation?

(See link below)

T

Hey Trevor,

Check this out. Hope that helps.

<a href="http://www.yorkshire-divers.co.uk/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi?s=43a314e990f7f1e7ab071f69a245e0bf" >http://www.yorkshire-divers.co.uk/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi?s=43a314e990f7f1e7ab071f69a245e0bf</a>;act=ST;f=16;t=2118


Cheers
Bren.

[TrevorM]

Cheers Bren.

Is it OK to repost the information here, or at least somewhere to refer people without having to login?

T

[Adrian Kelland]

At present, it is estimated that 500 tons of the scrap plastic has been washed out in the bad weather. The hatches were opened to remove some of the cargo of plastic, as well as any fuel and paint etc. The boat has twisted and the hatches cannot now be closed.

It seems the general plan is to get the cargo off somehow, then let the Mulheim break up 'naturally'. That won't take long. I have not heard of any salvage plans.

Adrian

[TrevorM]

It seems the general plan is to get the cargo off somehow, then let the Mulheim break up 'naturally'. That won't take long. I have not heard of any salvage plans.

Can they not drag it into about 20m water, near Longships? ;)

T

[Adrian Kelland]

Can they not drag it into about 20m water, near Longships? ;)

T

It's pretty badly holed, but you would think that one of those anti-polution super tugs would make short work of that!

One a serious note, there hhas been talk of a lifting barge, but I don't know in what regard.

Adrian

[Bren Tierney]

Cheers Bren.

Is it OK to repost the information here, or at least somewhere to refer people without having to login?

T

Hey Trevor,

Here ya go:

---------------------------------------------------------

Hi Guys

You might find this interesting:

RMS MULHEIM (ANTIGUA & BARBUDA)

London, Mar 28 - A press report, dated yesterday, states: Salvagers today hope to start removing 2,200 tonnes of cargo from general cargo RMS Mulheim stranded on the Cornish coast. The shredded plastic must be cleared from
the badly damaged vessel before incoming bad weather makes work impossible, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said. MCA spokesman Mark Clark today said it was essential to remove the cargo before bad weather made the wreck break up. "There's no bottom to the ship so she can't be refloated. And the terrain there means it is absolutely too difficult for salvagers toget to her" he said. A mechanised conveyor belt is to be set up linking the vessel with cliff tops 80 feet above. Salvagers will shovel plastic from the vessel's hold into sacks, to be carried away on the conveyor belt.
At the same time, more plastic will be cleared from the vessel's hold via an eight-tonne pump. A barge will be brought close to the RMS Mulheim to carry the retrieved cargo to shore. The weakened vessel is not expected to survive the clearance operation and incoming storms. Robin Middleton, the
Secretary of State's representative in maritime salvage and intervention, said it was likely some cargo would escape into the sea. A spokesman for the Environment Agency today said diesel fuel which leaked from the RMS Mulheim had now dispersed.

London, Mar 30 -- Following received from Maritime & Coastguard Agency, dated today, states:
Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) equipment and
members of a salvage team were airlifted by helicopter onto general cargo RMS Mulheim and have successfully opened some of the cargo hatches in preparation for removing the cargo of scrap plastic. Additional MCA Counter Pollution pumping equipment is being mobilised ready for today's
operations, after Dutch salvage experts yesterday identified a further 20-tons of diesel fuel to remove from the fuel tanks of the vessel. A local vessel is standing by to take away any fuel that is removed. Work will continue today to open further cargo hatches to enable the removal of the cargo to begin. Progress was hampered on Friday (Mar 28) by thick fog, which grounded the helicopter needed to lift essential equipment onto the vessel.

Salvors will continue to simultaneously progress several methods for removing the cargo as quickly as possible. A conveyor belt system will be used to remove one ton bags of the cargo and a jack up rig (a working platform which can be secured to the sea bed near the vessel) is on route to Lands End to speed the process. However, calm sea conditions will be required to successfully set in place the working platform, which is planned to arrive by the middle of next week. Falmouth Coastguard have reported that the weather should remain favourable for the next few days but that a change in the weather is likely from Tuesday (Apr 1) onwards.

London, Mar 29 -- Information received from Penzance, dated today, states:
Salvors are expected to put the conveyor in place at the cliff-top today in order to remove the cargo of scrap plastic from general cargo RMS Mulheim. The operation has been delayed by weather conditions.

London, Mar 29 -- A press report, dated today, states: Dense fog off the Cornish coast shrouded the stricken general cargo RMS Mulheim yesterday afternoon and hampered efforts to begin the difficult process of removing her haul of potentially harmful plastic. Frustrated salvage experts had hoped to fly equipment onto the deck of the wrecked vessel, which hit rocks at notorious Sennen Cove last weekend. But as fog closed in, the helicopters were firmly grounded and salvage experts who had earlier been airlifted on board were left stranded. With no other way of getting the men off the vessel, the Sennen in-shore lifeboat paid its second visit to the
vessel and rescued the salvage team. As the operation to move the cargo ground to a halt, people in the seaside village of Sennen expressed their frustration that 2,200 tonnes of shredded plastic - destined for a German landfill site - was still on board the holed vessel.
But salvage expert Johan Foks, who surveyed the scene yesterday, said the operation was happening as swiftly as possible. He said: "Everything that can be done is being done. We are still working preparing the equipment on site ready for lift-off. It is frustrating but we are used to dealing with
the weather conditions." He said the operation was difficult because the cargo was loose inside the giant holds and would have to be painstakingly shovelled into huge bags before being taken off the vessel. Salvage equipment was amassed on the cliffs above the stricken vessel before the weather closed in but by the afternoon the eerie sound of the fog horn
blasted out from the Longships off Land's End, signalling an end to any further attempts to remove the cargo. The salvage team needs a window of about five days to remove the cargo and avert an environmental disaster. With the weather due to break again on Wednesday (Apr 2), conservationists fear the vessel is an environmental timebomb. Already the vessel's spine is slowly twisting and there is concern that opening the huge grey holds on the deck will make the vessel more unstable.

[Bob Seadart]

:=Can they not drag it into about 20m water, near Longships? ;)
:=
:=T

It's pretty badly holed, but you would think that one of those anti-polution super tugs would make short work of that!

One a serious note, there hhas been talk of a lifting barge, but I don't know in what regard.

Adrian



Latest on the Mulheim

<a href="http://www.sennen-cove.com/rbsm.htm" >http://www.sennen-cove.com/rbsm.htm</a>