The 86-metre inland vessel sank during the night of 17 to 18 April after colliding with mooring posts near the Royers Lock in Antwerp. The ship, carrying approximately 1,600 tonnes of sand, went down completely. Fortunately, the crew was rescued in time. Multraship Salvage and Herbosch-Kiere were jointly contracted to carry out the salvage operation.
Careful preparation
On Monday and Tuesday, the cargo of marine sand was already carefully removed from the sunken inland vessel to ensure the vessel’s stability. In the following days, lifting slings (heavy steel wires) were installed to enable the vessel to be hoisted back above water. Slings were placed at three positions to evenly distribute the weight, thereby reducing the risk of the vessel breaking during the lifting operation.
“Salvaging a vessel like the SOLA GRATIA is a complex operation involving a large specialised team,” explains Leendert Muller, CEO of Multraship Salvage. “Installing the lifting slings and steel wires is precise and high-risk work, and the lifting itself also had to be carried out in a highly controlled manner. The weight had to be evenly distributed to prevent the vessel from breaking apart. Together with our partner Herbosch-Kiere and specialised subcontractors, we successfully completed this important phase of the salvage.”
Lift completed within tidal window
The lifting operation started on Sunday 3 May at 13:00 and lasted several hours. The vessel lay at a depth of 15 metres at low tide, and strong currents and tidal movements in the Scheldt meant that the lifting window was limited. The operation was carried out safely and in a controlled manner within that timeframe.
Benny De Sutter, CEO of Herbosch-Kiere, said: “During the lifting operation, specialised assets were deployed. Thanks to our experienced teams and close cooperation with Multraship Salvage, every step of this operation was executed with great care and continuous attention to safety and the environment.”
Next steps after the lift
Following the lifting operation, an attempt was made to remove all water from the vessel in order to refloat it. Inspection has shown that this may still be a lengthy process due to the extensive structural damage to the hull. Until this operation is completed, the vessel will remain stabilised in the slings of the floating sheerlegs. The vessel’s final destination has not yet been determined.
