Sea Diamond - What equipment would be needed to raise her, tender has now gone out

Ally · 11-21-2007, 12:03 PM

Quote:

A tender was announced yesterday for companies interested in bidding to pump fuel from the Sea Diamond shipwreck and raise the cruise liner that sank off Santorini more than seven months ago.

The process was initiated as experts warned that the danger of pollution from the sunken vessel is growing.

Theodoros Tsibidis, the head of the Institute of Marine and Environmental Research of the Aegean Sea, also known as Archipelago, told Kathimerini that in the ship there are a number of hydraulic and air-conditioning systems that contain toxic liquids. He also drew attention to hundreds of TV and computer screens in the vessel, which could leak other harmful substances, including arsenic.

“It is vital that no further pollution is caused during the recovery process, possibly from the disintegration of parts that contain harmful components,” said Tsibidis.

Firms have been given 20 days to submit their offer for raising the Sea Diamond and recovering more than 450 tons of fuel inside the vessel, which sank on April 6.

(Kathemerini)

This ship hit a reef off Santorini, all but two lives were saved and the wreck has cost the life of one inspection diver. She lies on a ledge approximately 350ft down a crater of an undersea volcano.

How difficult a task would this be?

What are the risks involved in this sort of deep salvage operation?

Ally · 11-21-2007, 12:10 PM

This is the ship, she hit a well mapped reef...however, her owners are blaming poor mapping for her sinking. Louis Lines do not comply with IMO or SOLAS due to Cyprus (flagged Sea Diamond) is not a member of IMO.

The line bought the ship about a year prior to her loss and she entered service about 4 months prior. Passenger reviews of the vessel were not good and LL claimed the $55m insurance payout last week. Her Captain and senior officers face legal action.

At the time of her sinking she was originally sat on the reef shown in the photo and salvage teams told LL they could patch the hole and tow her safely to port for basic repair before towing her to a more substantial port. For reasons unknown LL issued orders to tow the ship backwards off the reef and into deeper water and allowed her to sink.

**dalehall** · 11-21-2007, 04:16 PM

Nice way to get a 55m payday. Of course, I think the families of the 2 souls lost on that ship should get the majority (if not all or more) of that payday.

Ally · 11-21-2007, 04:36 PM

The whole episode with Sea Diamond tends to smell more than a little bit fishy, Dale. Why take a ship so close to the cliffs...why then wrench it off the reef in such a way that it turns the hull into ribbons...and why let it sink in the deepest part of the sea in that area.....what have they got to hide?

Within a month either side of the loss of Sea Diamond, LL had a fatacc on two other ships, had another ship banned from ports due to maintenance issues and as a result of Sea Diamond there is a law suit against LL for a significant sum of money by the collective group of survivors.

LL have also had trouble with their hotel chain in recent years too......2 young children died of carbon monoxide poisoning in late 2006.

They offer cheap holidays. But at what real cost?

Sea Diamond will be salvaged, probably by a company like Smit-Tak who brought Kursk back home, LL however, are not playing ball and are resisting bringing Sea Diamond up.....it stinks a bit.

Ally · 11-21-2007, 07:34 PM

There are very few photos of Sea Diamond after the sinking, this one was done earlier this month...about the same time that a diver was killed while surveying the wreck...

hankidic · 12-30-2008, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ally

There are very few photos of Sea Diamond after the sinking, this one was done earlier this month...about the same time that a diver was killed while surveying the wreck...

any idea what caused that damage? did she hit something on the way down?