Multraship Salves Dredger off UK Coast

NETHERLANDS-based salvage specialist Multraship Salvage has successfully salved a sinking dredger off the coast of Kent, UK. The 67 m Van Oord-owned dipper dredger Goliath has now been towed to the Moerdijk area of Holland for further inspection.

The Goliath was under tow from The Netherlands to Ireland by the Sea Contractors tug Sea Alfa when it began making water and sinking off the Kent coast on Friday 9th May. Multraship salvage specialists were called in and advised the tug master to beach the dredger on a beach between Deal and Kingsdown on the Kent coast to prevent the vessel sinking. A full salvage spread was then mobilized by Multraship on the tug Viking and by helicopter from Nieuwpoort. Working on site, with the added assistance of fast-response craft Multraship Responder, salvage divers conducted a thorough inspection. The sources of water ingress on both sides and via one vent cover were established and sealed. The vessel was then pumped out, refloated, and after a full diving inspection, towed to Holland.

The Goliath was unmanned and had 130 tonnes of fuel oil aboard. There were no casualties and no spillages.

Leendert Muller, managing director of Multraship, says, "We worked closely with the UK SOSREP organisation and the MCA on this job, and we are pleased that the liaison went very smoothly and we were able to beach the craft to avoid the more difficult salvage, greater damage and potential pollution that would have occurred had it sank out at sea."