STURE -- Norway, The Norwegian Coastal Administration has confirmed that the frigate Helge Ingstad was sailing with her AIS transmitters turned off. While this has been widely reported and was apparent from the radar tapes of the collision, this is the first time the situation has been confirmed. The confirmation was released when the Armed Forces admitted it will be at least three weeks before the frigate is lifted and taken aboard a heavy lift barge to Haakonsvern.
The heavy lift barge "Gulliver" departed from the Netherlands on Nov. 14 and will carry out the planned lift together with another barge and a tugboat. The recovery effort will be prolonged by the frigate sinking following the failure of the cables that were used to tether the ship to the shore. This has effectively eliminated any ability to pump out the flood water in the ship and required the use of brute power to lift the wreck on to the "Gulliver". Given the extensive damage to the hull, there is a strong possibility that this operation will cause the hull to break up.
There is also much controversy concerning attempts to prevent the beached frigate from sliding off the rocks into the deep water. Originally the Norwegian armed forces rejected a bid from the salvage company Ardent Global despite the company having substantial resources nearby. Ardent Global had the heavy chains and other equipment on hand in anticipation of one of the many tankers using the strait running aground. The stated ground was the greater cost of the Ardent bid due to their chains and the contract was awarded to BOA who argued the use of cables would provide a less expensive solution.
Unfortunately, as the wrecked ship continued to flood overnight, the cable snapped. Ardent Global pointed out that they would never have used cables in a situation like this. Instead their salvage chain supplier Sotra Anchor & Chain have an ample supply of salvage chains with 2,000-ton load capability an hour away from the accident site, that could have been used. The Armed Forces contacted Ardent Global again once the wires had snapped.
You have 0 item(s) in your cart