ANGELN

Caribbean | Saint Lucia

In accordance with an agreement with the St. Lucia Air & Seaports Authority, Resolve Marine refloated and subsequently scuttled the sunken container vessel ANGELN. The 435-foot loaded container ship had submerged to a depth of 110 feet in a shipping lane located three miles off Vieux Fort, St. Lucia in the Caribbean. The vessel had capsized on its starboard side, resulting in the spillage of its container cargo alongside the wreck.

Resolve Marine mobilized a salvage team and mobilized equipment, including Resolve Pioneer, tugs Resolve Suhaili and Lana Rose, and a crane barge RMG 400. This operation involved clearing a debris field encircling the wreck and required lifting the deck house to facilitate the vessel's parbuckling process, inverting it upside down. Multiple containers containing hazardous materials were located and retrieved to mitigate potential risks.

To execute this operation with precision, air fittings and air lines were meticulously installed to reach all intact compartments. A well-defined engineering plan was meticulously adhered to, which involved introducing air into the ship's tanks and compartments to complete the initial rollover. Subsequently, a systematic process was employed to gradually raise the hull to the surface.

After a successful refloating, the vessel was meticulously stabilized and towed to deeper waters before being intentionally scuttled. Throughout the operation, Resolve Marine diligently monitored the wreck site to detect and mitigate any potential oil leakage. Additionally, the team was responsible for the removal and recovery of containers containing oil.

This salvage endeavor was further complicated by challenging weather conditions at the offshore wreck site. The team encountered formidable obstacles, including strong ocean currents exceeding three knots, recurring ocean swells, unpredictable tropical weather, and the impact of multiple tropical storms on the project site.