Contacted by vessel owners and underwriters, Resolve Marine responded to a cargo vessel grounded six miles (4.8 km) off Isle of Skye, Scotland’s northern coast. The cargo vessel, carrying eight crew and 1,900 tons of SRF pellets and 63 tons of fuel, required patching raptured cargo holds and ballast tanks, lightering the cargo, and refloat operations. Overcoming unpredictable weather conditions and travel restrictions imposed by COVID-19, Resolve Marine mobilized teams from its U.S., Europe, and Africa bases and boarded the stranded vessel via helicopter to begin on-site assessments.
Initial search and rescue efforts by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) UK focused on safely evacuating the crew from the stricken vessel. Soon after, a Lloyds Open Form was agreed between Resolve Marine and owners of the vessel. Working with UK Secretary of State’s representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP), MCA, and the Special Casualty Representative, a salvage plan was developed to mitigate pollution threats, stabilize the vessel, and prepare her for refloating. The vessel, grounded on an exposed rock pinnacle, required the response teams to patch ruptured cargo holds and ballast tanks, execute cargo lightering and refloat operations before safely towing the vessel to a drydock in Kishorn.