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Grand Mariana

Micro Beach, Saipan Island | Northern Mariana Islands

Yacht with yellow sheet hanging from top deck
A 45m (145 foot) superyacht, taking a direct hit from Typhoon Yutu, grounded 150m (500 feet) off Saipan Island's environmentally sensitive Micro Beach. Stranded in water approximately 2m (6.5 feet) deep, the superyacht's predicament was complicated by waves and currents that gradually dug the skeg (a sternward extension of the keel protecting the propeller and supporting the rudder) into the coral bed.

When the recovery bid went out, other salvage contractors proposed to cut the vessel into pieces on-site creating a total financial and property loss. Resolve Marine proposed a plan to safely refloat the superyacht requiring the team to mobilize special equipment, secure all necessary agency permits and utilize an on-site coral relocation expert. The result was a comprehensive salvage solution employing various re-floating techniques and critical damage repairs that enabled a tug to tow the superyacht into open water where a heavy-lift vessel facilitated redelivery to the owners. In addition, Resolve Marine carried out a grounding-site dive-survey to ensure all vessel debris had been removed and the delicate coral reef was protected.

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