Stranded ship to lose fuel
2003-08-21 10:52
Cape Town - Heavy fuel oil is to be pumped off the stranded Sealand Express before the next attempt is made to refloat her, the ship's American operators said on Thursday.
Clint Eisenhauer, spokesperson for US Shipping Management, said from North Carolina that the offloading was scheduled to begin at noon on Thursday and could take several days.
The move was decided after a third attempt by a trio of salvage tugs to shift the vessel on Wednesday night was unsuccessful.
She grounded on a sandbar off Sunset Beach in Table Bay on Tuesday morning after dragging her anchor in foul weather.
Eisehauer said the offloading would be carried out by salvors Smit Marine.
"The objective of the off-loading operation...is to lighten the vessel to the degree that it can then be pulled from the sandbar," Eisenhauer said.
- SAPA