Causeway to be built to ship
2003-08-28 23:33
Cape Town - A causeway might be built from the Sealand Express to the beach so that containers can be removed from the ship.
The American registered Sealand Express dragged its anchor during last Tuesday's stormy weather in Table Bay and became stranded on a sandbank off Milnerton.
Salvage company Smit Marine's spokesperson Clare Gomes said "even if we could remove all the containers by helicopter we will not be able to open the 30-ton deck doors to remove the rest of the containers from the hold. A raised causeway is the most viable option."
Gomes said the causeway would be built from the beach to the ship's hull and will offer the best access to the cargo on board.
The department of environmental affairs and tourism said in a statement on Thursday if it received comprehensive plans for building a causeway and a commitment to rehabilitating the environment issue, a permit waiving the usual requirement of an environmental impact study would be issued.
Floating tanks
The fuel tanks of the Sea-Land Express are now empty and there
are plans to remove the ship's containers if this weekend's towing attempt fails.
The remainder of 3 500 tons of ship's fuel was pumped from the beached container vessel about 02:00 on Thursday.
Gomes said 115 tons of the thick oil fuel remained in the engine room. Should a crisis threaten, it would be pumped to floating tanks on the beach side of the ship.
Meanwhile, a special cargo helicopter transported a temporary crane to the ship on Thursday afternoon. It will be used to assist with transporting the dangerous cargo on board.
Gomes said the first container - flammable material such as fireworks - would be removed on Thursday. Other dangerous materials that are easier to handle would be removed on Thursday.
If the weekend's salvage attempts fail, Smit can execute one of three plans.
A floating crane can be planted in the sand next to the ship to remove the containers. A Mi-26 cargo helicopter capable of transporting 18-ton loads has also been put on standby in the DRC, while the causeway is another option.