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Tuesday, 02 February 2010 14:56 |
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(POMPANO BEACH, Fla.; Feb. 2, 2010) Leveraging the strength of TITAN's 300-metric ton linear hydraulic pullers, and the ingenuity of the TITAN Salvage team, TITAN safely refloated the Monongahela, a decommissioned tanker ship on the James River in Virginia last week.
The salvage team, led by Capt. Guy Wood, executed several test pulls on the tanker before last week's successful refloating to verify the holding power of the anchors being used and to help with the determination of refloating calculations. The three pullers were secured to the Monongahela's flight deck with 1,900 feet of 76 millimeters K4 anchor chain run from each puller to plate anchors previously installed in the James River by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD). The K4 chain is one grade above the Oil Rig Quality (ORQ) chain and is the highest grade of chain available, with regard to breaking strength.
The Monongahela, which is part of the James River Reserve Fleet (JRRF), was affected by a severe storm and unusually high water surges on the James River on Nov. 12 when it broke loose from its moorings and was wind driven aground on soft soil, approximately one-half mile downstream of the JRRF near the western bank of the river.
"The team was able to capitalize on shifting winds and high tides for refloating of the vessel," said Gage Parrot, TITAN director, Americas. "These elements, coupled with the strength of the TITAN pullers and experience of our salvage crew, allowed us to refloat the Monongahela."
TITAN's 300-metric ton linear hydraulic pulling machines, otherwise known as "TITAN Pullers" have been used in a variety of manners including dragging vessels off the beach or onto barges, parbuckling vessels, rolling vessels onto barges or onto breakwaters or vertically lifting sunken vessels.
TITAN Salvage worked alongside MARAD, the U.S. Coast Guard and other state and local authorities, to ensure the safe recovery operation.
TITAN, a wholly owned Crowley subsidiary, is a worldwide marine salvage and wreck removal company based in Pompano Beach, Fla., that has performed over 350 salvage and wreck removal projects since 1980, including some of the most technically demanding projects ever undertaken. The company also has offices and equipment depots in Newhaven, UK and Singapore. TITAN responds to vessel emergencies around the world and is able to mobilize a worldwide network of expert salvage professionals and specialized, portable equipment within hours of activation. TITAN is accessible 24 hours a day through the company's main dispatch telephone number, +1-954-545-4143. Additional information about TITAN may be found at www.titansalvage.com. |
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 02 February 2010 14:57 |
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Friday, 29 January 2010 20:52 |
(JACKSONVILLE, Fla.; Jan. 29, 2010) Crowley Maritime Corporation, working under contract with the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), successfully discharged 202 20-foot containers of relief supplies across a beach in Port-au-Prince, Haiti yesterday marking the largest post-disaster lightering operation to date. This successful, larger scale operation follows a trial shipment of 12 containers last week.
In addition to the two sailings of the Marcajama directly into Port-au-Prince, the ship also made a call in Rio Haina as did the Crowley Americas. Both ships discharged relief cargo into Rio Haina, which was then trucked to Port-au-Prince. Combined, these three sailings have resulted in 462 containers of relief cargo to the area.
Much like the first discharge, this most recent lightering operation involved lifting containers from the 820-TEU Marcajama, a Crowley container ship anchored in the harbor, to two smaller, shallow-draft landing vessels for transport and discharge over the beach to Port-au-Prince.
"This second, much larger shipment is a culmination of a lot of teamwork and professionalism from various members of the Crowley team," said John Hourihan, senior vice president and general manager, Latin America services. "With every voyage we are able to make, we bring much needed supplies to the people of Haiti allowing them to begin the process of rebuilding their lives, their country and eventually re-establish commerce."
Following the discharge, the Marcajama is enroute back to Florida where she will once again load cargo and return to Port-au-Prince under contract with USTRANSCOM. The ship is scheduled to make a return trip to Port-au-Prince in the middle of next week.
To continue to improve upon the temporary cargo operations, Crowley is mobilizing two 400-foot-long, 100-foot-wide flat deck barges, along with two Manitowoc 230-ton crawler cranes in the United States for USTRANSCOM that will be brought into Port-au-Prince to serve as a makeshift dock for future cargo operations. The first barge and crane departing Orange, Texas should arrive in Haiti on or about Feb. 4. The second barge is being outfitted in Lake Charles, La. and should arrive by mid-Feb.
Relief cargoes continue to be consolidated and stuffed into containers at Crowley's Miami warehouse and distribution center. Crowley's Jacksonville, Fla, warehouse and distribution center also stands ready should the need arise to have cargo consolidated in the northeast Florida area.
"Our Miami warehouse team has worked around the clock to meet the warehousing and distribution needs of USTRANSCOM," said Steve Collar, senior vice president and general manager, logistics. "The transfer of loads from trucks to oceangoing containers upon arrival at the warehouse is an essential component to ensuring the loads are ready for sailing on time."
While Crowley has suspended its regularly scheduled commercial cargo services to and from Haiti, a Crowley customer service group has been formed to answer questions and assist the shipping public interested in getting relief goods into Haiti. All inquiries should be made to 1-800-490-3321, or
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. Due to the unstable situation in the country, no relief cargo bookings will be accepted without being qualified by this Haiti Team customer service group.
Those wishing to contribute humanitarian supplies to Haiti's relief effort should do so by contacting non-profit organizations such as Food for the Poor or Catholic Relief Services.
Jacksonville-based Crowley Holdings Inc., a holding company of the 118-year-old Crowley Maritime Corporation, is a privately held family and employee-owned company. The company provides diversified transportation and logistics services in domestic and international markets by means of six operating lines of business: Puerto Rico/Caribbean Liner Services, Latin America Liner Services, Logistics Services, Petroleum Services, Marine Services and Technical Services. Offered within these operating lines of business are the following services: liner container shipping, logistics, contract towing and transportation; ship assist and escort; energy support; salvage and emergency response through its TITAN Salvage subsidiary; vessel management; vessel construction and naval architecture through its Jensen Maritime subsidiary; government services, and petroleum and chemical transportation, distribution and sales. Additional information about Crowley, its subsidiaries and business units may be found on the Internet at www.crowley.com.
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