Property Salvage
- We positively tackle marine accident abroad too.
- Adding to experiences, knowhow and high degree technic which have been accumulated over 120 years since start of our business, we are always prepared for emergency situation which requires salvage assistance with various salvage resources such as dedicated salvage tug Koyo Maru, saturation diving system and numerous salvage facilities and equipment. We maintain close business relationship with many oversea salvors and local contractors, and which enables us to positively respond to salvage activities abroad.
Projects
No.1
Fire
A chemical tanker laden with 29,337 ton cargo collided with a cargo ship at off Pusan, Korea on 29 December 2013, and consequently sustained extensive fracture on shellplating and caught fire. All crewmembers abandoned the vessel which began to drift in the vicinity of Tsushima island, Japan. In order to avoid her drifting and grounding, we started towing on 31 December, the last day of the year. We succeeded in extinguishing fire by chemical foam on 16 January 2014. Meanwhile as the vessel was carrying high volatile and dangerous cargo acrylonitrile as part of cargo, we experienced difficulty in negotiation of port of refuge between Korean and Japanese government. After sheltering from rough sea in towage for 104 days since accident occurred, the vessel was granted to enter Ulsan, Korea where our salvage services were completed on 18 April.
No.2
Flooding
While at anchor off Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the vessel took heavy trim by the head due to flooding to No. 1 cargo hold which endangered her sinking in the middle of January in 2010. Experiencing difficulty in to stand on board, our salvage hands resolutely tackled salvage of the vessel day and night. First priority was to remove bunker to prevent environmental damage. After bottom fractures were made watertight, her ballast tanks were either ballasted or deballasted, and were put on air. Whilst cargo discharge was in progress, salvage tug Koyo Maru repeated the process of pulling the vessel to shallows for beaching, and the vessel became afloat in early February. We successfully terminated salvage service, and it was highly likely that the vessel would have constituted CTL and threatened a huge scale of environmental pollution.
No.3
Stranding
A cargo vessel laden with paper some 1,698 tons stranded at west coast of Taiwan on 13 March 2009, and salvage services were rendered by salvage tug Koyo Maru. Our dilemma was that small tugs were able to come close to the vessel but lack of pulling power, and large tugs were unable to gain access due to deep drafts. Our concern was attenuation of hull strength which might deteriorate due to change in topography of sandy seabed on which the vessel rested long, and might cause a risk of breaking in the worst. Long tow line was deployed over 3,000 m to pull out the vessel which made escape from the trap and came to afloat.
No.4
Grounding
One of the casualty was a patrol boat aground due to big waves caused by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011．Her grounded position was in shallow scattered area which prevented deployment of tugs for pulling out. Thus, our plan for refloating was to deploy 2 sets of chain puller (300 ton pulling power per unit) to be mounted and rigged on the multipurpose work barge, and by means of which the vessel was pulled out in success.
No.5
Stranding
A training ship dragged anchors and consequently grounded due to typhoon at fishery port Iwase, Toyama Pref., on 20 October 2004. Two floating cranes Shin Kiryu (3,000 ton lifting capacity) and Shinsho (1,600 ton lifting capacity) lifted the ship which was later brought to Toyama Bay to enter the dockyard, Shin Nihon Kai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. Salvage services were exposed to natural threats of Yorimawai Nami (locally called waves occurring suddenly) and long spell of rain, but we resolutely challenged them and completed the salvage of heavily damaged ship in success. Our salvage services were terminated on 29 November in the same year.
No.6
Collision
A large container vessel collided with a bulker carrying some 133,000 tons coal at off Yoesu, Korea on 14 December 2011. Upon obtaining the casualty information, salvage personnel, salvage tug Koyo Maru and other tugs arrived at the site one after another, but it took long time to discuss and coordinate with the parties concerned as well as the supervisory authorities. Moreover, our serious concern was to manage strict control of longitudinal strength of the bulker which remarkably reduced hull strength due to extensive fracture on the hull. Both vessels were separated on 30 December in success under the strict management of the operation by salvage tug Koyo Maru and 10 local tugs.
