Barbados: Successful completion of vessel salvage operation at Port of Bridgetown

One of the most significant achievements on record at the Port of Bridgetown was the completion of a salvage operation of vessels, sunk during Hurricane Beryl, on September 16, 2024.

PK Solutions Salvage, a Trinidad company and Ocean Marine associate, executed a painstaking two-week operation which culminated in the removal of the sunken ships from the inner basin of the harbour.

The vessels recovered were the two, namely: the 24-meter-long, 141 Gross Tons Jolly Roger; and the 31-meter-long, 98 Gross Tons MV Dream Chaser.

Heavy-duty land-based equipment and a specialized group of divers were in place when the mentioned salvage team executed this precise and careful recovery operation.

The major first lift in the salvage process was the hull of the Jolly Roger, held on August 27, 2024. This is the critical component that the owners inspected before proceeding with the other steps.

The lifting process of the MV Dream Chaser happened to be more hectic because of the vessel being large in size. For easier removal, this ship was sliced into three pieces and lifted out from the seabed.

An environmental protection outline was thus drawn not to allow any pollutants to be exposed to the environment during the salvage period. The teams on ground followed some stern measures so as not to adulterate or pollute the coastal waters.

On 17th September 2024, the seabed was well swept such that nothing unwanted was left behind. This proved that the harbour was safe and set for the berthing of incoming cargo and cruise ships.

Various collaborative efforts had to be done for the implementation of this operation. This includes the partnership between Barbados Port Inc. in collaboration with the Coastal Zone Management Unit, the Environmental Protection Department, and the Ministry of International Transport, to efficiently conduct the salvage with due respect to environmental standards.

Salvage remains are to be towed to Carlisle Bay, which will then serve as an artificial reef and assist in the habitat restoration of the marine ecosystem while providing new and added ecosystems for marine life.

Special appreciation is shown to insurance companies that have been a great source of support in the salvage operation, including CG United Insurance, Trident Insurance, and Sentry Insurance Brokers.

Barbados Port Inc. thanks all those associated with the operation. Their hard work was instrumental in making it possible, the arduous and challenging task of lifting the vessels.

The salvaging operation opens up further port operations and more importantly proves stewardship toward the environment and how responsive the maritime incident has turned out to be.

The conversion of the wrecks into artificial reefs further testifies towards the forward-looking attitude in both maritime safety and the ecological implications.