Special Feature
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MV AGNES… Refloating a Stranded Ship
© Contributed by Steven Knudson from PT Marine Service Engineering The MV AGNES is a 2,400 ton and the cargo holes. This was all empty weight merchant vessel complete by 8am. High tide was driven by a 3,200 HP 2-stroke fuel at 9am and when all the water was oil engine. pumped out, we could feel the ship moving on the waves. Registered in Panama and used for carrying cargo in Asia, on her last After a quick meeting, it was trip she was carrying cement from decided to start the engine to see Vietnam to Lembar Harbour in if the ship was free. When the West Lombok. engine started, the ship slowly moved away from the beach. This After unloading 6,000 tons of was a great day for the owner, who cement, the ship was the moved was aboard supporting PT Marine and anchored 5 km west of Service Engineering with the Lombok Island. However, on 27 contract. December 2012, a fierce storm with strong westerly winds of approx. The ship was then moved off front of the barge so that they could be 80 to 100 knots whipped up three metre the beach about 300 metres, in about 15 manoeuvred to reach under the ship to waves. The ship dragged its anchor until metres of water, so we could check for remove the sand. it became stranded high on the beach at damage in the hull with divers. The divers Cemara in West Lombok. found the damaged area and were able to The work continued 24 hours per day for 3 plug the holes with special putty. weeks. Slowly the ship began to sink in a There was attempt to tow the vessel free hole in the beach. Then we found that the with two large tug boats in February but Once the holes were plugged, we then rear of the vessel was now sitting on an old opened the ballast tanks that were leaking. this effort failed because the ship was coral reef, which we were unable to pump We were not surprised to find that they stuck fast on the beach. with sand pumps. were full of sand, so the next job was to Then the owners contracted PT Marine remove the sand; about 100 cubic meters. Service Engineering from Lembar Harbour Coral cutting attachments were then We then repaired the steel hull from the to take charge and refloat the vessel. Once fabricated to fit on the end of the suction inside. lines. These cutting attachments cut up the contract was signed, Steven Knudson, the old dead coral so as we could pump CEO of PT Marine Service Engineering, Once complete the contractor PT Marine it out from under the ship. Pumping then ordered the equipment necessary for the Service Engineering handed the control continued until the ship was 4 meters in recovery process. of the ship back to the owner. A job well the water in a hole on the beach. done! After five weeks all the equipment arrived Next we had to clear the deck of the and work began. All the ballast tanks Thanks go to the workers from PT Marine barge to pick up the ships anchor. All the were filled, and water was pumped into Service engineering, who are mostly local pumping equipment was off-loaded to the the cargo holes to weigh the ship so it did people from Puyahan Lembar. Also to be not move while work continued. This was beach. It took 36 hours for us to work our thanked are the local people of Cemara, done to prevent the ship from tipping over way along the anchor chain and then lift who helped while the vessel was stranded the 4-ton anchor off the bottom. We pulled on the beach. on the crew while they were pumping the the anchor up to depth of 3 meters. sand, which was a real risk because the PT Marine Service Engineering is a ship was empty and its centre of gravity The reason for this is because the ship company that services vessels of all sizes was very high. could not pull the anchor in at a 90 degree and in any difficulty in the sea or stranded angle. The ship’s anchor must be in the Two large sand pumps were fitted to a 20 on a reef or beach. We also make repairs to front of the ship so the chain can slip ton barge and set up for pumping sand. ships hulls and equipment such as engines, through the anchor chain hole in the ship. The suction pipes were mounted on the winches, cranes and electrics. At 90º the chain grabs on the Contacts for PT Marine Service hole and the winch can’t pull it. Engineering Once the anchor was at a depth Address: Jl. Raya Pantai Cemara 1, of 3 meters hanging off the Puyahan Desa Lembar, Lombok Barat barge, the ship was then able Chief Officer: Steven Knudson (English): to pull in the chain without the anchor digging into the sea floor. +62 812 3716 7818 The plan then was to wait until very high tide in 3 days.
Widia Maulidiah, Secretary (English and Indonesian): +62 819 0210 2700
We were now ready to pump all the water out of the ballast tanks
Kusnul Kuluk, Manager (Indonesian): +62 819 0779 3338