As of: November 20, 2023 6:45 a.m
The “Sabine”, which sank in Emden harbor, is still in the water. A specialist company stabilized the wreckage on Monday night. It is due to dock today – strong winds recently hampered recovery.
The specialists brought the damaged ship to the surface during the night. Now it should be pulled onto a submersible platform. This so-called swimming into the dock is expected to happen in the afternoon, said salvage manager Stephan Müller to NDR in Lower Saxony. When the ship is dry, experts want to investigate the cause of the accident. The ship will then be scrapped in Denmark. Getting the freighter to the surface had cost the salvage team a lot of time.
Clay and silt made it difficult to lift the “Sabine”
The “Sabine” was stuck in clay and mud in the harbor basin at a depth of eleven meters. The experts were busy for hours on Friday trying to solve the suction. Müller compared it to a rubber boot stuck in the mud. “They jerk and jerk and jerk – and at some point the boot is free.” It wasn’t until Saturday night that the bow of the “Sabine” came to the surface of the water. “We outsmarted the silt,” said Müller.
“Sabine” was supposed to show up on Friday
If everything had gone according to plan, the ship should have resurfaced on Friday morning. 20 large air bags, a floating pontoon and a crane were actually supposed to lift the wreckage up. But there were problems with the pontoon that was attached to the stern of the “Sabine”. Apparently the weight of the freighter was greater than expected – a steel beam was bent and several welds came loose. Strong winds made work difficult on Sunday.
Will “Sabine” survive rescue without further damage?
The ship suddenly sank on October 5th while being loaded with 1,100 tons of grit. (archive image)
The experts had previously assumed a lifting weight of up to 550 tons – and thought they were sufficiently prepared: The lifting capacity was around 850 tons, it was previously said. On Friday morning, salvage manager Müller referred to various dives that had been carried out to investigate the damage. It is assumed that the ship as a whole will hold up, Müller had said in advance. However, he admitted that the “Sabine” could still break apart during rescue. Müller ruled out environmental risks from leaking oil. As a precaution, oil barriers were installed.
Freighter loaded with 1,100 tons of grit
After recovery, the 80-meter-long wreck will be scrapped in Denmark. The “Sabine” sank on the Emden Südkai on October 5th after picking up 1,100 tons of grit. Over the past few weeks, the cargo has been laboriously removed from the harbor basin using an excavator and transported away.
November 17, 2023 11:07 am
Editor’s note: In an earlier version of this article we wrote that the “Sabine” broke apart. However, this is not entirely correct. As the experts on site explained on Friday, the ship is bent heavily, but there are no two parts of the wreck. The freighter is hanging together as if by a thread.
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