As of: November 19, 2023 6:52 a.m
The “Sabine”, which sank in Emden harbor, is still in the water. Experts continue to try to stabilize the rear of the wreck. The freighter should be pulled onto a platform this afternoon at the earliest.
The plan was actually to pull the wreckage out of the water on Saturday. But the work of the specialist company is continuing, as rescue manager Stephan Müller reported on Saturday evening. According to the current plan, the front part of the freighter will only be stabilized on Sunday morning before it is lifted out of the harbor basin on the submersible platform in the afternoon.
Clay and silt made it difficult to lift the “Sabine”
Getting the freighter to the surface had already cost the salvage team a lot of time. The “Sabine” was stuck in clay and mud in the harbor basin at a depth of eleven meters. The experts worked for hours on Friday 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.” The “Sabine” only came to the surface of the water at night. “We outsmarted the silt,” said Müller.
“Sabine” was supposed to show up on Friday
The ship was originally supposed to resurface on Friday morning. 20 large air bags were actually supposed to lift the wreckage up together with a floating pontoon and a crane. But there were problems with the pontoon to which the stern of the “Sabine” was attached. Apparently the weight of the freighter was greater than expected – a steel beam was bent and several welds came loose.
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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