The impact of the fire on board superyacht Kahu at East Cowes Marina earlier in the week continues.
The recovery of the 25m yacht and environmental clean-up operation are now underway say Cowes Harbour Commission.
Capt. Stuart McIntosh is liaising closely with the appropriate authorities, and said:
“We are currently in discussion with the yacht owner’s insurance surveyor and developing the salvage plan, and will soon be confirming that divers and salvage companies can proceed with the salvage in accordance with the agreed salvage plan. We expect the vessel to be recovered within the next 48 hours.”
How it will be salvaged
The submerged vessel is to be raised off the seabed, utilising air lift bags to bring it up to just below the water surface.
A crane will then lift the hull top clear of the water level, in order to allow water in the hull to be pumped or drained out. Once this has been achieved the vessel will be placed on a bunded flat top barge for transportation to a disposal site.
Capt. McIntosh continued,
“As part of the salvage operation. CHC will be prioritising a detailed anti-pollution plan, to ensure pollution does not occur, or is minimal, during the salvage and subsequent transportation stages. To this end, we are consulting our experts in this field, Adler and Allan, the MCA’s Counter Pollution Officer, and other appropriate authorities, such as the Solent Environment Group who are holding daily meetings whilst this incident is ongoing.”
A spokesperson for Cowes Harbour Commission ecplained,
“On site at East Cowes Marina, oil booms have been deployed which can cope with the flood and ebb tides, and a 360 degree boom has been placed around the sunken vessel. These oil booms are designed to catch any oil escaping from the sunken Kahu, which is then skimmed off the water and put into tanks to be taken ashore.
“It is estimated that approximately one third of the yacht’s diesel fuel has been recovered so far and removed ashore into a road waste oil tanker with the remainder still in the fuel tanks of the yacht. Adler and Allan will continue this oil containment and removal until the risk of pollution has been eliminated, with the boat lift and transportation completed.”
Inspections on the River Medina and around Cowes Harbour are being carried out to signs of pollution. CHC is not aware of any significant environmental impact to date.
Members of the public are invited to report any evidence of pollution to the Cowes Harbour Office by email via [email protected] or by phone on 01983 293952.
Transit of vessels in the area of over 48m without the written permission of the Harbour Master is being restricted.
Image: © CHC Marine Services Manager Barney Sollars
