TMC HISTORICAL CASES

TMC attended the grounding of this container vessel in New Zealand for Owners/P&I to assist with the salvage operation. The grounding site on a reef 3 miles offshore was exposed to the weather, seas & swells making the removal of the containers and the wreck a complex operation.

The vessel broke into two pieces during a storm in late 2011. The initial salvage became a wreck removal in 2012 and efforts at removing the bow section and debris from the seabed continue in close consultation with the New Zealand authorities.

TMC attended this casualty in November 2002 off the coast of northwest Spain on behalf of Owners/P&I. Following the sinking of the vessel six days after the initial problem, TMC has continued to assist Owners/P&I as the case has progressed through the courts.

This was a complex case where the vessel had suffered an explosion and intense cargo fire which took 8 days to put out. The damage to the midship section of the hull was severe with the two halves connected by only a small section of remaining plating.

TMC attended in order to assist with keeping the two sections afloat and stable. This required removal of the cargo and simultaneous replacement with water in order to keep stresses neutral. Eventually TMC were part of the negotiating team which successfully got the vessel into Bahrain shipyard ASRY, where the two sections have now been cut up. This work is expected to complete in mid-2013.

TMC was appointed as SCR on this casualty after the vessel had suffered a massive explosion followed by fire, during a trans-Atlantic voyage. The casualty was abandoned by the crew and salvors put out the fire after several days.

The disabled vessel was towed to Europe and eventually refuge was granted by the German authorities where the vessel arrived in order to deal with the burnt and damaged containers. TMC assisted Owners/Club with removal of the fire & water damaged cargo, which took some 3 months to complete.

TMC attended the grounding of this cable-laying vessel on the coast of Namibia on behalf of Owners/P&I in September 2012. Salvage was not possible for the vessel in her location and a wreck removal tender was issued and, following tender evaluation, a contract was signed with an approved contractor. The wreck removal itself is expected to be complete by mid-2013.

TMC attended initially as SCR on this casualty loaded with 42,000mt of scrap steel, which partially sank in the Straits of Gibraltar following a collision with another vessel. Oil was successfully removed in 3 weeks however an attempt at cutting off the bow failed and the contract subsequently changed to wreck-removal.

A second attempt at cutting off the bow failed and the vessel completely sank in a storm in February 2008. Full wreck removal of the vessel and cargo was undertaken thereafter, completing in September 2009 to the satisfaction of the local authorities, to an agreed depth.

TMC initially attended to monitor the recovery of bunkers from this car-carrier which suffered a collision and sank in the Singapore Straits in 2004. Subsequently a wreck removal tender was sent out and a contractor chosen for removal of the wreck. Due to beaurocratic delays the work did not commence until 2010 and was completed in late 2012.

On 6th March 2018, whilst the 15226 TEU MAERSK HONAM was sailing in the Arabian Sea on passage from Singapore to Suez Canal, an explosion occurred and fire broke out on board. The crew were unable to extinguish the fire and salvage operations were initiated under a Lloyds Open Form Contract. The above circumstances gave rise to General Average.

TMC was appointed to act as General Average Surveyors. Our specialist cargo surveyors attended on board the casualty in Jebel Ali (UAE), which was the designated Port of Refuge. TMC assisted all the parties involved in the subject maritime adventure and continue to liaise with the ship’s Owners and the appointed Average Adjusters.