Salvage & Wreck Removal

TMC has considerable expertise in advising and attending marine salvage and wreck removal operations. TMC has several SCRs (Special Casualty Representatives), so can act in this capacity if SCOPIC (Special Compensation P & I Clause) is invoked under a Lloyd’s Open Form. TMC is well known and highly regarded throughout the salvage and wreck removal industry. TMC is an Associate Member of the International Salvage Union (ISU).

Salvage & Emergency Response

In salvage cases TMC act on behalf of Owners/P&I, Hull and Machinery Underwriters, Charterers, Cargo Interests’ and also for Salvage companies themselves. At the outset, most casualty situations require rapid and effective intervention that will allow the vessel and its cargo to be salvaged. Salvage operations are often conducted under Lloyds Open Form (LOF) “no cure, no pay” contracts, although other types of contract can also be used.

Our in-house developed SEAMASTER model is regularly used by our naval architects in emergency response situations, where answers are required to deal with complex problems such as; flooding, strength, ground reaction, re-float scenarios, etc., often in a short timeframe. Our specialist consultants can also attend on-site as well as assist remotely off-site. We offer the following services:

• Client Representative on-site
• Salvage Naval Architect Attendance
• Salvage Engineering Solutions
• In-house Software support / solutions

SCR (Special Casualty Representative)

TMC has four SCR’s on the Lloyds Panel. An SCR is appointed when an LOF-SCOPIC contract has been agreed between the Owner and Salvor and the Salvor invokes the SCOPIC Clause. This clause is used in situations where environmental danger exists but the chance of success, and hence the reward for the Salvor, is low.

Wreck Removal

TMC is very active in the Wreck Removal field. If salvage is unsuccessful at some stage the Owners, their Advisors & Insurers will have to decide whether to continue or abandon the casualty. Once abandoned, if there is liability to remove the wreck, the responsibility for removing it usually falls on the P&I Club, however where no such cover exists, governments and authorities may step in to fund such work. This will certainly be the case if the casualty presents a hazard to other shipping and navigation, or if its cargo or fuel oils pose a threat to the environment.

Wreck removal contracts are usually commercial BIMCO contracts, either lump sum, fixed price, or day-rate contracts. TMC is experienced at advising clients on the technical management of the entire wreck removal phase, from initial tender letter to finally signing off on the wreck removal process upon completion by the contractor. We can supply the following services:

• Advice on salvage costs & repairs
• Compilation of Tender Letter
• Tender evaluation for Wreck Removal
• Short-listing bidders
• Tender award process
• Contract monitoring during Wreck Removal including milestones
• Final completion

Environmental & Ship Recycling

TMC can offer practical advice and management of the disposal of vessels and marine structures in accordance with the Hong Kong International Convention and IMO’s Guidelines for Safe and Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling. These services include the preparation of Hazardous Substance Registers (HSR), preparation of disposal plans including the identifications of exotic or valuable materials and the assessment of Recyclers for materially intact or damaged ships.

• Advise on current legislation and recommendations with respect to ship recycling
• Preparation of Hazardous Substance Registers
• Identification of and quantity surveys of exotic or valuable materials
• Preparation of Disposal Plans
• Preparation of Transport Plans
• Assessment of Recyclers Facilities and certification

Distressed Cargo / General Average

TMC has been involved in numerous cases where distressed cargo was involved. Each project involving distressed cargo involves a multitude of documents, spreadsheets, forms etc., from various parties which makes the task of managing the cargo extremely burdensome.

With the growing size of container ships, an efficient and logical system to track distressed cargo is required. The effective management of distressed cargo contributes to the maintenance of its value, and thus the return for both Salvors as well as Cargo Interests, whilst reducing the propensity for expensive cargo claims and ongoing litigation for Owners and P&I Clubs.

TMC personnel are very experienced at dealing with complex cargo problems following serious incidents such as fires, collisions, grounding, etc. Each of these large cases has taken between 3 and 12 months to deal with in our experience, from the arrival of the first cargo ashore to completion and reinstatement of temporary holding areas. TMC has developed a system capable of accepting and tracking the documentation required such as:

• Tracking fields
• Correspondence filing
• Photo records
• Survey recording forms

TMC has invested in personnel, hardware and software to ensure this system is fully functional and ready to be deployed at short notice for the benefit of our clients. Notable cases where TMC has been involved are as follows:

• HANSA BRANDENBURG
• MSC FLAMINIA
• RENA
• HANJIN ITALY
• WAN HE
• SAN FELIPE
• HOEGH OSAKA