The Herald of Free Enterprise/Flushing Range
Discussion
On the thread asking whether the BA plane crash landed can be repaired, the Somebody mentioned that the Herald of Free Enterprise was raised and put back into service. This however was not the case but it was re-floated and renamed the 'Flushing Range' for a one way trip to India to be scrapped.
The first question is how do they raise a ship? This picture answers most of the question, plus I understand it was resting on a sand bank which prevented it sinking entirely. Has anything that size ever been raised from fully submerged?
Does anyone know how it got to India? Did they get it going again under it's own power or was it towed?
I wonder how it must have felt being one of the crew on that voyage knowing how many had died on-board?
The first question is how do they raise a ship? This picture answers most of the question, plus I understand it was resting on a sand bank which prevented it sinking entirely. Has anything that size ever been raised from fully submerged?
Does anyone know how it got to India? Did they get it going again under it's own power or was it towed?
I wonder how it must have felt being one of the crew on that voyage knowing how many had died on-board?
I would imagine they would fill sealed compartments with high pressure air, or use airbags in unsealable areas.
Raising ships isn't that hard to do, it's getting them suitable for use again is the hard part.
Several battleships sunk at Pearl Harbour for example were raised, refitted and put back into service within 2 years.
Raising ships isn't that hard to do, it's getting them suitable for use again is the hard part.
Several battleships sunk at Pearl Harbour for example were raised, refitted and put back into service within 2 years.
ing big bags dropped down to the wreck, strapped to the hull and slowly inflated. Or if it's an easy one to get at then cranes.thinfourth2 said:
The Tricolour was a pretty spectacular wreck removal
We sailed right past this 3-4 years ago on our way from Ostend to Dover and the marking out of the danger zone. You knew the zone was there, but you had to be close to really see the zone, hence the danger to all craft. When we sailed past, within 10 minutes, the fog came in and we could see very little and relied on radar, so raising this craft was the right thingT-J-K
Edited by Gaz. on Saturday 2nd July 18:14
The jiffle king said:
thinfourth2 said:
The Tricolour was a pretty spectacular wreck removal
We sailed right past this 3-4 years ago on our way from Ostend to Dover and the marking out of the danger zone. You knew the zone was there, but you had to be close to really see the zone, hence the danger to all craft. When we sailed past, within 10 minutes, the fog came in and we could see very little and relied on radar, so raising this craft was the right thingT-J-K
Edited by Gaz. on Saturday 2nd July 18:15
The horrible thing about the Herald wreck was that once it was up, they had to clear the silt out and everyone it contained, not a very nice job at all!
This is my old ship, thankfully after I'd left the company.
Before:
And after:
I believe that once the divers had patched the hole it was purged of water and re-righted with a salvage crane.
It had to be completely stripped out, not sure about the engine, but all the accommodation and bridge gear would've had to be replaced, but it was recovered and put back into service.
This is my old ship, thankfully after I'd left the company.
Before:
And after:
I believe that once the divers had patched the hole it was purged of water and re-righted with a salvage crane.
It had to be completely stripped out, not sure about the engine, but all the accommodation and bridge gear would've had to be replaced, but it was recovered and put back into service.
although not ships, but yachts... in my time i have sold a number of yachts which have sunk... these include
a racing yacht which sunk in the irish sea - was salvaged, refitted and sold on
a cruising yacht which was holed entering a river and went down with the tide - also salvaged, refitted and sold on
a cruising yacht which had it's bow section blown off by a terrorist bomb - was salvaged, rebuilt and sold on
all sold on with full declaration of their histories and all fetched only marginally below their usual market value.
a racing yacht which sunk in the irish sea - was salvaged, refitted and sold on
a cruising yacht which was holed entering a river and went down with the tide - also salvaged, refitted and sold on
a cruising yacht which had it's bow section blown off by a terrorist bomb - was salvaged, rebuilt and sold on
all sold on with full declaration of their histories and all fetched only marginally below their usual market value.
ganglandboss said:
The first question is how do they raise a ship? This picture answers most of the question, plus I understand it was resting on a sand bank which prevented it sinking entirely. Has anything that size ever been raised from fully submerged?
There have been some serious salvage operations that I know of, one was of course the Kursk, 142m long and 24,000 tonnes. Also another Russian sub was partially recovered from 16,000ft by the Glomar Explorer in 1974. I'm not sure how sumberged it was but possibly the biggest refloating was the Jahre Viking, now the Knock Nevis when it was bombed during the Iran/Iraq war. 
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