Nassau, Bahamas - A third attempt to refloat the M/T Formosa
Falcon by the owners was not successful on Saturday 28 September, 2013. The
salvage team made several efforts to re-float the grounded vessel however, the
laden vessel remains grounded under the supervision of a tug vessel, Government
officials and safety representatives for the Formosa Falcon.
An action plan was forwarded to the Ministry
of Transport and Aviation and the Port Department for review prior to the
commencement of the operation. A team
mobilized at approximately 1:00 p.m. to ensure that resources were in place to
commence the operation of refloating the vessel. As high tide was at 2:30 p.m., every effort
was made to take advantage of the window of opportunity to refloat the vessel
during high tide. A dive inspection of the Falcon revealed that the hull of the
vessel was not breached. The operation was suspended, however, once the tide
began to fall.
The operation was monitored by the Port
Department and containment booms have been deployed as a precautionary safety
measure. The next course of action is to lighten the ship by removing some of its
cargo. This action will assist in reducing the weight of the ship thereby making
the refloating operation easier. An action plan -inclusive of contingencies- is
being prepared by the ship’s representative for review by the Authorities.
The safety of life at sea and the protection
of the marine environment are the primary objectives in the refloating of this
grounded vessel. Booms have been deployed to protect the coast line in the
event of an unforeseen incident. The vessel is however stable and under
supervision.