Tuesday, August 18, 2009Salvage Diving Support Sea n Ski

Chris Juredin, Salvour, owner of Security on Sea Salvage and diving with Commercial Dive Services locates and raises the vessel Sea N Ski from 170 feet of water in the British Virgin Islands

Sea N Ski
August 2009

In 2008 Chris Juredin located and dived the vessel with Wayne Palmer,  a 39 Foot Beneteau Sea N Ski in the Sir Francis Drake Channel.


http://bvibeacon.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2181&Itemid=5

http://www.allatsea.net/article/November_2009/Five_Tips_for_a_Safer_Charter_Vacation

After approaching the owner company TUI Marine and The Moorings charter company, http://www.tuimarine.com/
Security on Sea the sister Company to Commercial Dive Services decided that they would embark on a salvage effort and made an agreement with Commercial Dive Services to oversee the diving operations.

TUI Marine felt that recovery was not likely and their spokesperson confirmed they had written the vessel off, CDS dived over a few months, slowly building a plan around the salvage, the dive was logged at 165, 168 and 171 feet from different gauges. The vessel sat upright with all sails in place. Divers would not have time to safely remove the sails and fight the current at this depth, so liftbags were rigged to rail above the keel to remove the weight of the keel and allow the vessel to be moved to shallower water. This effort was stressful and dangerous however working safely with standby divers at 60 feet, bailouts and emergency procedures in place the team rigged the vessel for removal and salvage.

The vessel Autshumato was used to assist with the tow to shallower water 115 to 120 feet in depth, the tow line in excess of 250 feet in length with the drag and depth factored in the ferry had to be sure to tow slowly and consistently so as to not break up the vessel.
http://www.tortolafastferry.com/
Once settled in 115 feet the vessel was re-rigged with numerous bags and floated to a nearby small anchorage of Little Harbour Peter Island, here it was cleaned underwater of a large amount of the growth it was rolled port to starboard and cleaning continued, then the vessel was raised pumped out and towed to Road Town at Village Cay where Security on Sea and Commercial Dive Services are based. http://www.igy-villagecay.com/

The vessel was subsequently sprayed down, and stripped and the engine started, after one year underwater the vessel and engine will get to see service again.

 Rigging the vessel with liftbagsChris prepping to roll the vessel for cleaningUp she comesHome she comes !