Combinatie Berging Tricolor, the Smit-led consortium that is salvaging the Tricolor cargo ship from the bottom of the English Channel, reached a milestone on 17 October when it completed the last of nine cuts to break up the vessel.
The cutting operation, using specially designed wire, started on 22 July 2003. Five sections of the Tricolor have already been lifted and transported to Zeebrugge, Belgium. The floating cranes on the Rambiz barge have begin lifting the remaining sections.
The jack-up rigs Vagrant and Buzzard have been demobilised and are returning to their home bases. Smit’s semi-submersible barge Giant 2 will stay in the area to receive the remaining sections of the Tricolor and transport them to Zeebrugge.
Combinatie Berging Tricolor is a consortium consisting of: Smit Salvage BV, Scaldis Salvage & Marine Contractors NV, URS Salvage & Maritime Contracting NV, and Multraship Salvage BV. The salvage contract was awarded to the consortium by Wilh. Wilhelmsen and Gard Services.
