Salvage – Page 4 – Learn to Dive Today Blog

Series: Deep Sea Salvage

The History Channel series Deep Sea Salvage ran for one season of six episodes in 2009. The series follows the activities of salvage teams employed by Bisso Marine, a family owned salvage company that has been operating along America’s Gulf Coast and (more recently) beyond, for over 100 years.

The first few episodes involve the land and surface-based salvage of some partially sunken vessels in the Mississippi River and surrounds, and a number of barges pushed far inland by a storm surge. I can’t prove it, but I strongly suspect that much of the mayhem that the salvage teams are required to fix occurred as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

Later episodes deal with salvage divers who venture (alone) 100 metres below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico to shackle giant chains to a wayward oil rig leg, or into murky, fast flowing river waters to determine whether a wrecked barge still contains toxic oil in addition to what’s already spilled out and polluted the river. The diving shown isn’t saturation diving.

The show is edited (I think) to make the action seem quite rapid and to take place over short periods, but in some cases there must be a lot of waiting – for weather, gear, support – involved. Tony and I would have liked to see more detail about the dive planning, the gas mixtures used (for the deeper ones helium seems to be involved, because the divers’ voices over the radio were hilariously squeaky) and the logistics of dealing with potential decompression sickness while on a crane barge out at sea. The show isn’t really about that, though; it’s concerned with the work the divers do underwater, but not so much how they get there and back. We were gripped by the dive footage, despite this.

Everything is enormous. The barges and oil rigs are colossal. The winches, cranes, chains, blocks and pulleys, ropes and other equipment such as inflatable bags (large enough to rest a barge on top of a few of them) are all giant-sized. Working with such massive gear requires planning; one can’t quickly pop back to the office to pick up a winch one has left behind, or quickly pick up a chain and move it out of the way of an earth moving machine. Out at sea the constraints are even more severe. Most of the jobs covered in the series were so mind-boggling to me that I would have ordered the vessels scrapped – one can’t even imagine that it’s possible to remedy some of the situations shown. And yet somehow it is, and the Bisso teams do.

Something else that makes this a fine series to watch is that one of the slightly senior salvage team members is called “Lunchbox”. You read that correctly.

You can buy the DVD box set here.

Winter at the Seli 1

The Seli 1 at Blouberg on 19 August 2012

Tony and I popped out on shipwreck (and ice cream) patrol one wintery Sunday a couple of weeks ago (19 August). The Seli 1 is still squatting on the shores of Blouberg, but there is a plan to remove the vessel in 2013. Valuable lessons learned in 2009, when no one was willing to pony up the cash required to remove the Seli 1 from the beach, were applied in the swift salvage of the Eihatsu Maru, which ran aground at Clifton in May this year.

The Seli 1 as she looked on 19 August 2012

In a situation like this, time is of the essence, and the longer the wreck stays on the beach the harder it is to dislodge it from the sand successfully. In the case of the Seli 1, neither the ship’s owners, her insurers, the Turkish government, nor any local authorities were prepared to pay for her salvage. As a result, she’s probably quite firmly stuck.

Waves breaking over the stern of the Seli 1

This news article notes that the wave patterns forming around the wreck are eroding Blouberg beach. This is going to leave electric cables and service pipes exposed if it continues unchecked. Local kite surfers and stand-up paddleboarders, however, are enjoying the new break created by the wreck.

A kitesurfer enjoys the waves near the Seli 1

Our other Seli 1 updates are here, here and here.

What happened next

What happened on Friday night (31 August), during a massive storm, is that part of the midsection of the Seli 1 fell over, spilling oil into the water and causing a flurry of renewed interest in and concern regarding the wreck. But that’s a story for tomorrow…

If you’re interested in visible shipwrecks, check out my ebook Cape Town’s Visible Shipwrecks: A Guide for Explorers!

Article: Business Week on Odyssey Marine Exploration

If you’ve watched the Discovery Channel series Treasure Quest or the HMS Victory Special, you’ll be familiar with Odyssey Marine Exploration. The company uses sophisticated underwater imaging technology to search for long-lost shipwrecks (and their valuable cargoes) on the ocean floor. They then use advanced salvage techniques and remotely operated submersibles to retrieve anything of value, sell it, and (hopefully) turn a profit. It’s an appealing business model, but – as the company has discovered – it’s not quite as straightforward as it sounds.

This article picks up where the television series left off. It shows that archaeology for profit is not without its risks, and illustrates how costly it is. Odyssey has now diversified into other activities involving deep sea exploration, such as prospecting for metals and minerals underwater.

Even if you’re unfamiliar with the work of Odyssey and their business model, it’s a good read. Click here.

Protection of wrecks in South Africa

The issue of protection for local shipwrecks has come to the fore in the last two weeks when it became apparent that huge quantities (18 tonnes of steel this week, much brass last week) of metal have been removed from the wreck of the SAS Pietermaritzburg which lies just a kilometre from Miller’s Point. Divers are up in arms at the destruction of one of Cape Town’s most popular wreck dives, as are some who feel that because of the ship’s history, it should be left alone.

Metal salvaged from the SAS Pietermaritzburg on the jetty at Simon's Town — Metal salvaged from the SAS Pietermaritzburg on the jetty at Simon’s Town

Shipwrecks in South Africa are protected under the National Heritage Resources Act (NHRA) of 1999. The act protects wrecks as archaeological sites, but only wrecks that are more than 60 years old. This would include a wreck like the SS Maori, but not a wreck as recent as the BOS 400 or any of the Smitswinkel Bay wrecks – or, unfortunately, the SAS Pietermaritzburg (the wreck is under 20 years old, even though the ship itself is over 60).

Pieces of the SAS Pietermaritzburg on the jetty

The crucial definition (found in that section of the NHRA) relating to shipwrecks is this one:

“archaeological” means: wrecks, being any vessel or aircraft, or any part thereof, which was wrecked in South Africa, whether on land, in the internal waters, the territorial waters or in the maritime culture zone of the Republic, as defined respectively in sections 3, 4 and 6 of the Maritime Zones Act, 1994 (Act No. 15 of 1994), and any cargo, debris or artefacts found or associated therewith, which is older than 60 years or which SAHRA considers to be worthy of conservation;

The act thus defines shipwrecks older than 60 years, and associated debris, as archaeological sites, which are to be administered and conserved by SAHRA (The South African Heritage Resource Agency). The regulations pertaining to treatment of archaeological sites are enumerated in Part 2, Section 35 item 4 of the NHRA, which states that no person may, without the relevant permits,

a) destroy, damage, excavate, alter, deface or otherwise disturb any archaeological or palaeontological site or any meteorite;

b) destroy, damage, excavate, remove from its original position, collect or own any archaeological or palaeontological material or object or any meteorite;

c) trade in, sell for private gain, export or attempt to export from the Republic any category of archaeological or palaeontological material or object, or any meteorite; or

d) bring onto or use at an archaeological or palaeontological site any excavation equipment or any equipment which assist in the detection or recovery of metals or archaeological and palaeontological material or objects, or use such equipment for the recovery of meteorites.

The wikivoyage site on diving in South Africa has a useful summary.

How does this apply to the Pietermaritzburg?

The SAS Pietermaritzburg was scuttled in 1994, and is thus nowhere near 60 years old. These legal protections do not apply to it. This means that you will not face a fine or prison term for removing artefacts or other items from the vessel. I imagine that some kind of permit is required to perform the salvage that is currently taking place on the wreck, but unfortunately it looks as though this permit has been issued which allows the work to go ahead.

What to do?

Attend the meeting advertised below (it’s next week), write letters to the newspaper and to the Simon’s Town Civic Association (they will forward them to the relevant authorities), and make your opinions heard! We’ll be at the meeting, and will report back on the proceedings:

It has been brought to the attention of the Society and the Civic Association that a salvor has been cutting and recovering steel from the wreck of the SAS Pietermaritzburg. This ship was scuttled off Miller’s Point to act as an artificial reef. Apart from serving the South African Navy for many years the Pietermaritzburg, originally named HMS Pelorus, led the D-Day Invasion fleet on the 6th June 1944. Many feel that in the light of this ship’s history it should be left as is.

In order for a provisional protection order to be placed on the wreck it requires a meeting to be held at which the public must express their desire in this respect. A meeting will therefore be held at the Simon’s Town Museum on Monday 30th July at 17h30 to which all interested parties are invited.

Article: Wired on great underwater finds

Composite of the Titanic as she lies on the sea floor

My love for Wired magazine is well documented. Here’s a lovely little summary of seven fascinating – and each different in their own way – underwater discoveries, accompanied by incredible pictures (and links to the original papers or reports of the finds).

For more on the Titanic you could read some Robert Ballard, or watch Ghosts of the Abyss, which is very evocative. If the amphorae tickle your fancy, check out Archaeological Oceanography, Beneath the Seven Seas, or Mystery of the Ancient Seafarers.

The link to the Wired article, again, is here.

Seli 1, 2, 3…

I’ve posted a couple of times about the Seli 1, a recent shipwreck off Blouberg that I am sure is hated by the owners of expensive homes overlooking the beach. The wreck is, however, loved by local divers (it’s only been dived a couple of times to my knowledge), surfers and kite surfers – the latter because it has caused sand to build up in a way that is extremely favourable to wave generation in front of the wreck!

A storm in early September caused the wreck to break into three pieces, and along with that a minor oil spill which was fairly quickly dealt with. SANCCOB received a couple of oiled seabirds. Why the oil wasn’t removed from the wreck during the initial salvage efforts is a mystery.

These photos were taken on 11 September 2011.

If you’re interested in visible shipwrecks, check out my ebook Cape Town’s Visible Shipwrecks: A Guide for Explorers!

Bookshelf: Shipwrecks of the Western Cape

Shipwrecks of the Western Cape – Brian Wexham

This 1983 publication recounts the stories behind some of the ships that have run afoul of the weather and seas of the Western Cape. It’s an entertaining, quick read packed with oral history and some lovely old photographs. The cover photograph is of the wreck of the Kakapo on Noordhoek Beach. For serious reference purposes, however, I’d recommend Malcolm Turner’s Shipwrecks and Salvage in South Africa.

This book is currently out of print, but you can find a copy on Amazon or Abe Books, or in a second hand bookstore if you’re patient and lucky!

Article: Wired on salvage

Here’s another fantastic article from Wired magazine that describes the process of trying to salvage a cargo of motor cars from a listing vessel off the Alaskan coastline. Until one realises how valuable that cargo is, it simply doesn’t make sense that anyone would go to so much trouble to recover it. The story aptly refers to “sea cowboys” – the courage and enterprising nature of the teams who do this work is awesome.

The Cougar Ace off Alaska - courtesy of Wired.com — The Cougar Ace off Alaska – courtesy of Wired.com

The article is written like a thriller, and the characters and motivations of the salvors are described in some detail. There are diagrams showing how the ship was leaning, and cross sections of the interior. This provides good detail on the logistics of the entire operation.

Read the full article here. The photographs are stunning, too!

Bookshelf: Deep Dark and Dangerous

Deep Dark and Dangerous: On the Bottom with the Northwest Salvage Divers – Rebecca Harrison

Harrison tells the stories of the pioneers of the salvage diving profession, those men and women who worked – some over 100 years ago – in the cold, murky depths of the Pacific Ocean off Oregon, Washington state and Alaska in the USA. Their courage and the difficulty of the conditions they worked in is palpable. Many of these divers learned the trade from their fathers and uncles. Their work encompassed salvage of cargoes, demolition, search and recovery, and construction of harbours, bridges and other structures… All underwater.

This is definitely a history book – there’s nothing about the current state of the salvage diving industry. The stories are personal and clearly many of them are sourced from living relatives of the divers, and some from the surviving divers themselves. It’s well illustrated with photos of the divers, their gear, and their team members.

The author’s website for the book is here.

If you have an interest in commercial diving, or in the history of diving, this is a good place to start. For more on what being a commercial diver entails today, check out Bottom Time. You can get the book here if you’re in South Africa, otherwise go here. If you want to read it on your Kindle, go here.

Bookshelf: Shipwrecks and Salvage in South Africa

Shipwrecks and Salvage in South Africa – Malcolm Turner

Thousands of ships have wrecked along the South African coastline by now – when this book was published in 1988 the tally as recorded in this book (which is not exhaustive) stood at just under 1,000 – and we are blessed with wild, wild seas that render up a wreck for us every year or two. Something about shipwrecks fascinates many people – myself included. There’s always the possibility of treasure, speaking to the pirate in all of us. The destruction of a massive sea-going vessel by the forces of nature, and the bravery often exhibited by the crew and passengers (captain of the Oceanos excepted) makes for a great story. And we love stories.

The main portion of this book is concerned with navigation, shipbuilding techniques and cargoes, the causes of shipwrecks, and tales of treasure and salvage attempts. Turner deals with the history of salvage techniques, and outlines what has to be done on the site of a shipwreck. He describes how the wreck’s location determines its condition – whether it’s on a reef or sandbank, and how exposed it is to the force of the ocean have a significant impact.

Turner’s book also mentions many specific ships wrecked off the South African coastline between 1505 and 1986, many of them in sidebars to the main text. It’s a detailed volume, complete with co-ordinates for wrecks of known location. Turner includes photographs of the vessels as they were before hitting the seabed, as well as stories of the sinkings and (in some cases) rescues. Details of any salvage operations performed on the wreck are also included.

It’s a fabulous reference – I love seeing the ships as they were before sinking, and dreaming about visiting the remoter ones – but I have often lamented that it’s so out of date, and the fact that it doesn’t include deliberate scuttlings like the Smitswinkel Bay wrecks and the SAS Pietermaritzburg. (The latter point is understandable – technically those ships were not “wrecked”!)

I was thus delighted to get a comment on my Goodreads review of the book from Malcolm Turner’s son, Richard, in mid-June. He says that they have just managed to get a reversal of rights agreement from the original publisher, and that they are looking to re-issue the book in the UK with updates (Seli 1 and Oceanos, I’m looking at you!) and a new design. If you want to get in touch with Richard, and be informed of updates, email him.

The book is currently out of print, but I got my copy from Amazon and if you can’t wait for the updated edition you can try Abe Books too – some of their used book sellers stock it.