A bulker that capsized and washed ashore on South Africa’s west coast broke apart during storms over the weekend. The South African Maritime Safety Administration (SAMSA) is working with local communities to manage an oil spill and start clean-up efforts.
ULTRA GALAXY (IMO: 9449352) is a General Cargo and is sailing under the flag of Panama. Her length overall (LOA) is 124.56 meters and her width is 21.2 meters.
Officials planned to install a monitoring system on the Ultra Galaxy (13,800 dwt) to check the hull’s stress but faced delays due to more storms north of Cape Town. The 410-foot (125-meter) vessel tipped on its side and broke due to the severe conditions.
“At one point, 6.8-meter waves (over 22 feet) hit the wreck every 15 seconds, causing the accommodation section to detach first, which created larger cracks on the hull,” reports SAMSA. As of Sunday night, the vessel had split into four pieces.
The salvage team had sealed the fuel tanks to avoid a spill. By the end of last week, they had removed several lube oil drums and about eight tons of marine gas oil from the wreck’s tanks. The cargo of bagged fertilizer had already been washed away after the hatch covers loosened in earlier storms.
Currently, over 125 people are involved in the clean-up and searching for debris from the vessel. Residents and fishermen have been warned about floating debris and remnants washing ashore. An oil spill response plan was quickly activated.
Weather forecasts indicate that bad weather will continue. Warnings of strong winds and waves have been issued, with conditions expected to last until Monday. The swell should calm down by Wednesday.
Before the recent storms, dive teams checked the vessel and surveyed the area. The vessel’s structure was stable, and they planned to place a Platform Supply Vessel nearby on Monday, July 29, to provide a safe working area for salvage operations and to deliver more equipment for fuel removal.
Active salvage operations have been halted but will resume when it is safe, according to SAMSA.
The vessel tilted heavily on July 8 during strong storms while heading to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. The crew abandoned the ship and was rescued, but the vessel later capsized and washed ashore in a remote area. The Ultra Galaxy was built in 2008 and registered in Panama.
The vessel is managed by Japan’s Ultrabulk.
