COASTGUARD NEWS - NEWS ITEM
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Eastern 045/01
23 January 2001

FINAL 'LAGIK' SECTION REMOVED

The third and final section of 'Lagik', the vessel stranded on the River Nene was due to be lifted on 22 January 2001 in the evening.

The ship grounded on the 14th December last year and at the time of the incident the vessel was carrying a cargo of steel and had 27,000 litres of diesel oil on board; 1600 litres of lubricating oil and 400 litres of hydraulic oil, all of which was safely removed."

Weighing in excess of 300 tonnes, this stern section when placed in slings on Sunday during an attempt to move it, moved in the slings and was immediately replaced on the riverbed. The initial break of the vessel occurred at the stern section, between the forward accommodation and the hull leaving this final section irregularly shaped and therefore difficult to manoeuvre.

A contract is about to be signed between Smit Tak and Fenland District Council to allow the whole section to be transported to a specialist ship breakers in Rotterdam, averting the need to cut the section up on the quayside and allowing the Port of Wisbech to re-open sooner.

Principle Counter Pollution and Salvage Control Officer for the MCA, Barrie Evans Commented, "If the operation is a success, and weather permitting, it is likely that the 'Tak Lift 1' will depart on Wednesday of this week. The barge holding the stern section will be ready to depart on Friday or Saturday when a tug will take the barge undertow to Rotterdam."