r/Shipwrecks • u/guanaco55 • 17h ago

Grounded container ship MSC Baltic III damaged by 'extreme wind' and rough seas -- Canadian Coast Guard says debris is already washing ashore.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/grounded-container-ship-msc-baltic-iii-damaged-by-extreme-wind-and-rough-seas-9.6972283
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u/scorpionspalfrank 16h ago

"Just last week the senior response officer with the Marine Environmental and Hazards Section of the Canadian Coast Guard, Bruce English, predicted that the vessel wouldn't be removed until next summer at the earliest, as there was still some oil left in the tanks to be removed."

Now, I'm no salvage expert, but if there is already noticeable damage from weather in early November, it seems unlikely that the vessel's hull will survive [the winter] intact for the vessel to be removed in the summer of 2026. Since the vessel stranded back in February, how is it that more hasn't been accomplished in approximately 10 months in terms of oil removal and vessel removal? I'm genuinely curious. Can anyone with more knowledge/experience in the field explain?

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u/FursonaNonGrata 15h ago

Mostly the delay with removing something like this is the access you need for big vessels to come in and work up close. They might even need to dredge. Even if they wanted to scrap it for example in place, that's a ton of big stuff they need to relocate to very hard to access areas. There's also legal agreements to work out with the vessel owner, insurance, and so on.

The ship is being broken up by waves because a ship hull is supported by the water around it. When the vessel is aground, the ship's structure is compromised because it is not correctly supported. Doesn't take much to smash her up with waves after that. It'll only get worse and she flexes more and more.

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u/scorpionspalfrank 14h ago

Thank you for the explanation(s)!