Two tugboats helped refloat the Transocean Winner drilling rig at high tide on Monday night nearly two weeks after it grounded in Dalmore Bay on the west shore of Scotland’s Isle of Lewis.
The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the rig was successfully refloated at approximately 10 p.m. local time on Monday.
The Transocean Winner is currently being stabilized but was due to begin its journey to Broad Bay overnight. It is expected to arrive there by Tuesday evening, the coastguard said.
A crowd gathered to witness the operation Monday night, posting photos and video online:
Earlier on Monday, the coastguard reported that Smit Salvage and Transocean were finalizing plans for the refloat attempt. The coastguard said that Smit had agreed with Hugh Shaw, Secretary of State’s Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention, on the towage plan from Dalmore Bay to Broad Bay, located on the east coast of Lewis.
There is a 1000 meter exclusion zone around the Transocean Winner for the duration of the passage to Broad Bay.
An aircraft has been sent to monitor for any potential pollution. A survey on Sunday picked up a sheen which turned out to be 200ml and was quickly broken up using boats by Briggs Environmental.
The coastguard said it would provide another update Tuesday morning.
“We have commenced the final phase of this part of the operation,” commented Shaw in a statement released Monday before the refloat attempt. “The two tugs who will be towing are already connected and standing by off Dalmore Beach. The refloat is scheduled to take place later tonight.”
Transocean Winner aground on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland in this photo released by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency on August 18, 2016.
The Transocean Winner ran aground August 8 after breaking free from a tow in heavy weather. The 30-year-old semi-submersible was en route from Norway to Malta and later Turkey where it was supposed to be scrapped. The drilling rig was carrying some 280 metric tons of diesel when the incident occurred. Officials have not yet confirmed exactly how much fuel has spilled from two breached diesel tanks.
Authorities in Ireland are still working through details of what to do with a grounded cargo ship that has been stranded along the country’s rugged southwest coast for more than...
By Vel Moonien in Mauritius (gCaptain) – The captain of the ill-fated ore carrier Wakashio is turning to Mauritius’ Supreme Court for bail as he awaits trial over his role...
An international search and rescue operation involving the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards and the Royal Canadian Air Force was successful in rescuing 31 fisherman from a disabled fishing vessel...
March 3, 2021
Total Views: 7499
Sign Up Now for gCaptain Daily
Just enter your email and get hot news every morning
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.