What Crew Members Say About Tromso

The cargo vessel 'Tromso', which was transporting 11,000 m³ of diesel, has been successfully salvaged after it grounded on a reef while navigating into Diego Suarez Bay in northern Madagascar. The expert team from Swire Salvage conducted two lightering operations, taking advantage of a favorable weather window to refloat the vessel. Subsequently, 'Tromso' was safely relocated to an anchorage within the bay. To ensure the vessel's seaworthiness for her next journey, Swire Salvage divers performed thorough underwater video inspections, followed by planned temporary repairs pending verification by her Classification Society.

The m/v 'Seychelles Paradise,' a specialized tanker built by Lindenau Yard, has accomplished its inaugural oil transfer from the stranded vessel 'Tromso' to a storage facility in Diego-Suarez. During this operation, approximately 1,400 cubic meters of oil were lightered from the grounded tanker. However, the subsequent transfer into the storage tanks at Diego-Suarez faced delays due to administrative hurdles. Initially scheduled to return to the 'Tromso' on April 29, the Seychelles Paradise is set to continue removing additional cargo ahead of the planned towing operations, which are planned to commence on May 1. A salvage tug, dispatched from Tamatave, arrived at the scene and is prepared to initiate towing efforts once a quarter of the 'Tromso's' cargo is successfully offloaded. This ongoing operation highlights the coordinated efforts to mitigate the environmental risks associated with the grounding of the Tromso.

A critical meeting took place on the morning of April 22, 2014, to address the grounding of the tanker 'Tromso'. Following the incident on April 19, the local Naval Base has been activated for salvage operations, with resources mobilized to capitalize on the upcoming high tide. The owner of the vessel appointed James Brewin as the salvage manager to lead a detailed investigation into the grounding. On April 22, a specialized technical team equipped with advanced salvage tools arrived in Antsiranana. To assist in the lightering process, the tanker 'Seychelles Paradise' was contracted. A team of Malagasy marine experts and other specialists is set to closely monitor the operation. The 'Tromso' is currently positioned on a flat sandy seabed, and preparations are being made for pumping operations, which are scheduled to commence on April 26. The 'Seychelles Paradise' boasts two ballast pumps, each with a capacity of 100m3/h, along with two emergency pumps, a fuel oil separator, a freshwater generator, and wastewater treatment facilities. For further details, view the reports and images here: [French report with photo](http://latribune.cyber-diego.com/actualites/1253-petrolier-echoue-une-reunion-de-crise-pour-planifier-le-sauvetage.html), [Afriscoop report](http://www.afriscoop.net/journal/spip.php?article11048), [Le Journal de Mayotte report](http://lejournaldemayotte.com/une/madagascar-menacee-par-une-maree-noire/).