Salvors Successfully Refloat Wrecked Barge at San Juan's Harbor Entrance
Salvors from Donjon-SMIT have successfully refloated and removed the fuel barge that went aground at the entrance to San Juan's harbor earlier this month, the Coast Guard reported Wednesday.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, as the tide was coming in, salvors pumped out the barge's tanks and prepared to tow it away using a large tug, the Lobo Grande. Just before high tide, the Defiant came free and floated off.
The Coast Guard and the salvage team evaluated the barge's condition and stability, and ensured that the pressure of the compressed air blowing out the tanks was steady. When all was ready, the captain of the port gave the green light for the transit to proceed.
The salvors repositioned the barge inside San Juan's harbor at Pier 16 and tied it up to await further developments.
"The salvors understood the challenges and took all necessary precautions to ensure the safe removal of the barge, and its relocation to a facility for assessment and repair without incident. We are truly appreciative and grateful to all Unified Command partner agencies, crews and personnel," said Coast Guard unified command chief Lt. Cmdr. Ray Lopez.
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Defiant drifted onto a rocky breakwater in a severe storm on February 9, and it was battered by waves for days, resulting in hull damage. The barge had minor, residual amounts of diesel aboard when it grounded, but the environmental harm from any release was assessed to be negligible. It was defueled to the greatest extent possible in preparation for a refloat.
When conditions calmed, salvors boarded to make preparations for refloating the vessel. Contracted crews sealed off and tested seventeen of the barge's compartments, including the 10 fuel tanks. When all assets were ready and the weather and tide were favorable, the tanks were pressurized with compressed air, displacing water inside and allowing the barge to be safely refloated. An initial attempt Tuesday was unsuccessful, but moved the barge closer to freedom; the second attempt worked as planned.