EXCALIBUR

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Lift barge in port, legs on sea bottom

On Mar 25 at 13 a.m. the tug "André B"(IMO: 9451252), jointly with the "Excalibur", 2361 gt, reached the port of St. Nazaire, and both ships docked at Montoir de Bretagne after the damaged legs of the "Excalibur" were successfully dropped off the Belle Isle. In St. Nazaire reports are to be carried out now. Seacore Truro has next to recover the legs from 60 meters water depth.

Convoy to head for St. Nazaire after dropping of pillars

On Mar 22 at 1:55 p.m. the Dutch tug "André B" (IMO: 9451252), left the southern archipelago of Glénan with the "Excalibur" in tow. On Mar 22, around 10:00 a.m., the maritime prefect of the Atlantic had decided to send a team to assess the tug and check the tow rig and the status of the tug's propulsion. There was no problem found on the tug. At 1 p.m. the maritime prefect gave permission for the convoy to continue ist voyage. The team, however, found that four of the eight pillars of the jack up barge were damaged and could not be completely raised. One of the pillars had a draft of 24 meters. The barge was ordered to drop its pillars south of Belle-île on a water depth of 60 meters. Once the pillars were dropped the convoy would head to Saint-Nazaire for repairs. The owner shall be responsible for the recovery of pillars in the drop zone in the coming days. The convoy was now heading to Belle Isle, where it was expected to arrive in the run of Mar 23.

Jack up rig in difficulties off Glénan

On Mar 21, 2013, at 2:30 p.m. the CROSS Etel was alerted by the Dutch tug "André B" (IMO: 9451252), which was towing the "Excalibur" and got in difficulties south of the Glénan archipelago. The jack up rig with seven people on board was coming from Ijmuiden where the convoy had left in the afternoon of Mar 17 around 3 p.m., and was headed for St. Nazaire with the tug and its four crew members with an ETA of Mar 21, 1 p.m. The weather situation was not favorable with winds of 35 km/h, rough seas and heavy swells. As the weather conditions deteriorated the convoy drift northwards. Immediately, the CROSS Etel mobilised the salvage tug "Abeille Bourbon", (IMO:9308687), and a Cayman helicopter of the French Navy in Lanvéoc as well as a police boat from Concarneau, and three fishing vessels also offered their assistance. By 3:30 p.m. the barge was located one nautical mile off Glénan and was able to lower its eight legs of 30 meters length in the water until it rested on the bottom and could no longer drift away. The situation was now under control. The Cayman helicpoter winched a rescue swimmer onto the barge, and the "Abeille Bourbon" remained on scene to provide expertise. The convoy was to resume the voayge once the weather became favorable and with the agreement of the maritime prefecture. The "Abeille Bourbon" returned to Brest on Mar 22 at 2.30 p.m. Photos: http://www.premar-atlantique.gouv.fr/galeries/barge-Excalibur