With OS35 out of the sea, final cleaning before trip to scrapyard

Both sections of the OS35 wreck have now been loaded onto the semi-submersible heavylift vessel Fjord, with salvors now cleaning the ship as preparations continue to transport the wreck to a specialist yard for scrapping.

Yesterday, salvors were cleaning both sections of the ship in a bid to ensure it is in good condition to travel safely to Holland, where the wreck will go to a scrapping yard.

Booms currently surround the vessel as a precaution to contain any spillages as the two sections of the ship are secured for transportation.

A spokesperson for the Gibraltar Port Authority confirmed that as of now, there have been no spillages during this final stage of the operation, with the preventative booms to be removed within the coming days.

Once the ship is clean, with spillage possibilities on the journey eliminated, the journey to Holland will commence.

The spokesperson also confirmed that refuge ports are included in contingency plans for the journey, in case of unexpected circumstances such as bad weather in certain parts of the trip.

It is estimated that “weather permitting”, it will take around two weeks for the semi-submersible ship to reach its final destination, with a chance of a quicker journey if weather conditions permit.