Bandra floatel sinks off the coast, owners say it'll cost 1 crore to salvage it

The front part of the boat hit a rock in the sea, ruptured the hull and sent water gushing into the vessel. Pic/Ashish Raje

The owners of Ark-Deck Bar that sank off Bandra West yesterday afternoon, will have to shell out at least Rs 1 crore to get the boat out of the sea to prevent damage to the marine environment. Fortunately, the seven quick-thinking crew members who were on board at the time had shut off the diesel supply valve, preventing an oil spill.

Shipping experts told mid-day that the Maharashtra Maritime Board officials had already touched base with the owners and the parties who were operating Ark - Deck Bar, and have suggested the names of salvage operators. Among the operators contacted was Mehernosh Shroff of Seaworthy Shipping Services, who spoke with the representatives of Ark Deck Bar late Friday night about the modalities of the salvage operation.

Shroff confirmed the meeting and said, "It seems that the incident happened due to 'anchor dragging', which happens when the vessel drifts without any holding power despite being anchored. Such a situation can occur if the crew is not proactive in a choppy sea. The vessel was to go to Bhaucha Dhakka, Mazgaon, to be anchored ahead of the monsoon. The owner of the vessel is in the UK at the moment."

Shroff clarified that there was no furnace oil in the vessel, only diesel of around 300 litres, which is well within the limit. He said officials had informed him that the crew had taken care to prevent an oil spill.

He added, "Usually, fishing boats are made out of 10-mm steel plates and are stronger than some merchant vessels. We are yet to get the go-ahead from the company for salvage operations. I can call the salvage master only after the green light and advance payment, and he will have to fly in either from the UAE or the UK. We anticipate the cost of the salvage operation to be between R25 lakh and R50 lakh, or more, depending on the man-hours and expertise required."

Shroff continued, "Salvaging is at least a weeklong job, and we have to tow the vessel to either Bandra village or Worli, where it will be anchored, and then, the owners will decide on its fate. The vessel will either need to be broken down or will have to be made sea-worth by conducting some repairs. However, it can sail only after a maritime board inspection and fitness certification."

He said it was too early to comment on the fate of the vessel. "We can't say anything until we inspect the extent of damage to the vessel."