{"id":696,"date":"2025-02-17T06:16:49","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T06:16:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.triton.co.za\/?page_id=696"},"modified":"2026-10-26T14:31:58","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T12:31:58","slug":"seawin-sapphire-aground-off-melkbosstrand","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.triton.co.za\/index.php\/seawin-sapphire-aground-off-melkbosstrand\/","title":{"rendered":"Seawin Sapphire \u2013 Aground off Melkbosstrand"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Seawin<\/span>
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Ship Salvage<\/a> \/ Seawin Sapphire<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seawin Sapphire \u2013 Aground off Melkbosstrand<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Refloating the fishing vessel Seawin Sapphire after she went aground off Melkbosstrand while trying to get a towline to the Weskus 1.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Clients<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SMIT, then ALE Heavy Lift<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Peak pull<\/p>\n\n\n\n

155 t<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Location<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melkbosstrand<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In attempting to get a towline to the Weskus 1, which lost power in Table Bay, both vessels ended up on the beach between Melkbosstrand and Bloubergstrand in Cape Town, South Africa, in August 2008.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both were fishing vessels, the Weskus being of Wooden construction, and the Seawin Sapphire being a 22m Steel vessel, of Lightship Displacement 155 tonnes, as shown in the pictures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to the likelyhood of having to travserse a reef in towing her off, it was decided to drag her up the beach to the carpark and then lift her onto a heavylift trailer and road transport her back to the harbour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Triton were initially contracted by SMIT and then later by ALE Heavy Lift in assisting on the Naval Architectural side, and also for the design and construction of the +120tonne towing bracket, which was slotted through the base of the bulkbous bow, to tie in with the exisiting double bottom and keel structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As it so happened the highest drag force applied was 155 tonnes, when cresting the bank of the beach, with an average drag force in the order of 70 to 80 tonnes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The entire exercise was carried out successfully between the 18 and 26 August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"SEAWIN<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"SEAWIN<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"SEAWIN<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Related<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Ship salvage<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sea Flower<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Featured projects<\/p>\n\n\n\n