The Salvagemasters I

On January 13, 2012, the cruise ship Costa Concordia struck a rock off the coast of Giglio and capsized, killing 32 people. To prevent an environmental disaster in the wake of the wreck, one of the most complex and spectacular salvage operations in maritime history began. The nearly 50,000-ton vessel had to be righted and made seaworthy again in an intricate procedure. Preparations alone took nearly 20 months and brought project leader Nicholas Sloane, one of the world’s most seasoned salvage experts, into the global spotlight.

In August 2000, during a maneuver of the Russian Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea, one of the greatest disasters in the history of the Russian navy occurred. After two explosions on board, the nuclear submarine Kursk sank with all 118 crew members lost. It took over a year before Dutch specialists dared to attempt the salvage from more than 100 meters below the surface. First, the torpedo compartment in the bow had to be separated from the rest of the hull, as raising the vessel with its weapons on board was too dangerous. Over time, the wreck had also sunk deep into the seabed, forcing engineers to devise a way to lift the 9,000-ton Kursk and return it to its home port in Murmansk.

A tanker runs aground during a storm on the cliffs just off Syracuse. The crew is rescued by coast guard helicopters, but the vessel remains stuck on the rocks. Though empty, its engine tanks still hold enough oil to cause a major spill. A consortium led by Dutch salvage company Smits, together with Italian firms Neri and Augustea, takes on the challenge. The tanker is cut into seven sections and towed piece by piece to a local scrapyard. The operation succeeds without harming the environment, and the coastline is restored to its former beauty.

From wind-swept shores to picturesque towns with windmills and quiet canals, the Netherlands depends on water as its lifeline. But beneath the surface lie hundreds of sunken ships threatening the nation’s waterways. As global maritime trade grows, Europe’s sea gateway must remain clear. In summer 2013, the Dutch government launched an extraordinary campaign to clear the country’s channels of long-forgotten wrecks—silent hazards rusting away for decades. Among the targets: an unidentified wreck on the Ijeul Canal bed, the cargo ship Ariana blocking the Westerschelde waterway, the fishing boat Jan Breydel at the Europort entrance, and a 19th-century steamship off the island of Vlieland.