Types of ship salvage
Ship salvage can be in many forms as provided for by Admiralty Law. Typically, there are six main types of ship salvage, which are justifiable and recognized in a court of law. Ship salvage law is vast in scope and as such it may be advised to obtain professional guidance with regards to the rights and obligations put on a salvor when conducting ship salvage.
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Ship salvage explained
Ship salvage is where a vessel and its cargo are rescued from danger or perils at sea. As mentioned, ship salvage can take the form of many different measures including; offshore salvage, harbor salvage, wreck removal, afloat salvage, clearance salvage, and cargo and equipment salvage.
Offshore salvage is the term given to the process of refloating sunken ships or rescuing stranded ships in exposed waters. Ship salvage of this sort is very risky and leaves the salvor with only a short period of time to perform the salvage due to exposure to waves and currents. Normally offshore salvage will be performed with the use of tugboats and portable driving equipment.
Harbor salvage is the opposite of offshore salvage in that the ship salvage is performed in sheltered waters as opposed to being conducted in open and exposed waters. Harbor salvage is generally considered easier to perform as salvors have access to harbor resources and equipment, additionally the sunken or stranded vessel is not at risk of deterioration nor will it be in the way of navigational routes.
Wreck removal is the marine related term for the removal of dangerous and hazardous wrecks with the primary focus of the salvor to ‘remove’ the vessel as opposed to ‘rescuing’ it.
Cargo and equipment salvage is where the salvor rescues the equipment and cargo from a vessel in difficulty or danger. The type of cargo normally rescued under this category will be hazardous cargo and pose a risk to the environmental safety of the sea.
Afloat salvage is the rescue of a vessel that is in fact will floating but damaged severely. This type of ship salvage is to implement damage and risk control through the use of structural balancing and hell welding in a bid to stabilize the vessel.
Clearance salvage is the form of ship salvage typically carried out in post natural disaster areas such as tsunamis and hurricanes that have caused a number of ships to be obstructions. Generally, this type of ship salvage is necessary due to the level of damage the ships will have suffered as a result of disastrous events including natural weather acts and wars.
Ship salvage is necessary to help maintain a safe, secure and controlled environment for vessels at sea that are constantly exposed to the un avoidable perils and weather conditions before them.
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