SIGMA

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Cargo ship refloated

After a day of preparation and attempts, the "Sigma" could be refloated on Jan 15 just before midnight from the beach in the district of Ardenza in Livorno. The operation, coordinated by the port master in Livorno, had started at 7.30 p.m. and was carried out with the help of a tug of the Gruppo Neri before the weather conditions could become problematic. The ship was towed to the port of Livorno for checks and repairs and docked at Livorno Dry Docks on Jan 16 at 3 a.m. Italian reports with photos and video: http://iltirreno.gelocal.it/regione/toscana/2017/01/16/news/e-fatta-liberata-nella-notte-la-nave-sigma-incagliata-a-livorno-video-1.14719568?refresh_ce http://www.meteoweb.eu/2017/01/livorno-disincagliata-nella-notte-la-nave-sigma/833095/ http://www.lanazione.it/livorno/cronaca/nave-incagliata-inchiesta-disastro-colposo-1.2817901 http://www.emergency-live.com/it/news/report-le-operazioni-di-disincaglio-della-sigma-di-fronte-allardenza-di-livorno/ http://www.quilivorno.it/news/cronaca/mercantile-si-incaglia-davanti-alla-rotonda-noi-a-tu-per-tu-col-libeccio-guarda-la-diretta-nave-rompe-gli-ormeggi-in-porto/

Grounding off Livorno

The "Sigma" with a crew of 18 was pushed aground by strong winds with gusts of up to 50 knots at Livorno beach just meters from the Rotunda of Ardenza, on Jan 13, 2017, at 11.30 a.m. The unloaded vessel was at anchor, but the anchor dragged, and a patrol boat and a port tug came too late with their attempts to avoid the grounding of the zigzagging ship at Gabbiano in the Tre Ponti area and tow the vessel off the coast. On Jan 14 around 11 a.m., after a meeting which took place involving the master, a Ukrainian citizen of 52 years, and a pool of experts in order to examine the situation and plan the next steps, green light was given to the removal of the grounded ship. After a day of preparations, salvage operations were suspended at 7 p.m. and postponed to Jan 15. During the afternoon the ship was emptied of ballast water to be lightened. Then it was connected with two cables to the tug "Neri", but the whole operation was delayed, partly because it was safer to operate during daylight. On Jan 15 in the early morning operations to pull the ship off were resumed. Italian reports with photos and videos: http://iltirreno.gelocal.it/livorno/cronaca/2017/01/14/news/nave-incagliata-il-bluff-del-capitano-e-l-errore-che-ha-determinato-il-naufragio-1.14712148 http://www.gonews.it/2017/01/14/nave-sigma-sulla-costa-livornese-oggi-le-operazioni-disincaglio/ http://www.youreporter.it/video_NAVE_SIGMA_INCAGLIATA_Le_tre_fasi_dal_vento_forte_a_fine http://www.toscanamedianews.it/livorno/livorno-sigma-iniziate-le-operazioni-di-disincaglio.htm http://www.agenziaimpress.it/news/effetto-venerdi-13-nave-cargo-africana-incagliata-largo-di-livorno/