Cutting on shipwreck could resume over weekend

Mar. 6—A week after backing away from the formidable engine section of the shipwrecked Golden Ray, the VB 10,000 is now in position at the other end of the vessel and could resume cutting efforts this weekend, according to Unified Command.

Salvors busied themselves Friday with aligning the 255-foot-tall crane vessel's complex rigging system and finalizing inspections — above and below water — along the cutting path of the shipwreck's foremost section, said U.S. Coast Guardsman Michael Himes, spokesman for Unified Command.

A break in the cutting chain Feb. 26 forced the fifth shutdown of the process of tearing through the dense steel of the ship's engine section.

Salvors then made the decision to redirect efforts on the foremost section of the shipwreck. This was done mainly to meet a deadline with the incoming Julie B, the large barge modified specifically to transport the foremost section once it is separated.

Those inside the operation refer to the foremost section of the shipwreck as Section 2; the engine section to the aft is referred to as Section 7.

With knowledge gained from the two successful efforts earlier to cut away the bow section (Section 1) and the stern section (Section 8), salvors are confident the cutting chain can tear through Section 2 within a reasonable timeframe, Himes said. The VB 10,000 will then return to the rear of the shipwreck to resume its showdown with Section 7.

The 656-foot-long Golden Ray capsized on Sept. 8, 2019, while heading out to sea with a cargo of 4,200 vehicles. Approximately 450 feet of the shipwreck remains half submerged between St. Simons and Jekyll islands.

Salvors' primary motive for redirecting efforts to Section 2 is to meet the timeline of the Julie B, the largest barge in U.S. waters stretching to 400 feet. The Julie B is returning after transporting the shipwreck's severed bow section to a recycling facility in Gibson, La., in December.

As of Friday afternoon, the Julie B was under tow and rounding the Florida Keys in route to the Golden Isles and its rendezvous with Section 2.

Section 2 weighs an estimated 3,745 metric tons and is approximately 85 feet long, according to Unified Command. Receiving cradles welded onto the deck of the Julie B were specifically designed to hold the bow section and Section 2 for transport to MARS.

Meanwhile, barge 455-7 will remain docked at the Port of Brunswick until Section 7 is separated. .

To expedite the cutting process, a series of holes have been drilled along the cutting path on the shipwreck's exterior. Additionally, notches were cut into the hull along the cutting path below water, Unified Command said. These notches have since been lengthened.

Long strips of steel have been cut from the hull above water to further concentrate the chain's focus on the cutting path.

When cutting begins, salvors will change out lengths of existing chain with chain forged of a stronger steel, Himes said. The chain lengths come in 90-foot segments known as "shots." Each link on the chain is 18 inches high, 30 inches around and weighs 80 lbs.

Cranes ran seven chains underneath the shipwreck's sunken port side and draped them over the exposed starboard side last year in advance of cutting operations.

Once the chain is tightly in place along the cutting line and all systems are go, cutting on Section 2 will commence.

"Today divers will go down and do a final inspection on the cut groove under water, to make sure the chain is properly in place and no debris is blocking its path," Himes said Friday. "At the same time, the above water survey team is going through its safety checklist and preparing rigging prior to the start of cutting operations.

"Part of the placement is making sure when the chain is taken up (as cutting progresses) that the chain doesn't move off track. It also provides that initial grip or bite so the chain can get started off right. We're confident the cutting chain will cut through and separate Section 2."

Unified Command has described the Golden Ray salvage operation as the most expensive undertaking of its kind in U.S. history. The Insurer, a British insurance industry magazine, estimated the cost to date of the Golden Ray salvage at $788 million. The ship's owner and insurer are responsible for the salvage costs.