Despite setbacks, salvage crew determined to cut through engine section

Apr. 14—Progress on cutting through the imposing engine section of the Golden Ray shipwreck suffered another setback Monday.

One of the links securing the cutting chain broke, shutting down the operation. This marked the second joining link break in less than a week.

The broken link was being replaced with a newer, sleeker link and cutting was expected to resume Tuesday on the engine section, known to salvors as Section 7, said U.S. Coast Guardsman Michael Himes, spokesman for Unified Command.

Salvors replaced the traditional teardrop shaped joining link with a smoother oval shaped joining link, Himes said. The oval shape should cut down on friction and resistance as the chain cycles through the cutting path between Section 7 and Section 6 of the half-submerged shipwreck in the St. Simons Sound, Himes said.

The Golden Ray capsized on Sept. 8, 2019, while heading out to sea with a cargo of 4,200 vehicles.

The chain tears from the bottom up through the steel layers of the shipwreck by force of tension, the power brought to bear by the twin-hulled, 255-foot-tall VB 10,000 crane vessel's system of pulleys, blocks and winches. Salvors have separated and removed three sections of the shipwreck, reducing the 656-foot-long Golden Ray's presence in the sound to about 366 feet.

But the rearmost section containing the thick reinforced steel surrounding the shipwreck's engine has proved daunting. At least that is how it appears. Section 7 has by far been the biggest obstacle the salvage crew has faced.

After 40 days or more trying to separate Section 7, salvors concede the cut is still about halfway from completion. And that is where it stood Feb. 26, when salvors decided to temporarily suspend operations after the chain break. Salvors had been cutting on Section 7 for some 30 days at that point. It was the fifth equipment malfunction since they started.

Two separate breaks in steel shackles holding the cutting chain to the pulleys also caused delays. Two other work stoppages occurred to replace thousands of feet of worn wiring.

Salvors temporarily withdrew from Section 7, moving instead to take on Section 2 at the foremost end of the shipwreck. That Section was separated in an eight-day operation that ended March 15.

Now that the VB 10,000 has resumed its position astride Section 7 at the rearmost end of the shipwreck, salvors do not intend on withdrawing again until the cut is complete, Himes said.

For Section 7, salvors have switched out the original grade 3 chain with grade 5 chain, the highest standard strength for anchor chain. In the previous three cuts, salvors worked out the grade 3 chain with grade 4 chain as needed.

During the lull in cutting, the salvage team's Rope Access Technicians have rappelled down the exposed hull side of the shipwreck with 6-foot cutting torches. They are torching off pieces of interior steel within reach along the cutting path in hopes of expediting the process when the cutting chain resumes.

"If they can remove something that the chain does not have to go through, the chain will cycle more efficiently," Himes said.

Broken chains and chain links, unexpected challenges, swift daily tidal swings, snapped shackles — salvors have learned to expect the unexpected, Himes said. Out there on the water, they are not unnerved by the setbacks encountered so far in what many experts have described as the most costly and unprecedented salvage operation ever in U.S. waters.

"The tenor of everyone out on the water is, this is salvage," Himes said. "This is wreck removal. They knew from day one that ultimately, they would encounter many, many difficult situations. I would stress to everyone watching this that everyone involved in the salvage operation is an expert and professional. This is a job that ultimately will be completed, and they will not be deterred."

At the other end of the watery work site, the barge 2008 and its crane have been busy plucking loose vehicles and other large debris from inside the 1-mile-perimeter environmental protection barrier. Numerous vehicles and sections of removable deck have fallen into the barrier during the lifting process of the three sections that were cut free.

Since last week, the crew has pulled 40 vehicles and six steel deck sections from the waters inside the barrier. The barrier features sturdy mesh netting and a floating oil retention boom on the surface. It was constructed months in advance of the commencement of cutting operations.

"This has not been done before," Himes said, referring to the complex nature of the salvage operation. "The whole point is to complete this task the right way. We have the right people and they are doing it the right way. And the right way is keeping our people safe, keeping the community safe, protecting the environment and protecting the shipping channel."