Dutch salvage firm Multraship Salvage B.V. and Belgian marine contractor Herbosch-Kiere N.V. have raised the 86-metre Dutch inland vessel Sola Gratia from the River Scheldt near Antwerp after it sank with about 1,600 tonnes of sand on board, according to Multraship Towage & Salvage.
The vessel went down during the night of 17-18 April after colliding with mooring posts near the Royers Lock. The crew were rescued before the ship sank completely. The incident drew attention given the heavy inland traffic close to the port of Antwerp.
The main lift began at about 13:00 on 3 May and lasted several hours. The salvage team deployed two floating sheerlegs, two crane barges, tugboats, auxiliary equipment and divers. The wreck had been lying at a depth of about 15 metres at low tide.
Strong currents and tidal movements in the Scheldt narrowed the lifting window and made load control and hull stability operationally critical. Salvors removed the sand cargo before the lift and installed heavy lifting equipment on the hull.
The successful completion of the operation cleared potential restrictions on shipping in the inland-water corridor serving the Port of Antwerp. The Sola Gratia incident again underlined how maritime safety, supply-chain flows and port operations remain tightly intertwined along the Scheldt, one of Europe's busiest inland logistics corridors.
Key Takeaways:
1. Multraship Salvage and Herbosch-Kiere lifted the 86-metre Dutch inland vessel Sola Gratia from the River Scheldt.
2. The vessel sank with about 1,600 tonnes of sand on the night of 17-18 April after hitting mooring posts near the Royers Lock.
3. The main lift started at around 13:00 on 3 May and lasted several hours.
4. The salvage team used two floating sheerlegs, two crane barges, tugboats and divers.
5. The wreck lay at about 15 metres depth at low tide; strong currents complicated the operation.
