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 Post subject: Navy tug De Mist
PostPosted: 10 Nov 2018, 12:43 
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From Facebook and the 12:00 news on RSG :shock:

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 Post subject: Re: Navy tug De Mist
PostPosted: 10 Nov 2018, 13:58 
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:shock: :shock: :shock:

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 Post subject: Re: Navy tug De Mist
PostPosted: 10 Nov 2018, 14:06 
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Apparently just come out of dry dock, although she was decommissioned in 2016.

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 Post subject: Re: Navy tug De Mist
PostPosted: 10 Nov 2018, 15:00 
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According to Face book she was on fire


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 Post subject: Re: Navy tug De Mist
PostPosted: 10 Nov 2018, 15:23 
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Well then that was a quick manner of putting out a fire - just flip it on her side... put out fire then turn right side up again, all well thereafter.


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 Post subject: Re: Navy tug De Mist
PostPosted: 10 Nov 2018, 18:09 
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Joined: 21 Apr 2010, 09:51
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I suspect a flare rather than a fire:
ORANGE distress flares carry the same meaning as red flares but are designed to be used in daylight as they are easier to see than red flares due to the billowing clouds of orange smoke that are produced. I also suspect a bystander released the flare or the flare activated itself as she went into the water.

This tug has/had a special place in my heart after watching her work for many years. She almost sank a few weeks ago, which led to her being placed in dry dock.
Shockingly, she sank after being taken out of the dry dock.
Absolutely tragic in my opinion.

She was due to be sold off soon, but now is most likely to be scrapped - early days, I know.
If I had the money, I'd buy her!

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 Post subject: Re: Navy tug De Mist
PostPosted: 10 Nov 2018, 20:45 
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I seem to remember in about 2007\8 she sprang a leak and made it to the sync lift just in time, it was in Navy News


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 Post subject: Re: Navy tug De Mist
PostPosted: 10 Nov 2018, 21:29 
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10 Nov 2018: News24

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Navy tug sinks in Simon's Town harbour

A SA Navy decommissioned tug, De Mist, sank at the Simon’s Town Harbour on Saturday morning.

According to the Navy, the incident occurred at around 05:00 when officials were conducting rounds in the harbour and noticed that the tug was tilted to one side.

Spokesperson Commander Greyling van den Berg said there was no one onboard as it was no longer operational. Van den Berg said the wind on Friday was blowing at 50km/h which also made it difficult to save the tug.

“The SA Navy divers were called in and they arrived with equipment within the hour. Although they valiantly attempted to save the tug, the wind and sea conditions made it very difficult,” Van den Berg said.

He added that the wind was blowing the tug onto its pneumatic fender. However, due to the weight on the fender, it burst and caused the tug to dip underwater.

A pneumatic fender is a large inflatable rubber that prevents a vessel from bumping against the quay.

He said the SA Navy was currently conducting salvage operations to retrieve Tug De Mist.

He said following the retrieval, a proper investigation would be conducted to establish circumstances that led to the incident and a detailed statement would be issued on completion of the investigation.

“Tug De Mist was currently not operational and was up for disposal. She was 39 years old and was decommissioned two and half years ago,” he said.

The last time Tug De Mist sailed was in June 2015 for the arrival of Tug Imvubu, one of the tugs that replaced her.

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 Post subject: Re: Navy tug De Mist
PostPosted: 11 Nov 2018, 07:53 
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Quote:
MEDIA STATEMENT


DATE: 10 November 2018

EMBARGO: None

SA NAVY DE-COMMISSIONED TUG DE MIST SINKS IN SIMON’S TOWN HARBOUR

The SA Navy De-Commissioned Tug De Mist sank while alongside in Simon’s Town
Harbour on Saturday10 Nov 18.

At first light at about 05h00 in the morning it was noticed that the Tug had a slight list (tilted to one side). There was no-one onboard the vessel, as it is no longer operational. The list was noticed by other Navy members conducting rounds in the harbour. During Friday night
the wind was blowing at about 30 knots (50km/h).

The SA Navy Divers were called in and they arrived with equipment within the hour.

Although they valiantly attempted to save the Tug, the wind and sea conditions made it very difficult. The wind was blowing the Tug onto its pneumatic fender (large inflatable rubber that prevents a vessel bumping against the quay). However due to the weight on the fender
it burst, causing the tug’s gunwale (raised side of the vessel) to dip underwater. Once this happened the tug sank within minutes.
Tug De Mist was currently not operational and was up for disposal. She was 39 years old and was decommissioned two and half years ago. The last time Tug De Mist sailed was in June 2015 for the arrival of Tug Imvubu, one of the tugs that replaced her.

The SA Navy is currently conducting salvage operations to retrieve Tug De Mist so that a proper investigation can be conducted to establish circumstances that led to the incident and a detailed statement will be issued on completion of the investigation.

Ends

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 Post subject: Re: Navy tug De Mist
PostPosted: 12 Nov 2018, 14:34 
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:shock: :shock: :shock:

How exactly will the tug be retrieved?

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 Post subject: Re: Navy tug De Mist
PostPosted: 12 Nov 2018, 21:06 
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Will they try and pump it out themselves or get Smits or someone else in to salvage the vessel, but why have the Dept of Defense waited so long to put De Mist and De Neys up for disposal tender along with DL2 and DL4 that seem to be just hanging around and not in service since Indlovu and Tskukadu arrived in 2006?


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 Post subject: Re: Navy tug De Mist
PostPosted: 16 Nov 2018, 08:25 
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Quote:
MEDIA STATEMENT
DATE: 15 November 2018
EMBARGO: None
SALVAGING OF TUG DE MIST: UPDATE OF 15 NOVEMBER 2018
The SA Navy decided to attempt to salvage Tug De Mist, making use of internal resources.
Tug De Mist sank on Saturday 10 November in the Still Water Basin of Simon’s Town
Harbour. She settled on her Port side (left side) at a depth that ranged from 8 m to 10 m,
with her bow (front) lying deepest. This was not an ideal position, as the divers could not
attach lifting bags to both sides of the Tug. They attached bags to one side only, which
cause her to roll onto her other side. This was done on Wednesday 14 November. She is
currently lying at an angle of 30 degrees to Starboard (right side). Fortunately the divers
can now work on both sides of the Tug.
On Thursday the SA Navy divers are closing all vents and watertight hatches inside the Tug
to make it as airtight as possible. From here the plan is to use two large hoses to
simultaneously pump water out of the hull and air into the hull. The divers will also attach
numerous lifting bags (to give 50 tons of lift) to the vessel. This will make the Tug positively
buoyant, causing her to rise. Fortunately the Tug sank approximately 50m from the
Syncrolift facility in the Harbour. The Synchrolift platform is designed to be lowered into the
water, where a ship then sails onto the lift and is raised out of the water by means of
winches. Tug De Mist only needs to be raised off the bottom of the seabed to clear the
Synchrolift platform.
It is planned to move Tug de Mist to the synchrolift and lift her completely out of the water.
At this point in time the operation has been conducted with existing Naval equipment, and
no special equipment had to be procured. The SA Navy Divers, Naval Engineering Section
and Armscor Dockyard have been working tirelessly to solve numerous mathematical,
physical and engineering problems in order to lift the Tug safely. This whole operation has
been an ideal training opportunity as it provided invaluable practical salvage experience for
the SA Navy. The salvage operation is proceeding slowly, due to the fact that all the Navy
Divers are given opportunity to work on the salvage operation, even the less experienced
divers, in order to gain experience.
Page 1 of 2
Throughout this operation a floating barrier to contain the minimal oil spill has been in place.
Unfortunately there is more oil escaping from the Tug due to the salvage operation. In order
to ensure no oil escapes the Still Water Basin, a second barrier was placed between the Still
Water and Outer Basin of the Harbour. Some of the oil has already been recovered from
the water. The origin of the oil is most probably from the bilge of the vessel. The Tug only
had enough diesel onboard to start the generators, as most of the fuel was removed when
she was decommissioned.
If all goes according to plan, Tug De Mist should be out of the water in the next few days.
Ends
Enquiries: Commander Greyling van den Berg
081 784 7134
pgvdb@sanavy.co.za


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 Post subject: Re: Navy tug De Mist
PostPosted: 06 Dec 2018, 16:52 
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Quote:
MEDIA STATEMENT

DATE: 6 November 2018

SALVAGING OF TUG DE MIST: TUG OUT OF THE WATER


After several days and nights of ingenuity, tenacity and sheer hard work by those involved, the SA Navy succeeded in bringing Tug de Mist out of the water in the early hours of 6 December. Tug de Mist sank on Saturday, 10 November in the Still Water Basin of Simon’s Town Harbour, settling on her port side in a relatively shallow depth of 10m.

After a comprehensive assessment was conducted by the Naval Engineering department and the Navy divers, operations commenced to bring her out of the water using a limited array of lifting bags and submersible pumps. The salvage entailed raising the tug off the seabed and towing her to the Synchrolift facility about 50m away, however shallow water salvages are known to be extremely difficult (because of the lack of air expansion and buoyancy at this depth).

The main challenge experienced over the last few weeks was trying to make the 39-year old tug airtight (and thus buoyant). The divers used underwater welding equipment to seal off holes in order to pump her full of air, but as soon as leaks were sealed, other leaks bubbled to the surface. The personnel of the Armscor Dockyard personnel were however constantly on hand, to provide bungs and other mechanisms for leak stopping and shoring.

On Wednesday, 28 November, the Navy divers concentrated all lifting efforts to the aft of the tug, managing to raise her and bring her 2m away from the quay, with her keel resting on the bedrock. The same was achieved on the forward side. The Mooring Lighter (built by dockyard apprentices more than 100 years ago) was used as mechanism to create further lift. Because of her age, the mooring light does not have a generator and cannot operate her capstan. In order to mitigate this, the winch of Tug Umalusi was used to create this lift through the Mooring Lighter’s fair leads. The docking plate under the tug kept on getting stuck in the sand during the lifting process, adding to complications. Throughout the lifting process, divers continued to sealing off leaks and filling fuel, freshwater and ballast tanks with air.

On Monday, 3rd December, the Naval riggers in conjunction with the Naval Harbour Master, devised a way of using “snatch blocks” to create further buoyancy. The aim was to raise the tug high enough to clear the platform of the Synchrolift. This was achieved on Wednesday, 5th December at approximately 15h00. The prevailing airlocks in the tug however created balance issues, which were finally overcome around midnight on 5th December. Floating, but still listing slightly, she was finally pulled to the Synchrolift.

The salvage operation and obstacles overcome is an amazing display of teamwork and resourcefulness by the dedicated team of professionals who worked tirelessly to solve numerous mathematical, physical and engineering problems. This exercise also provided invaluable practical salvage experience for the Navy divers, at no cost to the organisation. A floating barrier was also put in place to contain the oil spill within the still water basin, with a second barrier between the still water basin and outer basin.


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 Post subject: Re: Navy tug De Mist
PostPosted: 09 Dec 2018, 16:48 
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