EUROPA now stabilised after dry-dock accident.
The famous Europa tall-ship, which capsized while undergoing maintenance at Cape Town Port, has been stabilised but has yet to be restored to an upright position.
Meanwhile the sailor injured in the incident last month has been discharged from hospital, according to the vessel’s management team which posted an update on the vessel’s social media platforms: “The majority of the crew has returned to their homes to rest and recharge until we can continue with the maintenance and repairs. A small team remains on-site in Cape Town, working in collaboration with a group of experts for a plan to upright EUROPA,” the team said in a joint statement published on June 12. “Over the past few weeks, the ship has been stabilised and we have been evaluating various plans and strategies to safely restore EUROPA to an upright position with the most suitable solution for the ship. This task presents challenges due to the limited space available.”
“The objective is to bring EUROPA back into a repair lane, where repairs can be carried out to restore the incurred damages and to continue the still outstanding jobs of our scheduled maintenance. The extent of the damages and required repairs can only be assessed once the ship is upright,” the statement said.
The 112-year-old three-masted ship fell onto its side while dry-dock staff were preparing to return her to the water after maintenance work.
Local media carried photos of the incident, along with comment from Transnet National Ports Authority. ‘TNPA fire, security and pollution services as well as the city’s emergency rescue services were contacted and arrived on site,” TNPA said at the time. “The cause of the incident is being investigated, access to the synchro-lift and the vessel in question has been restricted while the investigation is still under way,” TNPA told TimesLive.
At the time 26 crew members and two contractors were aboard.
Europa is a steel-hulled barque built in 1911 at the H.C. Stülcken & Sohn shipyard in Hamburg, Germany. At one stage she was used by the German Federal Coast Guard as a lightship on the river Elbe. In 1986 she was brought to the Netherlands and completely renovated and now serves as a sail training vessel. She had been scheduled to sail to the Azores in June.