Group Granted Right To Recover Shipwrecks From The Dominican Republic SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- Anchor Research & Salvage, S.R.L. (ARS) has entered into an agreement with the Dominican Republic Oficina Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural Subacuático. The contract gives ARS the exclusive rights to explore and archaeologically recover historic shipwrecks along an undisclosed stretch of the Caribbean Sea on the island nation's South coast.
According to government officials, this is the first time that such a contract has been granted for the area.
Robert Pritchett, president of ARS, says his company will be working under the direction of the Oficina Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural Subacuático. And professonal Marine Archaeologist Dr.Lubos Kordac and Dr E. Lee Spence both have written books on the islands shipwrecks
ARS will be using state-of-the-art remote sensing equipment to survey the contract area, and a specially designed Geographical Information System (GIS) will be used to map discoveries. All of ARS' survey, archaeological, and GIS data will be shared with the government.
Under a preliminary agreement, ARS has already located a number of shipwrecks threw research & exploration of the lease area,
For Robert and the management of ARS this is a lifestyle, not a job. The members of ARS have dedicated their lives to archaeologically sensitive exploration rescue and preservation of historical shipwrecks.
ARS' discoveries and other developments will be posted on the company's website at www.arsdr.com.
Robert has been personally funding this project, but now expects to raise additional working capital.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Goa's first steam engine shipwreck found
The Times of India: Goa's first steam engine shipwreck found
PANAJI: In a find that may prove important for research into the state's maritime trade, marine archaeologists of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) have found a steel-hulled steam engine shipwreck off the Mormugao coast. The wreck could be of a British merchant vessel, the marine archaeologists have told TOI.
"This is the first discovery of a steam engine shipwreck in Goan waters," A S Gaur, marine archaeologist, NIO, said. "As far as the time frame and technology is concerned, this is a specimen of a steam engine ship and could be of British origin of 1880s vintage," he added.
Scattered over a wide area in a shallow region called Amee Shoals, the four-decade research and more recent explorations of NIO's marine archaeologists bore fruit as they found the heavily salvaged vessel after two years of continuous research.
Elsewhere in the country, preliminary explorations of only two such shipwrecks were carried out in and around Minicoy in Lakshadweep islands, sources said.
"The stamps on the flanges and the name on the firebricks found on the site (off Mormugao) suggest British origin," Gaur said.
As naval vessels used water-tube boilers from 1880s onwards, the archaeologists aver that three Scotch boilers, almost 100 metres long, in this vessel make it evident that it was a large merchant ship. Later, the oil-fired boilers were replaced by diesel engines.
The NIO archaeologists found three boilers made of wrought iron lying in a north-south direction, with the rear side pointing south. The triple-expansion type engine is still in fairly good condition, but the hull frames are severely corroded.
Was the vessel used by the British during the late 1880s for transporting steel? As an indication, the Portuguese had entrusted the task of laying the railway line from Mormugao to Castle Rock in 1887 to the British.
"No datable finds are on hand at the site to say when and how the wreck occurred though," Sila Tripathi, another NIO marine archaeologist who worked on the site off Goan waters said.
The preliminary report of the find was compiled by NIO's Gaur, Tripathi and Sundaresh. It was recently published in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, released twice a year from UK and USA.
Though studies by Lisbon-based Centro Nacional de Arqueologia Nautica e Subaquatica (CNANS) and by Boxer (1959) and Mathew (1988) have drawn up a list of Portuguese shipwrecks in Indian waters between 1497 and 1612, details of not a single site have been specified. The studies merely said that the vessels had wrecked in shallow waters due to storms, sand bars and other hidden obstacles.
NIO kept collecting information over the years from historical records and local divers. More recently, its marine archaeologists carried out diving expeditions and explored two sites at Sunchi Reef off Raj Bhavan coast and another near St George Island in Mormugao. "They were both wrecks of wooden sail boats" Gaur said.
NIO's archaeologists first explored the early 17th-century Portuguese shipwreck off Sunchi Reef about six years ago. "We found iron guns, the barrel of a handgun, an iron anchor, well-dressed granite blocks, a door-knocker, shards of stoneware, ivory, hippopotamus teeth and bases of glass bottles," Tripathi said.
In the 19th century wreck off St George's Reef, they found vestiges of an unreported shipwreck in a depth of 15 metres. This find included terracotta artefacts such as Corinthian column-capitals, hollow column-drums, earthenware, drainage-pipes, vases, ridge, roof and floor tiles and chimney bricks, intended for house construction.
"It is the first wreck of the Basel Mission Company to be located," Tripathi said. "The ship appeared to be carrying household materials," Gaur added.
Recalling their underwater explorations, Gaur said, "We had to dive down during better visibility conditions in fair weather between November 2008 and February 2009."
Discharge of river sediment, which settles on the sea bed and gets disturbed with the movement of current especially on windy days, affected underwater visibility. "In some places, hand-fanning was carried out to expose buried artefacts," Gaur said.
Meanwhile, though the latest find off the Mormugao coast has not been identified yet, more exploratory work may reveal more clues, NIO's experts feel.
"The region between Amee Shoals and Aguada Bay has many potential sites for shipwreck exploration because of the presence of submerged reefs and shoals," Sundaresh said.
PANAJI: In a find that may prove important for research into the state's maritime trade, marine archaeologists of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) have found a steel-hulled steam engine shipwreck off the Mormugao coast. The wreck could be of a British merchant vessel, the marine archaeologists have told TOI.
"This is the first discovery of a steam engine shipwreck in Goan waters," A S Gaur, marine archaeologist, NIO, said. "As far as the time frame and technology is concerned, this is a specimen of a steam engine ship and could be of British origin of 1880s vintage," he added.
Scattered over a wide area in a shallow region called Amee Shoals, the four-decade research and more recent explorations of NIO's marine archaeologists bore fruit as they found the heavily salvaged vessel after two years of continuous research.
Elsewhere in the country, preliminary explorations of only two such shipwrecks were carried out in and around Minicoy in Lakshadweep islands, sources said.
"The stamps on the flanges and the name on the firebricks found on the site (off Mormugao) suggest British origin," Gaur said.
As naval vessels used water-tube boilers from 1880s onwards, the archaeologists aver that three Scotch boilers, almost 100 metres long, in this vessel make it evident that it was a large merchant ship. Later, the oil-fired boilers were replaced by diesel engines.
The NIO archaeologists found three boilers made of wrought iron lying in a north-south direction, with the rear side pointing south. The triple-expansion type engine is still in fairly good condition, but the hull frames are severely corroded.
Was the vessel used by the British during the late 1880s for transporting steel? As an indication, the Portuguese had entrusted the task of laying the railway line from Mormugao to Castle Rock in 1887 to the British.
"No datable finds are on hand at the site to say when and how the wreck occurred though," Sila Tripathi, another NIO marine archaeologist who worked on the site off Goan waters said.
The preliminary report of the find was compiled by NIO's Gaur, Tripathi and Sundaresh. It was recently published in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, released twice a year from UK and USA.
Though studies by Lisbon-based Centro Nacional de Arqueologia Nautica e Subaquatica (CNANS) and by Boxer (1959) and Mathew (1988) have drawn up a list of Portuguese shipwrecks in Indian waters between 1497 and 1612, details of not a single site have been specified. The studies merely said that the vessels had wrecked in shallow waters due to storms, sand bars and other hidden obstacles.
NIO kept collecting information over the years from historical records and local divers. More recently, its marine archaeologists carried out diving expeditions and explored two sites at Sunchi Reef off Raj Bhavan coast and another near St George Island in Mormugao. "They were both wrecks of wooden sail boats" Gaur said.
NIO's archaeologists first explored the early 17th-century Portuguese shipwreck off Sunchi Reef about six years ago. "We found iron guns, the barrel of a handgun, an iron anchor, well-dressed granite blocks, a door-knocker, shards of stoneware, ivory, hippopotamus teeth and bases of glass bottles," Tripathi said.
In the 19th century wreck off St George's Reef, they found vestiges of an unreported shipwreck in a depth of 15 metres. This find included terracotta artefacts such as Corinthian column-capitals, hollow column-drums, earthenware, drainage-pipes, vases, ridge, roof and floor tiles and chimney bricks, intended for house construction.
"It is the first wreck of the Basel Mission Company to be located," Tripathi said. "The ship appeared to be carrying household materials," Gaur added.
Recalling their underwater explorations, Gaur said, "We had to dive down during better visibility conditions in fair weather between November 2008 and February 2009."
Discharge of river sediment, which settles on the sea bed and gets disturbed with the movement of current especially on windy days, affected underwater visibility. "In some places, hand-fanning was carried out to expose buried artefacts," Gaur said.
Meanwhile, though the latest find off the Mormugao coast has not been identified yet, more exploratory work may reveal more clues, NIO's experts feel.
"The region between Amee Shoals and Aguada Bay has many potential sites for shipwreck exploration because of the presence of submerged reefs and shoals," Sundaresh said.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Spanish armada sets sail to claim deep-sea treasure
From Oct 6, The Guardian: Spanish armada sets sail to claim deep-sea treasure
Gulf of Cádiz race by Spain's navy to lay claim to hundreds of wrecks before US firm Odyssey can get there
Spanish armada sets sail to claim deep-sea treasure
Gulf of Cádiz race by Spain's navy to lay claim to hundreds of wrecks before US firm Odyssey can get there
Wednesday 6 October 2010
Spanish ministers watch as a Pluto submarine is lowered into the sea off Cadiz. The navy is trying to protect Spain's historical heritage from private salvagers. Photograph: AP
Spain has sent an armada into waters around its coasts to seek out hundreds of shipwrecks in an attempt to head off a US marine exploration firm accused of plundering Spanish property from the seabed.
Over the past month, more than 100 suspected shipwrecks have been located by the Spanish navy in the Gulf of Cádiz, considered one of the world's richest hunting grounds for underwater treasure.
Dozens of Spanish galleons returning from the colonies in South America in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries are believed to have sunk in waters around Cádiz.
Royal Navy warships and other British vessels may also be among the wrecks the Spanish navy says it has located.
Between 500 and 800 ships are thought to lie at the bottom of the Gulf of Cádiz.
Three Spanish navy vessels, including two minesweepers, and 100 navy personnel are devoting two months to the project, which will end in mid-November.
Spain's navy said it had recovered evidence from potential wreck sites which was being analysed by archeologists. It said the sites could contain anything from crashed aircraft to ancient settlements.
The Naval Museum in Madrid and the National Subaquatic Archaeology Museum in Cartagena will receive much of the material recovered from the seabed.
Spain is in the middle of a legal battle with marine exploration firm Odyssey over treasure the US company has recovered from the seabed. It wants to avoid a repeat of the saga that began in 2007 when Odyssey salvaged an estimated $500m (£314m) in silver coins and artefacts from what Spain claims was a Spanish galleon. The treasure was landed at Gibraltar and then flown out to the United States.
A US court ruled last year that the find belongs to Spain, but Odyssey appealed and still has the treasure. It was due to submit its appeal at a US court today.
Odyssey has also mapped sections of the English Channel seabed. It signed an agreement with the British government in 2002 to explore the wreck of the HMS Sussex, a ship which went down somewhere off Cádiz in 1694.
In 2008 it filed claims on two wreck sites off the coast of County Kerry in Ireland. Last year it reached agreement with Britain to salvage artefacts from HMS Victory, which went down in the Channel in 1744
Gulf of Cádiz race by Spain's navy to lay claim to hundreds of wrecks before US firm Odyssey can get there
Spanish armada sets sail to claim deep-sea treasure
Gulf of Cádiz race by Spain's navy to lay claim to hundreds of wrecks before US firm Odyssey can get there
Wednesday 6 October 2010
Spanish ministers watch as a Pluto submarine is lowered into the sea off Cadiz. The navy is trying to protect Spain's historical heritage from private salvagers. Photograph: AP
Spain has sent an armada into waters around its coasts to seek out hundreds of shipwrecks in an attempt to head off a US marine exploration firm accused of plundering Spanish property from the seabed.
Over the past month, more than 100 suspected shipwrecks have been located by the Spanish navy in the Gulf of Cádiz, considered one of the world's richest hunting grounds for underwater treasure.
Dozens of Spanish galleons returning from the colonies in South America in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries are believed to have sunk in waters around Cádiz.
Royal Navy warships and other British vessels may also be among the wrecks the Spanish navy says it has located.
Between 500 and 800 ships are thought to lie at the bottom of the Gulf of Cádiz.
Three Spanish navy vessels, including two minesweepers, and 100 navy personnel are devoting two months to the project, which will end in mid-November.
Spain's navy said it had recovered evidence from potential wreck sites which was being analysed by archeologists. It said the sites could contain anything from crashed aircraft to ancient settlements.
The Naval Museum in Madrid and the National Subaquatic Archaeology Museum in Cartagena will receive much of the material recovered from the seabed.
Spain is in the middle of a legal battle with marine exploration firm Odyssey over treasure the US company has recovered from the seabed. It wants to avoid a repeat of the saga that began in 2007 when Odyssey salvaged an estimated $500m (£314m) in silver coins and artefacts from what Spain claims was a Spanish galleon. The treasure was landed at Gibraltar and then flown out to the United States.
A US court ruled last year that the find belongs to Spain, but Odyssey appealed and still has the treasure. It was due to submit its appeal at a US court today.
Odyssey has also mapped sections of the English Channel seabed. It signed an agreement with the British government in 2002 to explore the wreck of the HMS Sussex, a ship which went down somewhere off Cádiz in 1694.
In 2008 it filed claims on two wreck sites off the coast of County Kerry in Ireland. Last year it reached agreement with Britain to salvage artefacts from HMS Victory, which went down in the Channel in 1744
Monday, October 18, 2010
Marine Exploration Will Return to Solo Dios Gloria shipwreck
Marine Exploration Announces Recent Return to Treasure-Laden Solo Dios Gloria Shipwreck
Read more:
Marine Exploration, Inc. (OTCBB: MEXP), and its Joint Venture Partner Hispaniola Ventures, LLC, announces their treasure hunting ship RV Hispaniola has recently left port returning to the site of the shipwrecked Spanish galleon Solo Dios Gloria. One of the world’s greatest divers, Burt D. Webber Jr., leads the crew as it seeks the sunken trove of gold, silver and jewels rumored to be on the Solo Dios Gloria. Shareholders and investors can expect the Company to issue near term updates and results from the ongoing salvage operations.
An early 18th Century Spanish galleon, the Solo Dios Gloria sank off the north coast of the Dominican Republic. In late December 2009, the Dominican Republic confirmed Marine Exploration’s discovery of artifacts from the ship. The 300-plus items included silver coins, jewels, gold jewelry with pearls, a solid gold ring with diamonds, two hand-held bronze cannons, numerous pistols and cannons, guild pewter plates, navigation compasses, plumb lines for measuring depth, a pistol, sword sheaths, ornaments, plates, silverware, sword handles, a device to measure the ship's speed, bronze candlesticks, and a previously discovered bell from 1693 with the phrase 'Soli Deo Gloria'.
Mark Goldberg, CEO, Marine Exploration states, “The quest continues. Renowned treasure hunter Burt Webber knows well the Dominican Republic waters and has cutting-edge technology aboard the RV Hispaniola. We believe Burt and crew are at the right place at the right time.”
For detailed information about Marine Exploration visit http://www.mexp.biz
http://twitter.com/marinemexp
About Marine Exploration
Marine Exploration, Inc. and joint venture partner Hispaniola Ventures, LLC, headed by Burt D. Webber Jr., plan to continue the shipwreck site survey and salvage and anticipate locating and recovering additional historic shipwrecks with valuable artifacts and treasure. Working under exclusive contract with the Dominican Republic, the Company has plans in place to pursue multiple notable shipwrecks in Dominican Republic territorial and jurisdictional waters.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements, which may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Important factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include fluctuation of operating results, the ability to compete successfully, and the ability to complete before-mentioned transactions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results. http://www.mexp.biz
Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/10/14/2312963/marine-exploration-announces-recent.html#ixzz12ihKdbe7
Read more:
Marine Exploration, Inc. (OTCBB: MEXP), and its Joint Venture Partner Hispaniola Ventures, LLC, announces their treasure hunting ship RV Hispaniola has recently left port returning to the site of the shipwrecked Spanish galleon Solo Dios Gloria. One of the world’s greatest divers, Burt D. Webber Jr., leads the crew as it seeks the sunken trove of gold, silver and jewels rumored to be on the Solo Dios Gloria. Shareholders and investors can expect the Company to issue near term updates and results from the ongoing salvage operations.
An early 18th Century Spanish galleon, the Solo Dios Gloria sank off the north coast of the Dominican Republic. In late December 2009, the Dominican Republic confirmed Marine Exploration’s discovery of artifacts from the ship. The 300-plus items included silver coins, jewels, gold jewelry with pearls, a solid gold ring with diamonds, two hand-held bronze cannons, numerous pistols and cannons, guild pewter plates, navigation compasses, plumb lines for measuring depth, a pistol, sword sheaths, ornaments, plates, silverware, sword handles, a device to measure the ship's speed, bronze candlesticks, and a previously discovered bell from 1693 with the phrase 'Soli Deo Gloria'.
Mark Goldberg, CEO, Marine Exploration states, “The quest continues. Renowned treasure hunter Burt Webber knows well the Dominican Republic waters and has cutting-edge technology aboard the RV Hispaniola. We believe Burt and crew are at the right place at the right time.”
For detailed information about Marine Exploration visit http://www.mexp.biz
http://twitter.com/marinemexp
About Marine Exploration
Marine Exploration, Inc. and joint venture partner Hispaniola Ventures, LLC, headed by Burt D. Webber Jr., plan to continue the shipwreck site survey and salvage and anticipate locating and recovering additional historic shipwrecks with valuable artifacts and treasure. Working under exclusive contract with the Dominican Republic, the Company has plans in place to pursue multiple notable shipwrecks in Dominican Republic territorial and jurisdictional waters.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements, which may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Important factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include fluctuation of operating results, the ability to compete successfully, and the ability to complete before-mentioned transactions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results. http://www.mexp.biz
Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/10/14/2312963/marine-exploration-announces-recent.html#ixzz12ihKdbe7
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Missing (and Valuable) Painting Found in Paris
Missing (and Valuable) Painting Found in Paris
In Paris, an apartment sat locked up and untouched for 70 years. But it wasn't abandoned or empty. The rent was being paid, and the swanky pad was filled with furniture, books, and various works of art. One of those paintings, it turns out, was worth a lot of money.
A very buzzy story from the U.K.'s Telegraph explains that the valuable work of art is by Italian artist Giovanni Boldini. It recently sold for €2.1 million (around US$2.9 million) at auction. The painting's subject, "a woman in a pink muslin evening dress," was apparently Boldini's muse, Marthe de Florian. That hunch was legitimized by another titillating discovery in the apartment: a scribbled love note from the artist to de Florian. The apartment belonged to de Florian's granddaughter, who recently passed away at age 91.
One might well ask, "Why leave an apartment untouched and unused, but still pay for it every month?" Good question. According to the Telegraph, the granddaughter left the apartment just before the start of World War II and never returned. After her recent death, experts were sent to catalogue the inventory.
As the Telegraph writes, "Entering the untouched, cobweb-filled flat in Paris' 9th arrondissement, one expert said it was like stumbling into the castle of Sleeping Beauty, where time had stood still since 1900." Imagine their surprise when they saw, lying among the items, a painting worth millions.
News of the discovery sent Web searches on "giovanni boldini" skyrocketing 2,800% in just over 24 hours. Suddenly, it seems, people are eager to know more about the artist. Perhaps they want to compare his work to a few paintings gathering dust in their basements. Could one be worth big money? Hope springs eternal, but before you get too excited, remember that Boldini never dabbled in the subject of dogs playing poker. Sorry.
In Paris, an apartment sat locked up and untouched for 70 years. But it wasn't abandoned or empty. The rent was being paid, and the swanky pad was filled with furniture, books, and various works of art. One of those paintings, it turns out, was worth a lot of money.
A very buzzy story from the U.K.'s Telegraph explains that the valuable work of art is by Italian artist Giovanni Boldini. It recently sold for €2.1 million (around US$2.9 million) at auction. The painting's subject, "a woman in a pink muslin evening dress," was apparently Boldini's muse, Marthe de Florian. That hunch was legitimized by another titillating discovery in the apartment: a scribbled love note from the artist to de Florian. The apartment belonged to de Florian's granddaughter, who recently passed away at age 91.
One might well ask, "Why leave an apartment untouched and unused, but still pay for it every month?" Good question. According to the Telegraph, the granddaughter left the apartment just before the start of World War II and never returned. After her recent death, experts were sent to catalogue the inventory.
As the Telegraph writes, "Entering the untouched, cobweb-filled flat in Paris' 9th arrondissement, one expert said it was like stumbling into the castle of Sleeping Beauty, where time had stood still since 1900." Imagine their surprise when they saw, lying among the items, a painting worth millions.
News of the discovery sent Web searches on "giovanni boldini" skyrocketing 2,800% in just over 24 hours. Suddenly, it seems, people are eager to know more about the artist. Perhaps they want to compare his work to a few paintings gathering dust in their basements. Could one be worth big money? Hope springs eternal, but before you get too excited, remember that Boldini never dabbled in the subject of dogs playing poker. Sorry.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Yahoo News: Rare pink diamond could fetch $38M at auction
Rare pink diamond could fetch $38M at auction
GENEVA – A rare pink diamond that goes on sale next month could fetch up to $38 million, according to auctioneers Sotheby's. The "fancy intense pink" 24.78 carat gem is being sold by an unidentified private collector, the auction house said.
"We're able to say it's been in the possession of the same owner for 60 years but beyond that we're not able to reveal more," Sotheby's spokesman Matthew Weigman said Tuesday.
The diamond was last sold by New York jeweler Harry Winston and has a classic emerald cut with gently rounded corners, the company said.
The stone has a flaw unnoticeable to the naked eye, probably due to wear, but may be graded internally flawless after re-polishing.
"It is sensational as it is, but if somebody would repolish it they would have an even more sensational stone," said Daniela Mascetti, a senior director in the company's jewelry department. "But I personally would not touch the stone if I was planning to wear it."
The diamond went on exhibition worldwide starting in Hong Kong on Oct. 2 and will go up for auction Nov. 16 in Geneva, when Sotheby's estimates it could sell for $27-38 million.
Monday, October 4, 2010
The Daily Star: CPA moves to recover 20 sunken ships
CPA moves to recover 20 sunken ships
Chittagong Port Authority has moved to recover 20 sunken ships from the Karnaphuli river and the outer anchorage of the Bay of Bengal.
The recovery work on 10 ships has started, and the CPA will appoint contractors next month to retrieve the rest.
Nine ships under the water in the outer anchorage of the Bay of Bengal may increase the risk of accidents for ships heading for the port, although the authorities claim that it will not create any problem in any channel.
According to CPA statistics, 61 ships went down between the Liberation War and 2009 in an area from the outer anchorage to Kalurghat Bridge of the Karnaphuli. In the outer anchorage, the total number of sunken ships is 22, and the rest are in the various points of the river.
Among the 22 ships in the outer anchorage, only seven ships have so far been recovered and six others are under the process of recovery.
Most of these ships are 700 gross registered tonnages (GRT) to 1,500 GRT in size and are treated as small to medium ships.
The authorities also said the eradication of submerged ships from the Alpha anchorage area would ensure safe movement of ships in the outer anchorage.
Around 500 coasters and small ships ply across the Karnaphuli everyday carrying various commodities and industrial products.
A port official said the situation is still under control but the increased movement of ships may endanger the port in future.
The authorities now plan to introduce a vessel traffic management system to navigate and guide these coasters and small ships in the river and sea.
Abu Taleb, a retired naval master chief, said some traditional ways are used in recovering the sunken ships. “Modern technology and equipment are required to make the recovery efficient,” he added.
There are some companies such as PSP Marine Services, Al-Moudud, Hazi Taz Mohammad & Company and Heramon Salvage that do the works of recovering the ship wreckages.
Captain KM Hafizur Rahman, proprietor of PSP Marine Services, said: “We have the capacity to recover a ship of maximum 6,000 GRT and the method of the recovery depends on the condition of the sunken ship.”
Chittagong Port Authority has moved to recover 20 sunken ships from the Karnaphuli river and the outer anchorage of the Bay of Bengal.
The recovery work on 10 ships has started, and the CPA will appoint contractors next month to retrieve the rest.
Nine ships under the water in the outer anchorage of the Bay of Bengal may increase the risk of accidents for ships heading for the port, although the authorities claim that it will not create any problem in any channel.
According to CPA statistics, 61 ships went down between the Liberation War and 2009 in an area from the outer anchorage to Kalurghat Bridge of the Karnaphuli. In the outer anchorage, the total number of sunken ships is 22, and the rest are in the various points of the river.
Among the 22 ships in the outer anchorage, only seven ships have so far been recovered and six others are under the process of recovery.
Most of these ships are 700 gross registered tonnages (GRT) to 1,500 GRT in size and are treated as small to medium ships.
The authorities also said the eradication of submerged ships from the Alpha anchorage area would ensure safe movement of ships in the outer anchorage.
Around 500 coasters and small ships ply across the Karnaphuli everyday carrying various commodities and industrial products.
A port official said the situation is still under control but the increased movement of ships may endanger the port in future.
The authorities now plan to introduce a vessel traffic management system to navigate and guide these coasters and small ships in the river and sea.
Abu Taleb, a retired naval master chief, said some traditional ways are used in recovering the sunken ships. “Modern technology and equipment are required to make the recovery efficient,” he added.
There are some companies such as PSP Marine Services, Al-Moudud, Hazi Taz Mohammad & Company and Heramon Salvage that do the works of recovering the ship wreckages.
Captain KM Hafizur Rahman, proprietor of PSP Marine Services, said: “We have the capacity to recover a ship of maximum 6,000 GRT and the method of the recovery depends on the condition of the sunken ship.”
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