Posted on September 7, 2026
Off the coast of Macae in Brazil, Boskalis’ subsidiary SMIT Salvage recently refloated a stranded anchor handler. While entering the port of Macae in Brazil, the vessel reportedly struck a rock, suffered water ingress due to the damage sustained, and was purposely beached on a sandbank near the beach. A salvage team from SMIT Salvage was mobilized to assess the damage, develop a refloating plan, patch the damaged hull, refloat the vessel and tow it back out to sea with the assistance of several tugs.
Given the sensitive nature of the grounding location, prime focus was given to the prevention of any possible pollution because of the grounding and refloating operation. Therefore, the fuel on board was transferred to tanks on the mainland. Special care was taken for the water that had to be pumped out to prevent any spill into the ocean. Prior to commencement of these activities, the Navy, environmental agencies, and other competent authorities signed off on the salvage plan. The vessel was initially anchored in a sheltered anchorage off the Brazilian coast for further reassurance of its stability and integrity, after which it was towed to a nearby shipyard.
