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The MARTHA on the bottom of
the Kattegat after foundering on Sunday July 11th and the
tragic loss of the skipper Hans “Hibiscus” Jensen and Sara Oksbjerre
Mortensen. |
Photo: Allan Kartin/TV2
/ ØSTJYLLAND
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Floating crane SAMSON of Grenaa leaving
Aarhus on the morning of Friday July 16th.
The
Samson has a lifting capacity of 900 tons. |
Photo: Eigil Nielsen
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The floating crane has
reached the MARTHA, ready to commence the recovery, held in position
with anchors placed on both sides of the MARTHA.
Preparations began in the early
hours of July 17th. In the background one
of the
warning
buoys placed as a warning to shipping in the
area. |
Photo: Eigil Nielsen
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The salvage crew making progress: Divers
place the lifting straps under the keel of the MARTHA, and then the
straps are shackled to the wires from the hooks of the crane.
The
picture shows the wires now fastened to the hooks. |
Photo: Eigil Nielsen
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The SAMSON engaged in lifting the MARTHA off
the seabed. The picture is taken from the working deck of the
floating crane. The standard displacement waterline of the schooner
is still some three feet below the surface, and the load for the
crane therefore only amounts to ten tons. |
Photo: Eigil Nielsen
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MARTHA at noon Saturday July 17th
lifted a bit higher, but still hanging in the wirers of the floating
crane. The load for the crane amounts to thirty five tons.
Shortly after this picture was taken, the forward lifting strap
slips up the bow, so part of the main rail and cat head is torn off.
The
MARTHA is lowered deeper in the water. Divers pull into position a
new forward strap, this time with greater distance to the forefoot.
The ship is again lowered to the seabed, while the new strap is
shackled to the lifting wires. |
Photo: Eigil Nielsen
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The second attempt is successful. The
picture shows the MARTHA ready to be taken to Grenaa. The journey
began late in the afternoon.
All
the above pictures were taken with the kind assistance of the
SAMSON-crew, – thank you.
MARTHA arrived safely in Grenaa at 01:30 hours Sunday July 18th.
Around midnight the weather had deteriorated, and for a period the
situation had seemed critical. But all went well and the SAMSON-crew
turned in for a few hours. |
Photo: Eigil Nielsen
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Webmaster arrived at 07:00 and found the
Samson moored alongside the quay with the MARTHA hanging motionless
under the crane.
Spectators soon started to gather along the vessels, even though the
thunderstorm was still very much making itself felt. |
Photo: Eigil Nielsen
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Close-up of one of the orange
lifting-straps. |
Photo: Eigil Nielsen
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The picture shows the MARTHA hanging in the
straps, just before pumps are started up to take out of the
seawater. Right up in the bow the orange strap that slid out of
position during the first salvage attempt is clearly visible.
The
red boxes seen amidships are the containers form the portable pumps
delivered by the rescue vessels on the tragic night of the
foundering. The ships boat which is normally mounted over the taff
rail was torn away by the waves sometimes during the voyage to
Grenaa; it survived the rough weather and was later found on the
beach.
The
chaotic mess of rope coils and debris on the deck and below is all
due to the capsizing, and the seven days on the bottom of the sea,
the current washing in sand as well as occasionally moving the ship. |
Photo: Eigil Nielsen
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Now the pumping has started. Abaft can be
seen a heavy hose, outlet of one of two submergible pumps, each with
a capacity of 40.000 gallons per hour.
Crewmen of the SAMSON clear up running rig of the mainmast, to lower
the mainsail. The main gaff jaw had gotten entangled with the fore
gaff topping lift. |
Photo: Eigil Nielsen
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The last chapter of the salvage attracted a
great deal of attention. Finn Svendsen, spokesman for The Schooner
Martha Society, is interviewed to television by Frederik Roland, TV2
Østjylland. At the camera is Øjvind Andersen. |
Photo: Eigil Nielsen
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When after a couple of hours pumping, the
water level inside the ship seemed to be very much the same; a
serious search for leaks was undertaken. This resulted in the
detection of a large leak in the port side of the engine room. (This
leak will be further discussed later on).
With
this knowledge MARTHA was lifted one feet ten inch. The large leak
appeared over the water and could be temporarily repaired together
with some smaller.
To ensure the ship was kept afloat, and thus could be
towed from the floating crane to the slipway, plates of lead and
plywood were used to cover a number of leaks.
In
the background a fishing vessel is seen at the ship breakers. |
Photo: Eigil Nielsen
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The leaks temporarily
stopped, the MARTHA is towed alongside the tugboat KATRINE, but the
pumps are kept working during the short voyage to the slipway. |
Photo: Eigil Nielsen
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The MARTHA stands quite right on the
slipway. The picture is taken as the stem rises out of the water. |
Photo: Eigil Nielsen
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The full length of the underwater hull is
visible. This picture of the port quarter of the MARTHA shows a grey
stripe a few inches down on the red underwater hull. Here a very
large leak was found. Between two planks the ship was open to the
sea. The plates of plywood and lead are all examples of the
temporary repairs done by the salvage crew. Not repairs the ship had
while sailing
On a
wooden ship built like the MARTHA the seams between the planks –
which are 2½ inch thick – are reamed and oakum is driven in and
hammered hard and tight with a chalking hammer. Then a layer of
melted pitch is applied to cover the upper part of the seam to keep
the oakum dry and sealed from the eroding power of the seawater, a
power growing as the ship is making speed.
Probably, a large leak like the one in question, evolves as small
parts of broken pitch or torn-apart fibres of oakum are washed out
somewhere along the seam. Seawater then begins to find its way
through the seam and into the hull. The tormenting power of even a
small leak is astonishing. More and more material disappears, until
the hull has got a long narrow whole several feet long by ½ inch.
Too much for a seam anyhow, this leak could fill the ship much
faster than anything else ever experienced. |
Photo: Eigil Nielsen
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The leaden plates and
plywood to be seen are all temporary repairs mate by the shipyard in
Grenaa, in order to keep the ship afloat on the last part of the
journey from the floating crane to the slipway.
Not rapairs the ship
had made before the tragic night. |
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This picture shows a part of the starboard
underwater hull. Water runs and drips from several leaks and open
butt seams.
Most
likely these starboard side leaks developed during the week on the
bottom of the sea. The painting is rubbed off in the brownish area
in the middle of the picture, and the planks look as if they have
been wire brushed. An area about twenty square feet.
MARTHA rested on the lover part of the starboard side while lying
sunk. The painting has been rubbed off by the constant small
movements, the sea forced upon the ship. Not only twenty feet of
paint were rubbed off, also some butt seams had opened. The constant
twisting made planks and rips move, thus more chalking material
braked up and disappeared, and even more small leaks developed. |
Photo: Eigil Nielsen
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Eventually the MARTHA stood quite well on
the slipway at the shipyard, A/S Grenå Skibsværft.
In
the background the SAMSON-crew are collecting their equipment before
returning to base in Aarhus.
The
tugboat KATRINE went to sea to collect the warning buoys where
MARTHA had sunk. |
Photo: Eigil Nielsen
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