Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Major Salvage Companies, Wreck Removals, and Equipment glossary

Vocabulary of salvage contractors and heavy-lift wreck removal: firms such as Ardent and the Titan and Svitzer Salvage lineage, heavy-transport specialists like ALE Heavylift and Mammoet, sheerleg floating cranes such as Asian Hercules III, and the landmark casualties like Andrea Doria and Rena that defined major wreck-removal operations.

219 defined terms.

A

A Hak Industrial Services: Dutch heavy lift and pipeline services contractor based in Tricht, Netherlands, used in maritime salvage support roles for cargo handling.
ALE Heavylift: UK-based heavy transport and lift specialist acquired by Mammoet in January 2019, historically used for wreck section lifts and oversize salvage cargo.
Andrea Doria, SS: Italian Line passenger ship that sank on 25 July 1956 after collision with Stockholm off Nantucket, lying at 73 meters and never refloated.
Ardent: Salvage joint venture between Svitzer Salvage and Crowley Maritime, ceased trading 2019.
Asian Hercules III: Floating sheerleg crane operated by Smit Singapore with 5,000 tonne lift capacity, used in heavy lift salvage and offshore installation.
Astrolabe Reef: Bay of Plenty reef where MV Rena grounded on 5 October 2011, generating a NZD 660 million wreck removal contract.
Audacia: Allseas pipelay vessel of about 225 m length, designed for medium to large-diameter S-lay in water depths to roughly 3,500 m.
Authorities Surveyor: Independent expert engaged during wreck removal to verify environmental and structural milestones.

B

Bag Salvage Lift (BSL): Generic term for inflatable buoyancy units used to refloat sunken vessels or lift cargo from the seabed.
Bisso Marine: Louisiana-based US Gulf Coast marine services company providing harbor and inland towage and salvage.
Boskalis Salvage: Salvage division of Boskalis operating under the Smit Salvage brand from Rotterdam.
Bourbon Offshore: French offshore vessel operator whose anchor handling tugs have supported salvage tow operations worldwide.
Boyer Towing: Pacific Northwest tug operator periodically subcontracted on US wreck removal projects.
Bramble Bank: Sandbank in the Solent where the Hoegh Osaka was deliberately grounded on 3 January 2015 to prevent capsize.
Branscombe Beach: Devon, UK beach where the MSC Napoli was beached on 20 January 2007 after being abandoned in heavy weather.
Broström Salvage: Historic Swedish salvage operator, later absorbed into Maersk and ultimately Svitzer.
Buoyancy Bag: Reinforced inflatable cylinder of up to 35 tonnes lift used to support sunken vessels during refloating.

C

Caledonian Salvage: Scottish salvage operator active in North Sea wreck and oil pollution response work.
Cargo Hot Tap: Technique of drilling a sealed valve into a sunken tank to extract residual oil or chemicals without releasing them to the environment.
CCS Acta Marine: Dutch offshore vessel operator supporting wreck removal and decommissioning projects.
CDWS Compressed Air Diving System: Air supply package used by salvage divers for shallow water cutting and patching work.
Cement Box Patch: Underwater concrete and timber form used to seal large hull breaches before refloating.
Certificate of Financial Responsibility: Document required under the Nairobi Wreck Removal Convention proving insurance to cover wreck removal costs.
Coflexip Stena Offshore: Historical antecedent of TechnipFMC active in early flexible pipe and cable lay.
Conquest MB1: Heavy lift jack-up vessel operated by Conquest Offshore for offshore installation and salvage support.
Coral Reef Damage: Compensable head of loss frequently arising in tropical wreck removal cases such as Wakashio and Rena.
Costa Concordia: 2012 cruise ship grounding off Giglio, parbuckled and refloated 2013 to 2014.
Crowley Maritime: US ocean towage, harbor towage, and logistics operator headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida.
Crowley Salvage: Salvage line of Crowley Maritime, separate from Titan, providing OPA 90 SMFF and emergency response services in US waters.
Cutting Wire: Diamond-impregnated wire used by salvors to slice large hull sections in place, as on MSC Napoli (2007).

D

Daewoo Shipbuilding Salvage Support: Yard infrastructure used to dismantle large recovered wrecks brought to South Korea.
Dali, MV: Singapore flagged container ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge on 26 March 2024, with wreck and bridge removal led by Donjon-Smit and others.
Damen Stan Tug: Long-running Damen series of small to medium conventional and ASD workboats and tugs.
Decanting: Transfer of residual oils between tanks to consolidate before discharge to reception facilities.
Deep Water Recovery: Specialty salvage discipline using ROVs and saturation divers for casualties beyond air diving depth.
Derrick Barge: Crane barge for heavy lifts.
Direct Lift Method: Wreck removal technique using strand jacks or cranes attached to slings or chains passed beneath the hull.
Donjon Marine Co: US salvage and marine construction company founded in 1964 by John A. Witte, headquartered in Newark, New Jersey.
Donjon-Smit: Joint venture of Donjon Marine and Smit Salvage holding the largest US OPA 90 OSRO and salvage approval network.
Drewry Salvage Capacity Report: Industry analytic on global heavy lift and salvage tonnage availability.
Dry Tow: Heavy lift float-on float-off transport of salvaged casualties from incident site to repair or scrap yard.
Dual Salvage Tug: Configuration of two tugs sharing salvage duties on a single casualty to ensure redundancy.
Durand Reef: Remote reef in New Caledonia where the KEA Trader grounded on 12 July 2017 and ultimately broke apart.

E

Edinburgh, HMS: Royal Navy cruiser sunk in May 1942 carrying 4.5 tonnes of Soviet gold, salvaged by Jessop Marine and Wharton Williams in 1981.
Edmund Fitzgerald, SS: Lake Superior ore carrier of 729 feet that sank on 10 November 1975 with all 29 crew, never raised and protected as a grave site.
Empire Manor, SS: British wartime cargo ship that broke in two in a 1944 North Atlantic convoy after collision, often cited in early salvage casework.
EMSA: European Maritime Safety Agency, supporting Paris MoU and EU Member States on PSC.
Environmental Salvage: Operations whose primary value lies in preventing pollution under Article 14.
Erika, MV: Maltese flag tanker that broke in two off Brittany on 12 December 1999, with wreck oil removal completed by Smit and Stolt Comex Seaway in 2000.
European Salvage Co: Historic Dutch salvor of the early twentieth century, predecessor to several modern operators.
Eversen Heavy Lift: Belgian operator of pontoon and sheerleg assets used in inland wreck recovery.

F

Felicity Ace: Car carrier that caught fire and sank south of the Azores in March 2022 with approximately 4,000 vehicles aboard.
Financial Limits of Liability: Compensation caps applied to wreck removal claims under the Nairobi Convention via the LLMC regime.
Fire Boundary Cooling: Salvage marine firefighting tactic of cooling structures around a fire to prevent escalation during a tow to refuge.
Five Oceans Salvage: Greek-based salvage contractor with global LOF response capability.
Floating Crane: Heavy-lift crane vessel.
Flow Stoppage: Hot tap related procedure to stop flow from a damaged pipeline or tank during oil removal.
Foam Pig: Pipeline tool occasionally adapted in salvage to clear residual product from damaged lines.
Form CMI 2020: Reference label for the Lloyd's Open Form 2020 standard salvage contract maintained by the Lloyd's Salvage Arbitration Branch.
Free pratique: Permission to use a port after sanitary clearance.
Friction Force Estimation: Engineering calculation used in parbuckling to size strand jacks and sponsons.

G

Galicia: Brittany Ferries E-Flexer class ro-pax delivered 2020 deployed on Portsmouth to Bilbao and Santander.
Gantry Strand Jack: Hydraulic lifting device used in parbuckling Costa Concordia and similar large wreck operations.
Genoa, Port of: Italian port to which the parbuckled Costa Concordia was towed in July 2014 for dismantling at San Giorgio del Porto.
Giglio, Isola del: Tuscan island off which Costa Concordia grounded on 13 January 2012, the focal point of the 2012 to 2014 wreck removal.
Global Diving and Salvage: Seattle headquartered US diving and salvage firm, OPA 90 SMFF qualified.
Greenshields Cowie: Historic UK salvage and tug company active from the late nineteenth century through to consolidation in the twentieth.
Grout Bag: Cement filled bag deployed by divers to seal hull or pipeline breaches.

H

Hak Heavy Lift: Specialty arm of A Hak Industrial Services providing crane lift support to salvage and offshore projects.
Heerema Marine Contractors: Leiden-based offshore contractor operating the world's largest semi-submersible crane vessels, including Thialf and Sleipnir.
Hellenic Salvage Co: Greek salvage company active in eastern Mediterranean casualty response.
Hermod: Heerema SSCV retired from service after decades of platform installation work.
Hoegh Osaka: Hoegh Autoliners car carrier deliberately grounded on Bramble Bank on 3 January 2015 to prevent capsize, refloated on 22 January 2015.
Hot Tap: Drilling into a tank under pressure without releasing contents, key oil removal tool.
Hull Cutting Schedule: Engineering plan defining section size, weight, and lift order in segmented wreck removal.

I

IACS Salvage Liaison: Coordination role between class societies and salvors on damaged hull assessment.
IMO Wreck Removal Convention: Common name for the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks 2007.
In Situ Refloat: Salvage strategy of refloating a casualty at the grounding site rather than dismantling.
Inflatable Buoyancy Bag: Heavy duty bag inflated underwater to provide lift to sunken vessels or cargo.
International Salvage Union (ISU): Trade association of professional salvage contractors with more than 60 member companies worldwide.
ISU Pollution Prevention Survey: Annual statistical survey by the ISU recording salvage industry response to pollution risks.

J

Jack Up Lift: Use of jack-up vessels with cranes such as Conquest MB1 to lift wreck sections in shallow water.
JLMC Hong Kong: Joint Liability Management Committee handling marine casualty coordination in South China.
JNCC Marine Salvage Guidance: UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee guidance on environmental considerations in salvage.
Joint Hull Committee: Lloyd's market underwriter committee for hull insurance.

K

KAR-1: Heavy lift catamaran sometimes referenced in salvage planning literature for hull section lifts.
KEA Trader: Capesize container ship that grounded on Durand Reef in New Caledonia on 12 July 2017, broke apart, and was removed in sections by Ardent.
Keppel Smit Towage: Singapore-based joint venture providing harbor towage in Southeast Asia.
Kotug Smit Towage: Joint venture between Kotug and Smit acquired by Boluda Towage in 2019.
Kursk K-141: 2000 Russian submarine loss, raised 2001 by Mammoet and SMIT in Operation Regalia.

L

L. Smit and Co: Original name of the Smit family salvage company founded in 1842 by Lambertus Smit.
Lambertus Smit: Founder in 1842 of L. Smit and Co tugboat and salvage operation in Kinderdijk, Netherlands.
Lift Bag: Inflatable buoyancy device used by divers to recover small wreck and debris.
Lifting Beam: Below-the-hook device with one or more lift points, used to control sling angles.
Lloyd's Form 1980: Earlier edition of the Lloyd's Open Form salvage contract introducing the safety net clause.
Lloyd's Open Form (LOF): Standard salvage agreement with no-cure-no-pay basis and SCOPIC.
Lloyd's Salvage Arbitration Branch: Body administering LOF awards and appeals in London.
Local Place of Refuge Process: Coastal state procedure for assessing requests to bring damaged or salvaged ships into sheltered waters.
LOF 2020 Box: Optional fillable area in the LOF 2020 form allowing parties to record a fixed price or settlement option upfront.
Long Term Mooring System: Salvage rigged mooring used to hold a casualty in position during multi-month wreck removal projects.

M

Maersk Salvage: Salvage arm of A.P. Moller Maersk, later folded into Svitzer Salvage and ultimately Ardent and Boskalis.
Mammoet: Dutch heavy lift contractor with crawler and ring crane fleet, formerly operating Mammoet Salvage.
Mammoet Salvage: Heavy lift specialist active in raising of Kursk and similar deep wreck lifts.
Marin Subsea: Subsea support contractor used in deep water wreck investigations.
MarineLink Notices: Industry channel for salvage and wreck removal announcements.
Micoperi: Italian offshore contractor that partnered with Titan Salvage for the Costa Concordia parbuckling.
MMC Wreck Liaison: UK Maritime Management Coordinator role on multi-agency casualty response.
Modern Express, MV: Panama flag car carrier that listed heavily in the Bay of Biscay on 26 January 2016 and was secured by Smit Salvage before being towed to Bilbao.
Mooring Tug: Tug positioned to hold a casualty in place during salvage operations rather than to tow.
MSC Napoli: 2007 container ship beached at Branscombe, Devon, after Channel structural failure.
Multraship Towage and Salvage: Dutch operator based at Terneuzen with about 30 harbour and salvage tugs.

N

Nairobi Convention 2007: Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, supported by P&I blue cards.
Nakhodka: A Russian Far East port near Kozmino, frequently in price-cap monitoring datasets.
Newfoundland Salvage Co: Historic Canadian Atlantic salvage operator.
Nick Sloane: South African master mariner appointed salvage master for the Costa Concordia parbuckling on behalf of Titan-Micoperi.
Niko Resources Wellhead Salvage: Reference case for offshore wreck and wellhead clearance.
No Cure No Pay: traditional salvage principle that salvors are paid only on success.
NOAA OR&R: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Response and Restoration, providing scientific support during salvage spill response.
NoFoFlex Salvage Hose: Floating hose type used to transfer recovered oil from wreck to barge.

O

Oil Recovery Tank: Onboard or barge mounted tank used to receive product extracted by hot tap from a sunken casualty.
Oil Spill Removal Organization (OSRO): US Coast Guard classified contractor providing on water oil spill response, often paired with SMFF salvors.
OPA 90: Oil Pollution Act 1990, US oil pollution liability statute.
Outshore Salvage Tug: Large ocean going salvage tug stationed at strategic points to respond to deep sea casualties.

P

Pacific Adventurer: Hong Kong flag container ship that lost containers and spilled 270 tonnes of fuel off Queensland on 11 March 2009.
Parbuckling: Rotational righting of a capsized vessel as performed on Costa Concordia 2013.
Parbuckling Project: Formal name of the consortium project to right the Costa Concordia in September 2013.
Pasha Bulker, MV: Panama flag Panamax bulk carrier that beached at Nobbys Beach, Newcastle, Australia on 8 June 2007 and was refloated by Svitzer on 2 July 2007.
Pelagia Salvage Rights: Term used in Greek practice for salvage of historic wrecks.
Pioneering Spirit: Allseas dual-hull heavy-lift and pipelay vessel of 382 m length, capable of S-lay and J-lay.
Pipeline Hot Tap: Application of hot tap method to a damaged subsea pipeline associated with a wreck.
Pointe d'Esny: Southeast coast of Mauritius where the MV Wakashio grounded on 25 July 2020 and broke on 6 August 2020.
Pollution Prevention Salvage: Salvage operations whose principal purpose is preventing escape of harmful substances.
POSH Semco Salvage: Singapore based salvage and offshore vessel operator providing OPA 90 SMFF coverage internationally.
Prestige, MV: Bahamas flag single hull tanker that broke off Galicia on 19 November 2002, with residual oil recovered by Repsol in 2003 and 2004.

Q

Quayside Lift: Wreck removal phase in which sections are lifted from a transport barge onto a recycling quay.
Queen's Harbour Master Authority: UK military port authority sometimes engaged where wrecks affect Royal Navy waters.
Quick disconnect coupling: QCDC for LNG marine arms.

R

Rambiz: Twin hulled sheerleg crane operated by SCALDIS Salvage and Marine Contractors with 3,300 tonne lift capacity.
Recovery Operations Center: Shore based command facility coordinating salvage personnel, vessels, and regulators.
Refloat: Salvage operation phase of restoring buoyancy and removing a casualty from its grounded position.
Rena, MV: Liberian flag container ship that grounded on Astrolabe Reef on 5 October 2011, with wreck removal undertaken in stages by Resolve and Svitzer between 2012 and 2016.
Resolve Marine Group: US marine salvage and emergency response company headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Resolve Recovery System: Branded modular salvage equipment package developed by Resolve Marine for OPA 90 response.
Richard Montgomery, SS: US Liberty ship that sank off Sheerness in August 1944, still carrying around 1,400 tonnes of munitions and monitored by the UK government.
Risdon Beazley: Historic UK deep ocean salvage company based in Southampton, recoverer of valuable cargoes including from HMS Edinburgh.
ROV Survey: Use of remotely operated vehicles for underwater inspection of casualties and wrecks.

S

Saipem 7000: Semi-submersible crane vessel capable of heavy-lift and J-lay pipelay operations, owned by Saipem.
Salem Express, SS: Egyptian ferry that struck Hyndman Reef in the Red Sea on 14 December 1991 and sank with major loss of life, never raised.
Salvage Arbitrator: Senior barrister or retired judge appointed under the LSSA Clauses to determine the salvage award.
Salvage Award: Reward fixed under Salvage Convention 1989 criteria or LOF arbitration.
Salvage Master: Senior salvor in charge of on-scene operations and contract delivery.
Salvage Pump: Portable submersible or self priming pump used to dewater compartments or transfer oil.
Salvage Tug: High-powered tug for casualty response.
SCALDIS Salvage and Marine Contractors: Belgian heavy lift contractor based in Antwerp, operating the sheerleg Rambiz and Gulliver.
SCOPIC: Special Compensation P&I Club Clause, optional supplement to LOF providing P&I-funded tariff remuneration where Article 14 might otherwise apply.
SCR: SAR Cooperation Plan required under SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 7.3 for passenger ships.
Sea Diamond: Greek cruise ship that sank off Santorini on 5 April 2007 with fuel removal undertaken by Tsavliris Salvage.
Sea Spirit Salvage: Reference small craft salvage operator.
Sheerleg Crane: Tall A frame mounted crane on a barge or vessel used for very heavy lifts in shallow water.
Ship Sinking Hot Tap: Specific application of hot tap technology to a sunken vessel for residual oil extraction.
Sleipnir, SSCV: Heerema crane vessel commissioned in 2019 with two 10,000 tonne cranes for combined 20,000 tonne tandem lifts.
SMFF: Salvage and Marine Firefighting requirements under USCG nontank vessel rule.
Smit Internationale: Historic Dutch salvage company, now part of Boskalis Smit Salvage.
SMIT Salvage: Dutch salvage contractor founded 1842, part of Boskalis since 2010.
Smit Salvage New York: Donjon-Smit joint venture office serving the US East Coast under the SMFF regime.
Smit Tak: Historic name of the Rotterdam salvage firm founded in 1842 and now within Boskalis.
Sponson: Hollow steel buoyancy tank welded to a casualty's side to provide lift.
SS Atlantic Salvage Co: Historic American salvage entity from the early twentieth century.
Stellar Daisy: The very large ore carrier converted from a tanker that sank in the South Atlantic in March 2017, prompting industry attention to converted VLOC structural risks.
Stern Salvage: Stern first refloat technique used when bow grounding precludes a forward pull.
Stolt Comex Seaway: Predecessor of Acergy that worked with Smit on Erika oil removal in 2000.
Strand Jack: Hydraulic jack pulling on bundles of high strength wire strand, used in heavy lifts and parbuckling.
Sub Sea Services: Trondheim based subsea contractor occasionally engaged in Norwegian salvage support.
Subsalve USA: Rhode Island based manufacturer of lift bags and underwater lifting equipment used worldwide in salvage.
Svanen: Self propelled heavy lift catamaran of 8,700 tonne capacity, operated by Van Oord and previously in salvage projects.
Svitzer Salvage: Maersk owned salvage division, joint Ardent venture closed 2019.
SvitzerWijsmuller: Historic Dutch Danish salvage and towage group formed by the merger of Wijsmuller into Svitzer, ultimately absorbed by Boskalis.

T

T&T Marine Salvage: Alternate corporate name used for T&T Salvage after Crowley divestiture of Titan Salvage operations to T&T management.
T&T Salvage: US headquartered salvage contractor with OPA 90 OSRO standing.
Taklift 4: Smit Tak heavy lift crane vessel with 2,200 tonne capacity, used in offshore wreck and structure lifts.
Taklift 7: Smit Tak sheerleg crane of 1,600 tonne capacity, used in salvage and offshore work in northwest Europe.
Texas Engineering Recovery: Reference to industrial spill recovery support in Gulf wrecks.
Thialf, SSCV: Heerema dual crane semisubmersible with 14,200 tonne combined lift capacity, used on major offshore and wreck lifts.
Titan Maritime: Original name of Titan Salvage when acquired by Crowley in 1996.
Titan Salvage: Crowley salvage subsidiary, parbuckled Costa Concordia, merged into Ardent 2015.
Topside Lift: Crane lift of structures or sections from a wreck or platform onto a transport barge.
Tow Wire: A wire used to make up or extend a tow.
Tricolor, MV: Norwegian car carrier sunk after collision in the English Channel on 14 December 2002, cut into nine sections and removed in 2003 to 2004 by Smit and Wijsmuller.
Tsavliris Salvage Group: Greek salvage company based in London and Piraeus active in worldwide ocean salvage for more than five decades.
Tugmar Salvage: Italian salvage operator active in Mediterranean response.
Twin Crane Lift: Coordinated lift between two crane vessels for heavy wreck sections, used by Heerema and Saipem.
Twin Marine Lift: Versabar style twin hull lift concept exemplified by VB10000.

U

UK Salvage Association: Marine surveyors association founded in London in 1856, providing salvage and damage surveys.
Ultraship Marine Salvage: Reference smaller salvage operator.
Underwater Cutting: Use of oxy arc, abrasive wire, or diamond wire to sever wreck structure underwater.
Unique Group: Sharjah headquartered subsea group manufacturing lift bags and providing buoyancy products for salvage.
United Salvage: Australian salvage operator with regional Asia Pacific operations.
USCG Federal On Scene Coordinator: US Coast Guard role directing federal response to maritime pollution and salvage incidents.

V

Vacuum Tank: Recovery tank that uses negative pressure to draw oil and water mixture from a wreck through a hot tap connection.
Van Oord Salvage Support: Dutch dredging contractor supplying assets to wreck and bunker removal projects.
VB10000: Versabar twin hulled catamaran heavy lift vessel with 7,500 short ton lift capacity per gantry, used to remove offshore platforms and recently the Dali Francis Scott Key Bridge sections.
Versabar: Houston based heavy lift design firm responsible for the VB10000 and earlier VB4000 lift systems.
Vessel Recovery Method: Generic term for refloating, parbuckling, and cut and lift strategies in wreck removal.
Vroon Offshore: Dutch offshore vessel operator whose AHTS units have supported salvage tows.

W

Wakashio, MV: Japanese owned Panama flag bulk carrier that grounded at Pointe d'Esny, Mauritius on 25 July 2020 and broke on 6 August 2020, with salvage by Smit.
Wharton Williams: UK diving contractor that recovered Soviet gold from HMS Edinburgh in 1981 alongside Risdon Beazley.
Wijsmuller Salvage: Historic Dutch salvage company based in IJmuiden, merged into Svitzer in 2001.
Wreck Inventory: Catalog of known sunken vessels maintained by hydrographic offices and coastal states.
Wreck Removal Convention: Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks 2007, in force from 14 April 2015.
Wreck Removal Insurance: Cover provided by P&I clubs against the cost of removing a wreck under flag and coastal state law.
Wreck Section Lift: Crane lift of a discrete portion of a wreck after underwater cutting, used on Tricolor and KEA Trader.

X

X Salvage Award: Generic placeholder for the LOF arbitrator's final monetary award.
X-Press Pearl: The container ship that caught fire and sank off Colombo, Sri Lanka in May and June 2021, generating one of the most significant container-related environmental incidents and large insurance and…

Y

Yard Towing: Final tow from refloat site to dismantling yard such as Aliaga or Genoa for recycling.
Yellow River Salvage: Chinese inland salvage operator referenced in domestic wreck cases.
YPS Pump: Salvage rated submersible pump used for compartment dewatering during refloat.

Z

Z Drive Tug: Azimuth drive harbor tug commonly used in escort and salvage support.
Zeebrugge Salvage Hub: Belgian port frequently used as logistics base for North Sea salvage operations.
Zhen Hua Heavy Lift: Chinese semisubmersible carrier sometimes engaged in dry tow of salvaged casualties.