Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Marine Salvage Industry and Wreck Removal Contractors glossary

Vocabulary of marine salvage and wreck removal: Lloyd’s Open Form arbitration awards, above-water and diving casualty assessment, accommodation barges and active heave-compensated heavy-lift cranes, surface-supplied air diving limits, and the AIS-loss triggers, salvage masters and contractors handling refloating and removal of casualties such as Costa Concordia.

134 defined terms.

A

AAA Salvage Award: Highest grade of Lloyd's Open Form arbitration award, reflecting exceptional skill and danger encountered by salvors.
Above-Water Survey: Initial casualty assessment performed by salvage master from a workboat or helicopter before divers enter the water.
Accommodation Barge: Non-propelled offshore lodging unit for workers.
Active Heave Compensation: Crane/winch system that counters vessel heave in real time using hydraulics.
Air Diving: Surface-supplied diving to about 50 metres, standard for shallow salvage and survey.
Air Lift Bag: Inflatable rubber bag rated up to 35 tonnes used by divers to refloat small wrecks and recover debris.
AIS Loss: Sudden disappearance of a vessel from Automatic Identification System tracking, often the first salvage trigger.
Anti-Pollution Boom: Floating barrier deployed to contain oil released by a casualty, a core item in every salvor's stockpile.
Ardent: Salvage joint venture between Svitzer Salvage and Crowley Maritime, ceased trading 2019.
Article 13 Criteria: Salvage Convention 1989 factors used to fix LOF awards, including value salved, skill, and environmental risk.
Article 14 Special Compensation: Salvage Convention provision allowing safety net payment when no traditional award would arise, supplanted in practice by SCOPIC.
Astrolabe Reef: Bay of Plenty reef where MV Rena grounded on 5 October 2011, generating a NZD 660 million wreck removal contract.

B

Bigfoot 2: Heerema floating sheerleg crane of 1,600 tonnes capacity used on European wreck lifts.
BIMCO: Baltic and International Maritime Council, drafter of standard maritime contracts.
BIMCO Towcon 2008: Lump-sum international ocean towage contract.
BIMCO Towhire 2008: Daily-hire international ocean towage contract preferred for open-ended salvage tows.
Black Box Recovery: Salvor task on aircraft losses, distinct from ship wreck removal.
Bollard pull: Tug pulling force in tonnes.
Boskalis: Dutch dredging and salvage major, parent of SMIT Salvage since 2010.
Bow Thruster Plug: Hydrostatic plug fitted by divers to seal a tunnel thruster opening during refloating.
Bunker Removal: Lightering of fuel from a casualty under OPA 90 or Nairobi Convention obligations.

C

Capping Stack: Subsea device installed over a blown-out well to seal it; post-Macondo industry response.
Cargo Owner Contribution: General average share payable by bill of lading holders toward salvor remuneration.
Coffer Dam: Void space between two tanks; inspected for tightness and structural condition.
Composite Patch: Glass-reinforced plastic patch used on smaller hulls or stainless steel cargo tanks.
Container Recovery: Salvage of containers lost overboard, regulated under the London Convention.
Costa Concordia: 2012 cruise ship grounding off Giglio, parbuckled and refloated 2013 to 2014.
Counter-Flooding: Deliberate flooding of selected tanks to correct list or trim during salvage.
Crane Barge: Self-propelled or towed pontoon carrying a heavy lift crane for wreck removal.
Cutting Wire: Diamond-impregnated wire used by salvors to slice large hull sections in place, as on MSC Napoli (2007).

D

Damen Shipyards: Dutch shipbuilder supplying CTVs, multicats, and SOVs to the offshore wind sector from Gorinchem and partner yards.
Deepwater Saturation Diving: Mixed-gas diving from a saturation system for work below 50 meters.
Demobilisation: Withdrawal of salvage spread from casualty site, the final claim line on most contracts.
Dewatering Pump: Diesel or hydraulic submersible pump rated 100 to 1,000 cubic meters per hour.
Diamond Wire Saw: Subsea cutting tool used by Mammoet on Tricolor (2003) and by Titan on Costa Concordia.
DNV ER: DNV Emergency Response service supports salvors with stability calculations.
Donjon Marine: US east coast salvage contractor with OPA 90 OSRO standing.
Donjon-SMIT LLC: Joint venture providing OPA-90 compliance services to roughly 8,000 vessels visiting US ports.

E

Eductor: Jet pump using motive water to draw bilge or stripping suction by venturi effect.
Environmental Salvage Award: Proposed but never adopted ISU concept of separately remunerating spill prevention.
ETV: Emergency Towing Vessel, government-funded standby tug class.
Exclusion of Salvors' Liability: Standard exclusion in some maritime insurance contracts.
Explosive Cutting: Use of shaped charges or detonating cord to part wreck structures.

F

Fairmount Glacier: 205-tonne bollard pull anchor handling salvage tug operated by Fairmount Marine (Boskalis subsidiary).
Fairmount Marine: Specialised heavy-tow operator within Boskalis fleet.
Felicity Ace: Car carrier that caught fire and sank south of the Azores in March 2022 with approximately 4,000 vehicles aboard.
Final Award: Concluding salvage arbitration determination after all evidence and submissions.
Fire-Fighting Tug: Tug rated FiFi 1, FiFi 2 or FiFi 3 by class for monitor capacity.
Five Oceans Salvage: Greek-based salvage contractor with global LOF response capability.
Force majeure clause: Clause excusing performance on specified excepted events.

G

Gard P&I: Assuranceforeningen Gard, founded 1907 in Arendal, Norway, the largest International Group club measured by gross tonnage entered.
Gas-free certificate: Certificate before hot work in tanks.
General Average: Loss voluntarily incurred for the common safety, contributed by all interests under York-Antwerp Rules.
Giglio Island: Tuscan island where Costa Concordia capsized, parbuckling site for the 2013 lift.
Grounding Survey: Bottom and structural inspection after touching bottom or grounding.

H

Hazmat Survey: Inventory of hazardous materials aboard a wreck, required before crew cutting and recycling.
Heerema Marine Contractors: Leiden-based offshore contractor operating the world's largest semi-submersible crane vessels, including Thialf and Sleipnir.
HFO Pump: Heated heavy fuel oil pump rated to handle viscosities exceeding 380 cSt.
Hot Tap: Drilling into a tank under pressure without releasing contents, key oil removal tool.
Hot work permit: Yard/onboard permit before welding/cutting.

I

IMO Resolution A.949(23): 2003 Guidelines on Places of Refuge for Ships in Need of Assistance.
International Convention on Salvage 1989: convention introducing the Article 14 special compensation regime.
ISU: International Salvage Union, professional body for the salvage industry founded 1995.
ISU Pollution Prevention Survey: Annual statistical survey by the ISU recording salvage industry response to pollution risks.
ITOPF: International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation, technical adviser to shipowner and P&I.

J

Joint Survey: Inspection attended by both load and discharge interests.

K

Kongsberg Maritime: Norwegian supplier of bridge, automation and dynamic positioning systems.

L

Lamnalco: International integrated marine services provider with bases in the Middle East and Africa.
Lloyd's Open Form: Standard salvage contract, current edition LOF 2020 with SCOPIC 2020.
Lloyd's Salvage Arbitration Branch: Body administering LOF awards and appeals in London.
LOF 2020: Current Lloyd's Open Form with updated SCOPIC 2020 and digital signature.
LOF No Cure No Pay: Bedrock principle that salvor earns nothing unless salvage succeeds in whole or part.
Lump Sum Wreckhire: Wreckfixed 2010 variant where salvor accepts fixed price for entire wreck removal.

M

Maersk Honam: 2018 container ship fire salved by SMIT to Jebel Ali after long ocean tow.
Mammoet Salvage: Heavy lift specialist active in raising of Kursk and similar deep wreck lifts.
MARPOL Annex I: Prevention of pollution by oil.
Mexican Pacific Salvage: SMIT's Manzanillo-based Pacific Mexico response station.
Micoperi: Italian offshore contractor that partnered with Titan Salvage for the Costa Concordia parbuckling.
Modern Express: 2016 car carrier listing off Bay of Biscay, towed to Bilbao by SMIT salvors.
MSC Flaminia: The container ship that experienced a major cargo fire in mid-Atlantic in July 2012, leading to significant general average and cargo liability claims and US litigation on dangerous cargo.
MSC Napoli: 2007 container ship beached at Branscombe, Devon, after Channel structural failure.
Multraship Salvage: Dutch salvage and towage company providing emergency response in northwest Europe.

N

Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks: Adopted 2007, in force 14 April 2015, requires compulsory wreck removal insurance for ships above 300 GT.
National Maritime Services: USCG-recognised salvor and OPA-90 SMFF provider in US Southeast.

O

OPA-90 Salvage and Marine Firefighting Rule: 33 CFR 155 Subpart I requiring pre-arranged SMFF coverage for tankers and non-tankers in US waters.
Open Form: Generic term for LOF, distinct from lump-sum Wreckfixed.

P

P&I Club: Mutual insurance association covering protection-and-indemnity risks.
Parbuckling: Rotational righting of a capsized vessel as performed on Costa Concordia 2013.
Patch Plate: Pre-fabricated steel sheet bolted or welded over hull damage.
Pioneering Spirit: Allseas dual-hull heavy-lift and pipelay vessel of 382 m length, capable of S-lay and J-lay.
Place of Refuge: Sheltered area allowing a casualty to stabilise, framed by IMO Resolution A.949(23).
Pull-Test Wire: Calibrated towing wire used to assess maximum pull a grounded hull can sustain.

Q

Qatar Towing Co: Persian Gulf operator, occasional partner on regional salvage tasks.
QHSE Audit: Quality, Health, Safety and Environment audit conducted before mobilising salvors.

R

Refloating Plan: Approved engineering document governing the steps to lift a grounded hull.
Rena: Greek-owned Liberian-flag container ship that grounded on Astrolabe Reef NZ on 5 October 2011.
Resolve Marine Group: US marine salvage and emergency response company headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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.
Salvage Arbitration: Process by which Lloyd's appointed arbitrators determine LOF awards.
Salvage Convention 1989: International Convention on Salvage, with Article 14 special compensation.
Salvage Master: Senior salvor in charge of on-scene operations and contract delivery.
Salvage Plan: Document setting out method, equipment, and risk control for the operation.
Salvage Spread: Aggregate of tugs, pumps, divers, and personnel committed to a single casualty.
Salvor in Possession: Salvor exercising rights over salved property until award is satisfied.
SCOPIC Clause: Special Compensation P&I Clause incorporated into LOF.
Sewol: South Korean ro-pax that capsized off Jindo on 16 April 2014 with 304 fatalities.
Shanghai Salvage Bureau: Chinese state owned salvage bureau under the Ministry of Transport, China Rescue and Salvage.
Sleipnir: Heerema semi submersible crane vessel with twin 10,000 t cranes used on offshore substation and foundation installation.
SMIT Salvage: Dutch salvage contractor founded 1842, part of Boskalis since 2010.
Sponson: Hollow steel buoyancy tank welded to a casualty's side to provide lift.
Submersible Pump: Pump with motor and pump combined for installation below liquid surface, used in cargo and ballast tanks.

T

T&T Salvage: US headquartered salvage contractor with OPA 90 OSRO standing.
Thialf: Heerema semi submersible crane vessel with twin 7,100 t cranes, used on offshore substation and foundation installation.
Titan Salvage: Crowley salvage subsidiary, parbuckled Costa Concordia, merged into Ardent 2015.
TOWCON 2008: BIMCO international ocean towage agreement, lump sum.
TOWHIRE 2008: BIMCO international ocean towage agreement, daily hire.
Tricolor: 2002 car carrier sinking in the Channel after collision, dismantled by SMIT and Multraship.
Tsavliris Salvage: Greek salvage company based in Athens with worldwide LOF experience.

U

Underwriter Approval: Hull and machinery underwriter sign-off required for salvage methodology.
Unified Command: Multi-agency command structure used in mass rescue operations.
USCG Atlantic Strike Team: Fort Dix-based federal response unit interfacing with salvors.

V

Vapor Recovery Unit: Equipment connected to receiving tank during fuel transfer to prevent gas release.
Vessel Response Plan: OPA 90 mandated owner plan listing salvor, OSRO, and firefighter.

W

Wakashio: 2020 Japanese owned bulker grounded on Mauritius reef, broken in two for removal.
Welding Habitat: Hyperbaric or atmospheric enclosure permitting underwater dry welding.
Wreck Removal Convention: Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks 2007, in force from 14 April 2015.
WRECKFIXED 2010: BIMCO lump-sum wreck removal contract.
WRECKHIRE 2010: BIMCO daily hire wreck removal contract.
WRECKSTAGE 2010: BIMCO milestone payment wreck removal contract.

X

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

York-Antwerp Rules: CMI-drafted rules for adjustment of general average; current editions 1994, 2004, 2016.

Z

Zinc Anode Survey: Diver inspection of cathodic protection on a long-grounded wreck.
Zulu Time: Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the navigation reference.