Lysblink Seaways Refloats

The grounded vessel Lysblink Seaways self-floated from the foreshore at Kilchoan shortly before 9 pm on Thursday 19 February, the UK Coastguard agency reported.  

The vessel is now anchored close to the location of the grounding.

The salvage team and two salvage vessels remain on scene and the crew remain on board.

Further assessments of the vessel will be made at first light on Friday morning, the coastguard said.

The Secretary of State’s Representative for Salvage and Intervention, (SOSREP) is working closely with all the organisations involved and is monitoring the situation.

Lysblink Seaways, owned by Copenhagen-based DFDS Logistics Rederi AS,  ran aground north of the Isle of Mull, off the west coast of Scotland, on February 18th.

A small leak was detected on the starboard side of the vessel. The leak was initially estimated to be an egg cup in volume as it had created a light sheen of about 2m by 2m.

However, the coastguard said Thursday that there had been a further release of diesel oil from the cargo vessel. Information on estimated amount of released oil has not been disclosed yet.

Plans are in place to continue to use an absorbent boom to collect any dispersing oil.

“Anything that can be captured and removed to minimise damage to the environment, we will do,” Hugh Shaw, the Secretary of State’s representative (SOSREP), said.

The coastguard said that there is a lot of salvage work still to be done and as a matter of urgency the dive inspection needs to be completed so that the full condition of the vessel is known.

“Equipment is still being brought to the site for the salvors but it is not easy to get to making travel time longer,” the coastguard added in the latest update.

A temporary exclusion zone of 100 metres has been established around the vessel.

The weather is favourable for the work of the diving team today.