Salvage of the Maurienne

On the 7th of February in 1942, the master of the 3,259 GRT freighter Maurienne was dealing with some frozen pipes in one of the holds. He subsequently directed a worker to use an acetylene torch to thaw said pipes, and a fire later erupted in that same location. When conventional efforts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful, the master ordered the scuttling of his vessel, which in turn resulted in the almost total loss of the cargo after she capsized at the pier (as noted on page 21 of International Maritime Conventions: Volume 1, which also details a legal action brought against the shipping firm by the owners of three crates and one drum of shoe leather). 

Built in Denmark in 1938 as a refrigerated vessel to transport bananas, and only taken over by the Canadian Government at the beginning of the war, Maurienne was a new vessel . Coupled with the fact that the 324-foot vessel was also blocking the use of a portion of Pier 27/28 in the wartime Port of Halifax, her salvage would presumably have been a priority, and therefore she was subsequently salvaged by Foundation Maritime. 

The capsized freighter Maurienne.

Another view of the capsized ship, with the superstructure facing the pier. I'm assuming these photos were taken right after the sinking, such that reserve air in the hull was keeping the hull barely afloat, as later images suggest the hull was farther below the surface during the salvage work, and these photos do not appear to me to have been taken at low tide.

The salvage of the Maurienne was undertaken by Foundation Maritime in two main phases: righting, and then refloating. To begin, at least two cofferdams were constructed on the side of the ship to allow work to continue in the dry - two righting masts had to be attached to the side of the ship.

By June 24, 1942, Cofferdam #2 was ready to accept the righting mast. The two legs of the righting mast will go into the two openings marked with an "X". The "No.1" in the corner of the image refers to the image number, and not that of the cofferdam (which I got from the image caption).

A pontoon supports a diving platform alongside Cofferdam #2 - the platform seems to be slung from the two arms. At least two divers sit in their suits on the platform. 

Cofferdam #1 (background, with mast installed) and Cofferdam #2 (foreground). A support pontoon lies alongside each cofferdam, presumably carrying the pumps to keep each cofferdam dry. Foundation Scarboro, without her shear legs installed, is to the left of the image.

Foundation Scarboro starting to lift the righting mast into place in Cofferdam #2.

The righting mast being installed in Cofferdam #2.

Workers help drop the righting mast into place within Cofferdam #2, as seen from atop the rotating crane cab on Foundation Scarboro.

Cofferdam #1 with the righting mast installed. A bridge (without railings!) extends back to the Pier at the right of the photo. So much for Health and Safety.

Righting masts installed, but with cofferdams removed, to show how the masts are attached to the side of the ship.

By July 26, 1942, the ship was ready to be righted. Tension was taken up on the cables attached to the two righting masts, and the ship was slowly righted. Presumably the hull was anchored to the bottom in some manner to ensure the hull rotated, and was not simply pulled away from the pier. 

Note: Mac Mackay of Shipfax was kind enough to tell me that this type of salvage is properly referred to as "parbuckle salvage", or "parbuckling". The "righting masts" as I call them above are properly called "bents".

Righting the Maurienne.

Just past 45 degrees.

Once righted, there was a release of air trapped in the ship.

Righted, but not yet refloated.

Believe it or not, this appears to have been the easy part of the salvage. Maurienne was still sitting on the bottom of Halifax Harbour, and needed to be refloated. Foundation Maritime elected to build a new, larger, cofferdam around the majority of the ship's deck. The cofferdam extended above the surface of the water at high tide (you can see the stains from the tidal cycles on the side of the cofferdam) so that the interior of the ship could be pumped out. 

Construction of the new cofferdam proceeds around a forward mast, ahead of the bridge which appears to the left of the image.

The view from inside the cofferdam, taken looking forward from aft of the funnel. To the right is a wooden frame that appears to be used to handle a couple of pumps. This may have been positioned over one of the ship's holds. 

The view from the deck of the ship itself, within the cofferdam.

Two of the Jaeger engines used during the salvage - I'm assuming these were diesel engines used to power centrifugal pumps.

The pumping operation is underway, and a deckhouse at the stern has just broken the surface.

Pumps running from inside a cofferdam to bring Maurienne to the surface.

Pumping continues. Taken on the port side this time, the ship's nameboards can be seen displaying "Maurienne". 

The cofferdam support framework on the starboard side next to the funnel, with the pumps running.

Some of the array of pumps that was used to bring Maurienne back to the surface. 

In conjunction with the pumping operation, barges with shear legs also appear to have been lifting at the bow, ahead of the cofferdam. These may have helped to keep the ship on an even keel during the refloating operation.

Pumps running from the cofferdam, with the bow gunwale appearing to the right. The barges with shear legs can also been seen lifting here. 

Returning to the surface, though still with a list to starboard.

With pumps still running, Maurienne arriving at the surface. The deckhouse from Image #120 above can be seen here, just behind the cofferdam.

In November of 1942, while Maurienne was once again afloat, work was ongoing and the ship still looked much the worse for wear.

The refloated Maurienne. What I assume are the remains of the attachments for Righting Mast #1 can be seen just above the waterline just forward of the bridge.

Maurienne from aft.

After the war ended, Maurienne was returned to her original owners and refitted once against for refrigerated cargo. She was sold several times after 1953 (and renamed), and suffered another fire in 1963 in Hong Kong that led to her scrapping.

The entire gallery of photos of the salvage operation can be seen here:

https://smcclearn.smugmug.com/Nautical/Foundation-Maritime-storage/4064-Maurienne/n-xh3bMC/i-4WGpSCS/A

Some of the photos appearing here came with captions explaining the procedure, but most did not, and I have interpreted (e.g. guessed) them to the best of my ability.

Bibliography & Acknowledgements:

Berlingieri, Francesco. (2014). "International Maritime Conventions: Volume 1 - The Carriage of Goods and Passengers by Sea". Informa Law, New York.

Bertke, Donald A; Smith, Gordon; Kindell, Don. (2013). "World War II Sea War - Volume 5". Bertke Publications, Dayton, Ohio, USA. Viewed online.

Nova Scotia Marine Heritage Wreck Database

Wrecksite.eu https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?35482

Photos from the AECON collection.

Foundation Scarboro

To follow up on my post from last week, I thought I would showcase a small portion of the operational history of the Foundation Scarboro, a "derrick, compressor, and power boat of 230 tons lifting capacity".

Data sheet for Foundation Scarboro from a late-1950s rate schedule published by Foundation Maritime. 

Foundation Scarboro could be fitted with different lengths of shear legs, along with pontoons alongside the hull, to adjust her lifting capacity.

Foundation Scarboro under tow by the tug Glenlivet around January 6, 1932. Though bearing the Foundation "F" on her funnel, I can find no further information on the Glenlivet. 

The marine arm of the Foundation Company of Canada started off as a continuation of their shore-based construction business, and Foundation Scarboro ranged widely from the Great Lakes to the East Coast assisting in the construction of various projects, such as water intakes, wharves, and the like. 

Foundation Scarboro lifting what appears to be some sort of water intake manifold, possibly in Toronto.

Electrical switchboard, presumably onboard Foundation Scarboro.

Lifting hook used by Foundation Scarboro.

Foundation Scarboro herself would have been, if not the first, then one of the first assets of Foundation's new marine construction arm. Starting off as a barge with two shear legs capable of lifting up to 263 tons (assuming 40-foot shear legs and pontoons were fitted), she needed a tug to get her from one location to the next. Some time before 1935, she was fitted with an electric revolving derrick crane of 25-ton capacity for greater flexibility with smaller loads. 

In December 1935, Foundation Scarboro was in Saint John, New Brunswick, handling concrete cylinders 9' in diameter. 

Foundation Scarboro handling a concrete cylinder in Saint John. I'm guessing the cylinder was pre-cast within the graving dock, which was then flooded so that Scarboro could pick it up, deliver, and install it. She has pontoons installed to increase her lifting capacity.

A close-up of the "equalizer" that was used to allow both shear legs to share the load of the concrete cylinders.

Foundation Scarboro, now with the rotating crane derrick installed, is shown placing a 9' diameter concrete cylinder. The tug alongside does not seem to belong to the Foundation fleet.

Placing a concrete cylinder in Saint John.

In September 1945, Foundation Scarboro was back to help dismantle Berths 1, 2, 3, and 4 in West Saint John, possibly in preparation for a new immigration and customs facility. The EGM Company of Montreal was awarded a contract to prepare the site, and I wonder if the Foundation Company of Canada received a sub-contract for the marine work. 

Foundation Scarboro in drydock, presumably in Saint John, NB.

From the looks of the scaffolding around the top of the shear legs and around the pontoon alongside the hull, it would appear that Foundation Scarboro is receiving some maintenance work.

Foundation Scarboro was also dragged into Foundation Maritime's salvage business at times. In at least one instance, it was to salvage one of their own: as told in Farley Mowat's Grey Seas Under (p. 171-172), Foundation Maritime frantically purchased any tug still afloat that they could get their hands on at the beginning of the Second World War, and many were in fragile condition - in the case of the John G. Chandler, she was rammed at her berth in Halifax in late 1940, raised, and sank again. Foundation Scarboro raised her, and a number of these unfortunate vessels ended up beached on McNab's Island - the Chandler possibly among them.

Note: I've since discovered the entry for the John G. Chandler in the NS wreck database, and it indicates that she sunk on December 10, 1940, after a collision with Foundation Jupiter.

Additional Note: Mac Mackay of Shipfax was able to fill in some of the missing information here. He writes: "JOHN G. CHANDLER was built in 1902 in Bath, Maine and arrived in Halifax for the first time that I can determine, in August 1940. FM was so desperate for tugs they bought whatever they could find. On November 10, 1940 it sank at the dock. It was raised January 1, 1940 and was being towed to Mill Cove for drydocking (I guess there was a slipway there) but it began to sink again, so was towed back to the Foundation dock where it fell over on its side and filled with water.".

Raising the John G. Chandler.

Raising the John G. Chandler.

In 1943, Foundation Scarboro raised the wreck of the lightship Red Island in Halifax Harbour (I am currently unable uncover further information about this ship). 

Raising the Red Island. Roy Tidman photo, Halifax Chronicle and Daily Star.

Foundation Scarboro seems to have remained in service for quite some time. In a company publication from the early 1960s (it shows the "newly purchased" salvage vessel Foundation Venture, which was purchased in 1961), Foundation Scarboro was still shown as part of the Foundation Maritime fleet.