SELI1

A chilling wind whipped across Bloubergstrand. The year was 2009. The MV Seli 1, a Turkish bulk carrier, met its fate. The Seli 1 was sailing to Gibraltar. It carried 30,000 tons of coal and hundreds of tons of fuel oil. Engine failure and a snapped anchor chain crippled the vessel. Strong westerly winds then drove the Seli 1 aground. The incident happened shortly after midnight on September 8th. The Seli 1 ran aground near Table Bay. Thankfully, the entire 25-person Turkish crew was rescued. The National Sea Rescue Institute coordinated the rescue. The Seli 1 suffered significant structural damage. Initially, refloating the vessel seemed possible. However, indecision and delays complicated the salvage operation. Winter storms further ravaged the ship. This jeopardized any remaining hope of refloating it. An oil spill occurred. It oiled hundreds of seabirds, according to SANCCOB. Salvage operations initially prioritized removing the 630,000 liters of oil. Two salvage firms, Smit Amandla and Tsavliris, contested the oil removal contract. The removal took several weeks. Thankfully, calm weather prevailed during this period. However, swells widened cracks in the main deck. The coal cargo, loaded in Durban, was eventually removed. This eliminated the pollution risk. The ship’s owners abandoned the Seli 1. Yet they opposed selling the coal to cover removal costs. The Seli 1 became an eyesore. It was visible from tourist beaches and Table Mountain. A fire erupted on the bridge and crew quarters in June 2010. The fire was accidental, caused by cutting torches during salvage work. SAMSA oversaw the salvage. They opted to let the fire burn out due to safety concerns. Dismantling the wreck continued into 2011. SAMSA planned to use explosives to weaken the hull. They hoped winter storms would finish the job by the end of 2012. Another oil spill occurred in August 2012. Rough seas shifted the wreck, releasing a kilometer-long oil slick. This prompted an alert at the nearby Koeberg nuclear power station. The South African government ultimately funded a R40 million removal operation. SAMSA managed this operation, completed by March 2013. The wreck was cut into smaller pieces. This aided its collapse and dispersion on the seabed. A marker buoy was placed on the shallowest point of the wreckage in 2015. This serves as a warning to water users about the potential hazard below. The Seli 1’s story is a reminder of the power of the sea and the complexities of maritime salvage.