Seli 1
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The MV ''Seli 1'' was a Turkish
bulk carrier A bulk carrier or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo — such as grains, coal, ore, steel coils, and cement — in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, econom ...
, operated by ''TEB Maritime'' of
Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
, that was en route to
Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...
when it was driven aground off
Bloubergstrand Bloubergstrand is a seaside suburb of the City of Cape Town, South Africa, along the shores of Table Bay, due north of the city centre of Cape Town. The name Bloubergstrand literally means "blue mountain beach" in Afrikaans, and is derived fr ...
near
Table Bay Table Bay (Afrikaans: ''Tafelbaai'') is a natural bay on the Atlantic Ocean overlooked by Cape Town (founded 1652 by Van Riebeeck) and is at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula, which stretches south to the Cape of Good Hope. It was named ...
, South Africa by strong westerly winds shortly after midnight on 8 September 2009, having reported engine failure and a snapped anchor chain.


Wreck

Panamanian Panamanians (Spanish: ''Panameños'') are people identified with Panama, a transcontinental country in Central America (a region within North America) and South America, whose connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For mo ...
-registered ''Seli 1'', registered to Turkey's Ataduru Denizcilik, was carrying a cargo of 30,000 tons of coal, and 660 tons of
heavy fuel oil Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) is a category of fuel oils of a tar-like consistency. Also known as bunker fuel, or residual fuel oil, HFO is the result or remnant from the distillation and cracking process of petroleum. For this reason, HFO is contaminate ...
with 60 tons of
diesel fuel Diesel fuel , also called diesel oil, is any liquid fuel specifically designed for use in a diesel engine, a type of internal combustion engine in which fuel ignition takes place without a spark as a result of compression of the inlet air and t ...
to Gibraltar when she suffered engine failure at
Table Bay Table Bay (Afrikaans: ''Tafelbaai'') is a natural bay on the Atlantic Ocean overlooked by Cape Town (founded 1652 by Van Riebeeck) and is at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula, which stretches south to the Cape of Good Hope. It was named ...
, South Africa. Strong westerly winds blew her from her anchorage shortly after midnight on 8 September 2009, driving her aground near
Bloubergstrand Bloubergstrand is a seaside suburb of the City of Cape Town, South Africa, along the shores of Table Bay, due north of the city centre of Cape Town. The name Bloubergstrand literally means "blue mountain beach" in Afrikaans, and is derived fr ...
,
Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
. The 25-strong Turkish crew were rescued by the launch of ''Spirit of Rotary Blouberg'' from Station 18 and ''Spirit of Vodacom'' from Station 3 of the
National Sea Rescue Institute The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is a voluntary non-profit organization in South Africa tasked with saving lives through drowning prevention. It operates 41 bases (as of 2020) comprising coastal stations and inland stations on dams. Ther ...
. The ''Seli 1'' "sustained significant structural damage", but remained capable of being refloated. However, the indecision of the concerned parties led to delays in what initially should have been a simple salvage operation. The ship was extensively damaged by late winter storms, seriously jeopardising any plans to refloat it.
SANCCOB The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) is an international body dedicated to seabird rehabilitation. The only seabird rehabilitation organisation registered with the South African Veterinary Council, the n ...
reported that a total of 219 birds were oiled by a resulting spill. Initial salvage operations focused on removal of 630,000 litres of oil from the ship. Removal of the hazardous fuel oil was contested by the salvage firms of ''Smit Amandla'' and ''Tsavliris'', both of which claimed salvage contracts. Pumping the fuel took a few weeks during which period the weather remained calm, despite swells that enlarged substantial cracks in the main deck. The coal, which had been loaded in
Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
, was eventually removed, eliminating virtually all risk of pollution. The ship's owners, despite abandoning the vessel, opposed selling the coal to defray removal costs. The vessel was branded an eyesore and was clearly visible from tourist beaches and
Table Mountain Table Mountain ( naq, Huriǂoaxa, lit= sea-emerging; af, Tafelberg) is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the ...
.


Aftermath


Surfing

A positive side effect of the wreck's position was the forming of straight sand banks that created waves enjoyed by the surfing community. Dolphin Beach had produced a lackluster wave geometry before the ship’s stranding, but had now become a popular surf spot, well-populated on most days and had been the venue for a number of high-profile contests. Surfing the wreck involved a long and tricky paddle, and often the water was oily.


Fire

On 3 June 2010 the bridge and crew's quarters exploded and burnt, set on fire by the oxy-acetylene cutting torches of a team of 22 salvors from the
South African Maritime Safety Authority The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) is a South African government agency established on 1 April 1998 as a result of the 1998 South African Maritime Safety Authority Act 5. as such it is responsible for the implementation of current ...
(SAMSA) working on the ship, and who had to be rescued by the launch ''Spirit of Vodacom''. Officials of SAMSA said they would take no action as the situation "could be dangerous", and that it would be left to burn. The
City of Cape Town The City of Cape Town ( af, Stad Kaapstad; xh, IsiXeko saseKapa) is the metropolitan municipality which governs the city of Cape Town, South Africa and its suburbs and exurbs. As of the 2011 census, it had a population of 3,740,026. The remo ...
's fire chief officer confirmed that the National Ports Authority had been notified, and had declined to comment since it was outside normal office hours.


Removal

The piecemeal dismantling of the wreck was still under way in April 2011. A SAMSA spokesman stated they intended weakening the hull with explosives and that with the help of winter storms the vessel should be gone by the end of 2012. On the night of Friday 31 August 2012 an oil slick was spotted on the coast, fouling nearby beaches and oiling hundreds of seabirds. It is suspected that rough seas caused the wreck to shift resulting in a kilometer-long oil slick that washed up on the beach. The
Koeberg nuclear power station Koeberg nuclear power station is a nuclear power station in South Africa. It is currently the only one on the entire African continent. It is located 30 km north of Cape Town, near Melkbosstrand on the west coast of South Africa. Koeberg ...
was placed on alert due to the proximity of the spill to its intake basin. The
Department of Transport The Department for Transport (DfT) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have not been devolved. The d ...
announced a removal operation that would cost the taxpayer R40 million, to be managed by the
South African Maritime Safety Authority The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) is a South African government agency established on 1 April 1998 as a result of the 1998 South African Maritime Safety Authority Act 5. as such it is responsible for the implementation of current ...
. According to a departmental spokesman the removal should be completed by the winter of 2013.


See also

*
List of shipwrecks in South Africa This is a list of shipwrecks located in or around the continent of Africa. East Africa Eritrea Kenya Mozambique Somalia Tanzania Lake Victoria Lake Albert Madagascar North Africa Algeria Egypt Libya Morocco/Western Sahara ...


References


External links


Flight over the Sali shipwreck 2012 & 2013The Seli 1 Joint Operations Committee is appealing to members of the publicEnvironmental protection, a priority for authorities and salvorsWWF Calls for Improved Maritime Legislation After Seli 1 Oil Spill
{{Coord, 33, 49, 15.75, S, 18, 28, 24.58, E, display=title Shipwrecks of the South African Atlantic coast 2009 in South Africa 1980 ships