Page 17: of Marine Technology Magazine (May 2014)

One step closer to re ß oatingOperations to install the Þ rst of the 19 sponsons to be positioned for the reß oating of the Concordia wreck concluded on Monday, April 28 after 2.5 days of work, according to the Concordia wreck removal project infor- mative website. The sponson S13, noted as the biggest in weight and size, is now positioned on the starboard side at about 11m in depth from the artiÞ cial seabed on which the Concordia rests since the parbuckling completed in September. The sponson reached Giglio Island via barge and was unloaded and placed into the water through rotating crane of pon- toon Conquest. It was then completely Þ lled with wa- ter so that it could be submerged and connected through a sophisticated auto-matic system of the chains that keep it anchored to the wreck. Technicians next partially emptied the sponson to make it lighter and give it the buoyancy needed to keep the chains ten- sioned.Before reß oating, another 14 sponsons need to be positioned on the starboard side and four on the port side of the Concordia. Sponsons will be completely emptied to provide the buoyancy needed to re- ß oat the Concordia and prepare it for transportation.www.theparbucklingproject.com Costa Concordia Costa Concordia Photo courtesy the Parbuckling Project Marine Technology Reporter 17www.seadiscovery.com MTR #4 (1-17).indd 17MTR #4 (1-17).indd 175/13/2014 11:09:01 AM5/13/2014 11:09:01 AM