A South Florida-based salvage company hopes to roll the Spiegel Grove Friday, according to the firm's president. 

"We want to be ready to have tugboats on the scene by Friday afternoon," said Joe Farrell, president of Resolve Towing and Salvage. "If all goes well, we’ll attach cables from the ship to the tugs and make the first attempt." 

Farrell cautioned that changes in weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances could delay the effort. He also said there was no way to predict whether Resolve would be successful on the first try. 

The 510-foot retired Navy ship sank upside-down Friday, May, 17, hours before crews had planned to scuttle it to create an artificial reef. The ship lies partially floating in about 130 feet of water, its bow protruding above the sea, in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, about six miles off Key Largo. 

Farrell said that a combination of four factors would play key roles in the attempt to right and fully sink the ship. They are: 

• A series of surface lift bags, attached to the port (left) side of the vessel, to provide about 500 tons of buoyancy. 

• Air injection in 19 port ballast tanks providing about 2,000 tons of lift. 

• Two tugboats with a total of 100 tons of pull. 

• The ocean’s current, with an undetermined amount of force. 

Resolve's salvage vessel, Lana Rose, pulled alongside the Spiegel Grove, and the company's salvaging experts ran a model of the ship through salvaging software. They devised a plan to roll the ship at least onto its starboard, or right, side but are aiming for a final upright position. "If we get lucky, and the current helps us roll it over, it will be a one-shot deal" with the vessel sinking upright on the bottom, Farrell said. 

Spiegel Grove organizers want the ship to come to rest upright so its upper decks approach within 40 feet of the surface. Its nooks and crannies would be visible to snorkelers, and scuba divers of all levels would have something to explore. 

If the Spiegel Grove just turns on its side, Farrell then will assess the possibility of securing chains to the side of the ship where it meets the bottom. In conjunction with repositioning the air bags, hydraulic jacks on a barge would hoist the chains upward, three feet at a time, with 300 tons of force apiece, until the vessel turned upright, Farrell said. "Maybe we're too stupid to be intimidated but we feel we're up to this job," he said. 

Resolve divers are in the process of installing 60 to 70 heavy vinyl inflatable airbags onto the left, or port, side of the Spiegel Grove to provide 500 tons of buoyancy or lift. When inflated, some of the bags would stand more than 24 feet tall. 

Divers will also feed air hoses into 19 ballast tanks located on the port side of the well deck. The goal is to displace 2,000 tons of water from the left side of the ship, Farrell said. This must be done without bursting the tanks or pumping air into unintended parts of the ship. If all goes as planned, the left side will begin to float. Additional lift is to be provided by several 5,000-horsepower tug boats to help get the ship upright. 

The prevailing sea current, which runs from the south at up to 3 knots, should catch the hull and help to roll the Spiegel Grove, Farrell explained. But even with the company's 20 years of salvage experience, there are many unknowns in the process, Farrell cautioned. As divers install the airbags and begin to pump air into the Spiegel Grove, the ship could begin to roll on its own, before the tugs arrive, Farrell said. Resolve team members must be careful not to get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. "It's going to get a little risky for us," Farrell said.

~ Andy Newman, Florida Keys TDC 

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KEY LARGO, Florida Keys -- Preparations continued Wednesday to reorient and fully sink a retired Navy ship in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. 

The 510-foot decommissioned Landing Ship Dock Spiegel Grove sank upside-down Friday, May, 17, hours before crews had planned to scuttle it to create an artificial reef. The ship lies partially floating in about 130 feet of water, its bow protruding above the sea, about six miles off Key Largo. 

Wednesday, divers from Resolve Marine Group finished installing about 70 air lift bags on the port (left) side of the vessel that are to provide about 500 tons of buoyancy when fully inflated. 

They also began examining and testing 19 port ballast tanks that are to be injected with air to provide about 2,000 tons of lift. 

Resolve Marine President Joe Farrell said that if the ballast tanks tested properly, he was hopeful that two tugboats would arrive on the Spiegel Grove site by Friday afternoon. The tugs are to provide about 100 tons of pull and coupled with the ocean's current, should help roll the vessel. 

Farrell cautioned that weather conditions and unforseen circumstances could delay the first effort to reorient the Spiegel Grove. He also said that even if tugs arrived on scene Friday, their use to pull the ship might be postponed until Saturday morning.

"There are still many uncertainies involved with this salvage operation," Farrell said. "Even though we've invested a tremendous amount of marine engineering, this is still an inexact science. 

"For example, though not probable, it is possible the ship might roll on its own, once we get all lift bags inflated and air topped off in the ballast tanks," he said. "Although the Spiegel Grove is a huge ship, this is a delicate operation. 

"The ultimate goal is to make sure this ship is light enough to not only roll up, but all the way over on her bottom," he said. 

Farrell said that a combination of four factors would play key roles in the attempt to right and fully sink the ship. They are: 

• A series of surface lift bags, attached to the port (left) side of the vessel, to provide about 500 tons of buoyancy. 

• Air injection in 19 port ballast tanks providing about 2,000 tons of lift. 

• Two tugboats with a total of 100 tons of pull. 

• The ocean’s current, with an undetermined amount of force. 

The Spiegel Grove is currently anchored with the back end of the stern helicopter pad on the sandy bottom and about 70 feet of its overturned bow floating clear of the water. 

The Spiegel Grove is the largest ship ever scuttled to create an artificial reef. 

Two days after the mishap, the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce inked a contract with Resolve to reorient the ship. The Spiegel Grove is anchored with the back end of the stern helicopter pad on the sandy bottom and the tip of its overturned bow floating clear of the water. 

Resolve's salvage vessel, Lana Rose, pulled alongside the Spiegel Grove, and the company's salvaging experts ran a model of the ship through salvaging software. They devised a plan to roll the ship at least onto its starboard, or right, side but are aiming for a final upright position. 

"If we get lucky, and the current helps us roll it over, it will be a one-shot deal" with the vessel sinking upright on the bottom, Farrell said. 

Spiegel Grove organizers want the ship to come to rest upright so its upper decks approach within 40 feet of the surface. Its nooks and crannies would be visible to snorkelers, and scuba divers of all levels would have something to explore. 

If the Spiegel Grove just turns on its side, Farrell then will assess the possibility of securing chains to the side of the ship where it meets the bottom. In conjunction with repositioning the air bags, hydraulic jacks on a barge would hoist the chains upward, three feet at a time, with 300 tons of force apiece, until the vessel turned upright, Farrell said. 

"Maybe we're too stupid to be intimidated but we feel we're up to this job," he said. 

Resolve divers are in the process of installing 60 to 70 heavy vinyl inflatable airbags onto the left, or port, side of the Spiegel Grove to provide 500 tons of buoyancy or lift. When inflated, some of the bags would stand more than 24 feet tall. 

Resolve divers are to feed air hoses into 19 ballast tanks located on the port side of the well deck. The goal is to displace 2,000 tons of water from the left side of the ship, Farrell said. This must be done without bursting the tanks or pumping air into unintended parts of the ship. 

If all goes as planned, the left side will begin to float. Additional lift is to be provided by several 5,000-horsepower tug boats to help get the ship upright. 

The prevailing sea current, which runs from the south at up to 3 knots, should catch the hull and help to roll the Spiegel Grove, Farrell explained. 

Even with the company's 20 years of salvage experience, there are many unknowns in the process, Farrell cautioned. 

As divers install the airbags and begin to pump air into the Spiegel Grove, the ship could begin to roll on its own, before the tugs arrive, Farrell said. 

Resolve team members must be careful not to get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

"It's going to get a little risky for us," Farrell said. 

Cost to the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce, whose board of directors approved the contract with Resolve, is estimated to add another $250,000 to the $1 million already expended. 

"We know we have a very valuable resource and the fact that the Spiegel Grove will be the best artificial reef in the world," said Stephen Frink, a project organizer and a board member of the Key Largo Chamber. "We're going to invest what we have to, to make this ship right." Frink added. 

Frink said several local groups, including the Ocean Reef Community Association on North Key Largo, have pledged additional financial support. He said the chamber is also counting on additional revenue from the sale of Spiegel Grove commemorative medallions. 

PHOTO:  Crew by Stephen Frink (from www.spiegel-grove.com).

http://fla-keys.com/news/917.htm

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By Kevin Wadlow Senior Staff Writer 
kwadlow@keynoter.com

People throughout the world were waiting to see the Spiegel Grove sink three weeks ago.

Now even more may be following the saga of trying to roll the 510-foot retired Navy ship upright.

National news networks, including NBC and the Discovery Channel, have been carrying updates on the frantic effort to roll the massive ship over so it can properly serve as the world's largest artificial reef in sport-diving range.

The first attempt at righting the ship could be made Friday, but that remained highly tentative at press time.

Changes in weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances could push the attempt back into the weekend, said project officials.

"We want to be ready to have tugboats on the scene by Friday afternoon," said Joe Farrell, president of Resolve Marine Group, the Fort Lauderdale firm handling the salvage project.

"If all goes well, we'll attach cables from the ship to the tugs and make the first attempt," Farrell said.

The Spiegel Grove flooded sooner than expected May 17 and rolled over. Now about 40 feet of the hull protrudes above the water six miles off Key Largo.

If the vessel settles permanently on the bottom in an upside-down position, the Spiegel Grove's value as a dive attraction would be greatly diminished.

"If we get lucky and the current helps us roll it over, it will be a one-shot deal" with the 6,880-ton vessel sinking upright on the bottom, Farrell said.

According to the plan to move the ship, the Resolve Marine crew will:

• Inflate up to 70 lift huge bags, attached to the port side of the vessel, to provide about 500 tons of buoyancy.
• Inject air into 19 port ballast tanks, displacing an estimated 2,000 to 2,500 tons of water.
• Use about 100 tons of pulling power from two large tugboats to try to turn the ship.

If the Spiegel Grove settles onto its starboard side, Resolve will assess the chances of using hydraulic pumps aboard a surface barge and repositioned lift bags to bring the ship completely upright.

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May 14: History, photos, & Key Largo arrival 
May 17: Breaking news & photos of the sinking
May 18: More stories & sinking sequence photos
May 19: Early plans to right her are forming
May 20: Underwater photos & interactive graphic
May 21: Exclusive eyewitness story
May 22: Crew heads south to begin work
May 23: The Lana Rose is on the scene
May 24: Efforts delayed due to weather
May 25: Project Chairman resigns, then talks
May 26: Spiegel Grove is not the first...
May 27: Salvor reveals righting plans
May 31:  Rolling date set.  Graphics & map
June 1:   Volunteers help salvor
June 2:  Work nearing completion
June 4:  A Friday flip?
June 5:  Use your mouse to right the ship!
June 6:  Sinking moved to Monday
June 7:  Attaching the lift bags
June 8:  Weather changes plans
June 9:  Tugboats arrive for final preparation
June 10: She's on the roll...and goes down
June 11:  Salvors are done...she's on her 
               starboard side...and she is 
               WORLD FAMOUS!