Vehicles Carrier – NIVIN – Malta Movements

On Friday 26th February, 2021 the 1983 built vehicle carrier NIVIN called at Grand Harbour, Malta for the first time in 2021 since she’s been calling since 2018. She entered harbour assisted by tug SEA SALVOR at 0646 hrs coming from Khoms, Libya.

She was built in Spain by Construcciones Navales Freire at Vigo as SILVERSTONE until January 1983; TARAK LABIAD for Spanish Labiadcar until 13th February 1985; SILVERSTONE until September 2002; SEA HAMEX until November 2003; SEA TRUST (Abou Merhi Lines) until January 2005 of which also capsized in Antwerp, Belgium after engine room fire in June 2004 ; SEA LIBAN until August 2005; VALENTIA until August 2011; CITY OF HAMBURG (Abou Merhi Lines ) until 2015 and BAHAA until 2018.

As mentioned when she was named SEA TRUST she was a casualty – During the evening of 2nd June 2004 the vessel with destination as Beirut, Lebanon capsized in the harbour of Antwerp. A fire started in a car which was placed on deck 2. The extreme production of smoke complicated the extinguish activities which resulted in conjunction with the fire extinguishing water and eventually in the capsizing of the vessel . Fortunately the ship’s funnel touched the quay wall which prevented the SEA TRUST from listing completely.

Following the salvage plan, fuel tanks were carefully closed to avoid leakage of oil. There afterwards, divers closed the underwater part of the ship. Slings were placed under her stern so that cars could be safely discharged from the upper deck of the vessel. Besides, pumps were placed in the cargo space so the pumping/testing could be started a few days after the incident. The divers’ work was executed properly, as was shown when pumps were started up. After filling the ballast tanks at port side, in combination with an increase of the lifting power of the floating sheerlegs NORMA , the car carrier was released from the quay, were she was still listed. With the slings in place and NORMA connected, the vessels list could be reduced from 50° to 20°. When ships’ side doors came above water level, they could be opened safely and more cars could be unloaded from the ship. Eventually after pumping out the cargo space and the stern, Scaldis and Wijsmuller succeeded to right and raise the SEA TRUST completely.

The most difficult part during this salvage operation was for the divers to find their way between decks, cars and other obstructions to place the pumps. After 7 days of hard work, this salvage operation was foreseen to take 10 days. Approximately 150 cars were discharged from the vessel and a total amount of 15.000 m³ of water was pumped out of the ship. SEA TRUST was redelivered to her owners safely afloat along side the quay.

As BAHAA she was first seen at Grand Harbour back to the end of July 2016 where she was drydocked as per below images inside the floating dock CAMILEON at Cassar Ship Repair Yard after tugboat MARI was floated in beginning of August 2016.

Then she was seen back in 2017 and in 2018 with images below are back to 16th February, 2018 –

Back to May 2018 she was spotted drydocked at Palumbo Malta Shipyard Dock 5 as NIVIN. She called both during years 2019 and 2020 (of which she was again drydocked inside the floating dock CAMILEON at Cassar Ship Repair Yard back to 23rd May 2020 (As per below image)