Three sections of the Golden Ray wreck remain (of Eight originally designated in order from bow to stern) after Section Three arrived at a response facility near Mayor’s Point Terminal on Monday, July 5. Welders secured the section to cradles on the barge after the VB-10000 safely lifted the section onto a dry-dock barge on Saturday, July 3. Wreck removal personnel will be conducting maintenance on the VB-10000 and the cutting apparatus prior to commencing cutting operations on Section Six.  (article continues after photo)

Tugs guide a dry-dock barge underneath Section Three of the Golden Ray wreck during lifting operations on Saturday, July 3. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.

Wreck removal personnel completed cutting operations and separated Section Three from the remainder of the Golden Ray wreck on Thursday morning, July 1.

Welding technicians continue to make repairs to the side plates of the lifting lugs for Sections Four, Five and Six on the topside of the Golden Ray wreck. Response engineers will reinspect the lugs using non-destructive testing once the repairs are complete.

“Safety on the water is always a concern for our personnel and for the community especially during holidays,” said U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Efren Lopez, federal on-scene coordinator. “Everyday our operations demand a constant flow of response vessels around the wreck site especially when we separate a section of the wreck like today. Please continue to respect our safety zone around the wreck and we encourage boaters to operate safely.”

Weight-shedding crews removed 41 vehicles and a few movable decks from Section Three on Friday, July 2. Weight-shedding is a multi-strategy approach which includes tactics such as vehicle and deck removal and using water streams to mitigate increased weight in the sections due to large accumulations of sediment.

More photos:

Weight-shedding crews remove vehicles from Section Three of the Golden Ray wreck during preparations to lift the section onto a dry-dock barge on Friday. Any reduction in weight ensures a safer overall lifting operation. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.

An aerial observer surveys the Golden Ray wreck site and communicates critical information to nearby environmental response vessels during Section Three lifting operations on Saturday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.  [Section Three is visible beneath the VB-10,000 heavy lift vessel, while the three sections remain aground]

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