Calm Buoy

In 2010/11 JFD carried out the recovery of a 175T mooring buoy, four anchors and 5km of chain in a contract for the MoD.

Calm Buoy

James Fisher companies, James Fisher Defence and Fendercare have, together, completed the recovery of a 14m diameter 175T buoy, four anchors and over 5km of chain from the seabed off Toulon, France under contract to the Salvage & Marine Operations Integrated Project Team (S&MO) of the UK Ministry of Defence.

The buoy, a Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring (“CALM”) buoy was originally installed to moor the Longbow barge during missile firing trials. On completion of these trials all equipment had to be removed from the site. Using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) mobilised to the Offshore Support Vessel, “Normand Pioneer”, the James Fisher team surveyed all equipment on the seabed, cut the anchors and recovered all chains, two 60T gravity anchors and two purpose-built plough anchors. The CALM buoy was towed into Toulon where it will be recycled while all the remaining items were offloaded at Great Yarmouth. On completion of the recovery-work a seabed survey was undertaken and additional debris cleared.

Following an initial mobilisation in Aberdeen on 21st to 23rd December the ship sailed for Toulon from where the recovery operation was managed. All recovery work was undertaken between 6th and 16th January and the ship returned to Great Yarmouth to offload on 25th January. Due to the size of the anchors and chain, the safety of the ship and its crew were of paramount importance at all times and all work was controlled through carefully developed and agreed procedures.

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