Partially sunken ship to be righted soon

GEORGE TOWN: With a good pair of binoculars, you will get to see how a partially sunken ship is righted off the southern coast of Penang island.

The ship, Xin Yi Yi, can be seen from the seaside in Permatang Damar Laut.

Salvaging work will begin soon, said the ship’s local agent S. Elumalai.

He said several ship salvaging experts checked on the vessel’s condition after the state Marine Depart­ment last week gave the Hong Kong owner 14 days to remove it.

“There are many ways to do it and the shipowner will decide on the best method,” he said, adding that salvaging work will begin in one or two days.

The blue and red Xin Yi Yi, which is about 40 tonnes and 43m long, is now lying on its side 4km off Permatang Damar Laut.

Last Thursday, the ship ran into the remains of a shipwreck nicknamed Kapal Simen at 5.30am and started to list.

As the sea there is shallow, Xin Yi Yi did not completely go under.

In his police report, ship captain Shek Shing Hei said he could not see the light of the warning buoy of Kapal Simen because a thick mist had blanketed Penang and the buoy’s light looked no different from the shimmering of the sea.

A shipping expert who declined to be named said the usual method would be to first patch the hole in the hull created by the crash and then start pumping water out of the ship.

“The ship has no cargo when it arrived from Hong Kong, so it is relatively light.

“You can pump out the ballast and cargo, hold and pump air in. Then you will see the ship slowly rise,” he said.