Ship that capsized at Valongo Park, in Santos, has removal approved by the Navy

Historic ship Professor W. Besnard capsized at Porto de Santos, in front of Parque Valongo, and is partially submerged (Alexsander Ferraz/AT Archive)

The 8th Distrito Naval of Marinha do Brasil approved the removal plan for the oceanographic vessel Professor W. Besnard, presented by the company contracted on an emergency basis by Autoridade Portuária de Santos (APS). The vessel listed (capsized) at Port of Santos, in front of Valongo Park, and has been partially submerged since March 13.

The plan, approved last Friday, wants to gradually restoring the vessel’s buoyancy through internal dewatering and other actions. Once the vessel is in suitable condition, it is expected to be moved to a shipyard, where the possibility of its restoration will be assessed.

According to APS, recovery services for Professor W. Besnard have been underway since March 31, including assessments carried out by divers, as well as cleaning and sealing of the vessel’s hull. “The case has been treated as a priority since the incident, with a focus on navigation safety and environmental preservation”, says the Port’s management.

Although the vessel belongs to Instituto do Mar, APS assumed responsibility in light of the emergency situation declared by Capitania dos Portos de São Paulo (CPSP).

On the 7th, A Tribuna published a report showing that the refloating of the ship was expected to take place later this month, according to Marfort Serviços Marítimos Ltda, the company responsible for the service, which is budgeted at R\$ 8.6 million and was contracted without bidding, on an emergency basis, by Autoridade Portuária.

After refloating, a technical inspection will be carried out to determine the vessel’s condition. The plan is to tow the ship to Marfort’s maritime base, on the Left Bank of the Port, in Guarujá, in May.

The vessel was used for 40 years by Instituto Oceanográfico da USP on more than 150 voyages to Antarctica, among other oceanographic missions. However, it has been out of use since 2008.

In 2016, Prefeitura de Ilhabela received ownership of the vessel from USP but did not have funds for refurbishment, leading to a legal dispute. In July 2023, the courts determined that the city administration of the North Coast should dismantle the ship due to environmental risk and lack of seaworthiness.

A conciliation hearing, with the consent of Ministério Público de São Paulo (MPSP), held in November 2023, suspended the obligations imposed on Ilhabela, and the vessel remained with Instituto do Mar.