Castillo de Salas (Ship)
Encyclopedia
The Castillo de Salas was a Spanish bulk carrier
that was launched to sea in Ferrol in August, 1980. It weighed over 50,000 ton
s, displaced
over 100,000 tons of water, measured approximately 250 metres (820.2 ft) in length, 40 metres (131.2 ft) across the beam
, and 14.5 metres (47.6 ft) in draft. It required a crew complement of 32.
. The ship was anchored outside Gijon's seaport (El Musel
) when the ship's anchor came loose in bad weather. Efforts to re-anchor, self-propel and even tow the ship away from the coast failed due to harsh seas. The cargo was nearly 100,000 metric tonnes
of coal loaded in Norfolk, Virginia
as well as over 1000 tonnes of fuel-oil used for propulsion.
On January 15, 1986 the hull broke in two during efforts to bring the ship afloat, therefore releasing a spill of diesel oil and coal ore.
On February 23, 1986 the bow
half of the hull was refloated, towed 39 miles (62.8 km) into the sea and scuttled in waters of 4000 metres in depth. Officials stated that no diesel oil was left in the bow section of the hull. During the following spring, the company "Fondomar" was tasked with scrapping the remainder of the stern
portion of the hull.
One of the ship's anchors is displayed in the Philippe Cousteau Anchor Museum
in Salinas
beach, Spain, 30 km west of Gijón.
Bulk carrier
A bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, ore, and cement in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, economic forces have fueled the development of these ships,...
that was launched to sea in Ferrol in August, 1980. It weighed over 50,000 ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s, displaced
Displacement (ship)
A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...
over 100,000 tons of water, measured approximately 250 metres (820.2 ft) in length, 40 metres (131.2 ft) across the beam
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
, and 14.5 metres (47.6 ft) in draft. It required a crew complement of 32.
Disaster
During the morning of January 11, 1986 the Castillo de Salas, property of the Spanish company "ElCano", ran aground over rocks 740 metres North/North-west of GijonGijón
Gijón , officially Gijón / Xixón, is a coastal industrial city and a municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias in Spain. Early mediaeval texts mention it as "Gigia". It was an important regional Roman city, although the area has been settled since earliest history...
. The ship was anchored outside Gijon's seaport (El Musel
El Musel
Located in Asturias, in the north of Spain, and in the middle point of the Cantabrian Sea coast, the Port of Gijón is often seen as an ideal gateway to Europe, allowing direct access to the western and centre of the Iberian Peninsula....
) when the ship's anchor came loose in bad weather. Efforts to re-anchor, self-propel and even tow the ship away from the coast failed due to harsh seas. The cargo was nearly 100,000 metric tonnes
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
of coal loaded in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
as well as over 1000 tonnes of fuel-oil used for propulsion.
On January 15, 1986 the hull broke in two during efforts to bring the ship afloat, therefore releasing a spill of diesel oil and coal ore.
On February 23, 1986 the bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
half of the hull was refloated, towed 39 miles (62.8 km) into the sea and scuttled in waters of 4000 metres in depth. Officials stated that no diesel oil was left in the bow section of the hull. During the following spring, the company "Fondomar" was tasked with scrapping the remainder of the stern
Stern
The stern is the rear or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite of the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Originally, the term only referred to the aft port section...
portion of the hull.
Second salvage of the stern section
Small balls of decomposed oil were found sporadically since until 2001, when a major find of these balls was confirmed to be from fuel remaining in the double bottom fuel tank of the stern section that was not removed in 1986. This led to a second salvage operation to remove the fuel during 2001-2002 and the complete the removal of the remainder of the wreck in 2003 due to public out-cry.Trophies
On November 15, 2003 Gijon artist Joaquin Rubio Camin's sculpture "Memory" was unveiled on the Camino del Cervigon overlooking the sea. The sculpture was made using part of the remains of the Castillo de Salas which sank off Gijon and were recovered earlier in the year.One of the ship's anchors is displayed in the Philippe Cousteau Anchor Museum
Philippe Cousteau Anchor Museum
The Philippe Cousteau Anchor Museum is located in Salinas, a town within the Castrillón municipality of Asturias, Spain. It is reached by the N-632....
in Salinas
Salinas (Castrillón)
Salinas is one of ten parishes in Castrillón, a municipality within the province and autonomous community of Asturias, in northern Spain.The population is 4,635 .-Culture:...
beach, Spain, 30 km west of Gijón.
Side effects
Since the accident, it is common to find dark sand contaminated with coal on the beaches in the Bay of Gijon, particularly after rough sea conditions. The amounts recovered continue to reduce over time, but patches of dark coloured sand, high in black coal particles, can be seen at low tide.Further reading
Hundimiento del Castillo de Salas- |Piezas del Castillo de Salas (English and Spanish)
- |Interview with Joaquin Rubio Camin about his sculpture
- |Diving at the remains of Castillo de Salas (English)