By Lee Kyung-min
The ferry Sewol will be moved into a dry dock next Monday, as a test showed some of the 480 modular transporters, which will move the vessel, failed to support its weight, maritime authorities said Thursday.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said the four-day delay of the schedule was inevitable to guarantee the safe moving of the ferry.
“Our first test showed some individual transporters failed to lift 12 of the 33 large beams, secured under the Sewol when it was raised from the water,” said Lee Cheol-jo, the ministry official overseeing the salvage operation.
"The second such test is ongoing, and we will keep running it until we can say with a hundred percent certainty that the transporters, which can carry up to 40 tons each, are fully prepared to move the Sewol to a dry dock without any safety issues," he added.
The top priority is to find the exact point to secure the transporters to keep the ferry level while it is being moved, according to the ministry.
“The surface of the ferry’s left side is highly uneven, posing difficulty for the crew to determine the optimal spot to secure the transporters. It will take some time,” Lee said.
The ministry said it decided against an alternative plan to use 336 more transporters, which can support up to 60 tons each, outlined late Wednesday.
The “Plan B,” was suggested following concern raised Tuesday that the 480 transporters might not be able to support the ferry’s weight after the special committee investigating the ferry concluded it weighed 14,592 tons, 1,100 tons more than the ministry’s earlier estimate of 13,460 tons.
“The 480 transporters are able to carry Sewol which weighed 14,600 tons as of Thursday morning. Actually, they can carry at least 2,000 tons more,” Lee added.
The ministry said it is considering allowing the special investigation committee to enter the ferry before it is moved to the dry dock.
“We are aware the delay in schedule aggravates the frustration and hopes of the bereaved families of the nine unaccounted for wanting to search inside the ferry to recover the remains of their loved ones,” Lee said.
“To honor such a request, we are drafting a written request to send to the operator of the semisubmersible recovery ship, to which Sewol is secured,” Lee added.
Searching the inside of the ferry requires approval from the ship’s operators, according to the ministry.
While the decision reflects the underlying sense of “impatience” of the families now that the ferry is finally in sight after three years in waiting, they said they put safety over all other concerns.
“All we can do is to wait for the ferry to be safely moved to the dry dock. We will wait,” one of the victim’s mothers said.