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The research group SA Mare Liberum created at the initiative of the relatives of those killed in the Estoniadisaster today will set off from the port of Eemshaven in the Netherlands on the research vessel RS SENTINEL on an expedition to the site of Estonia ferry remains. The journey from the port to the place of the wreck will take about two days.
“We have been preparing for the expedition for three months now and we remain optimistic. Our goal is to map all the damage suffered by the vessel, photograph and scan instances of such damage, as well as investigate the car deck and the surroundings of the wreck site,” said Margus Kurm, the head of the SA Mare Liberum and the research project. He identified seven questions that the organizers want to get answers to during the expedition and subsequent analysis:
1. Why and when did the visor disconnect from the ship?
2. Did the ramp completely open before the sinking of the ship?
3. What exactly are the damage locations on the right deck, when and what caused such damage?
4. Why and when did intermediary walls of the abaft and car deck of the ship become damaged?
5. Does the hull of the ship have any more damaged locations of which we do not know?
6. What objects are located around the wreck and in the assumed trajectory of the sinking of the ship, and what is their connection with the sinking of the ship?
7. How exactly did different parts of the ship get filled with water?
According to Kurm, the dives are expected to take 10 days, but that primarily depends on weather and sea conditions. A total of 46 people will take part in the expedition, including 18 ship crew members and six media representatives. The rest of the participants will be involved in the planning and execution of the underwater work. The ship has various sonars, two groups of underwater robots and four divers with the necessary research and recording equipment. All the necessary auxiliary equipment is also available, such as a crane, an airlift for loose soil removal and various measuring instruments.
The diving expedition will be conducted using RS SENTINEL. The ship belongs to the German company RS OFFSHORE which is managed and owned by Kurt Rohde and operates under the Maltese flag. RS SENTINEL is a vessel adapted for underwater and diving operations. It was thoroughly rebuilt in 2010 and equipped with modern equipment and technology.
Materials gathered in the course of the investigation project will be analysed by dr. Andrzej Jasionowski, whose Singapore company SophusQuorum Pte. Ltd. specialises in expert examinations of sea accidents. Dr. Jasionowski has already dealt with topics concerning Estonia before – in 2005-2008 he was a member of the scientific consortium SSPA, which conducted a number of different studies regarding Estonia under the order of the Swedish government. Scientific analysis should be ready by next spring.
In addition to underwater research and scientific analysis of the material, SA Mare Liberum research project also aims to interview some of the survivors of the Estonia disaster. Additionally, a 3D model of the bow visor of Estonia has been prepared, which now makes it possible to study damage of the visor from the distance.
The activities and the investigation project of SA Mare Liberum are funded from donations and the sale of media rights. The biggest supporter from Estonia is Postimees Grupp which among others owns such media channels as Postimees, Kanal 2, BNS and Radio Kuku.
SA Mare Liberum is a fund that was founded in July this year upon an initiative of close relatives of survivors. The manager of the fund is Margus Kurm. The members of the council are Piret Kergandberg, Raivo Hellerma and Carl Eric Laantee Reintamm.
Information, pictures and video gathered in the course of the expedition will be published on SA Mare Liberum website: www.mare-liberum.ee