A specialist barge required to lift two sunken tugs from the bottom of the Mersey River has finally departed Brisbane for Devonport.
However, the St Vincent barge has been laid up at Yamba on the New South Wales North Coast due to bad weather, only a few days into its 7-10 day voyage.
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The Campbell Cove and the York Cove were sunk in January after the bulk cement carrier Goliath collided with them at the Port of Devonport West No. 4 Berth.
Two barges are required for the salvage operation – one to lift the tugs and the second to receive them on special cradles, with the receiving barge the Intan already in port.
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Tasports chief operating officer Stephen Casey says once the St Vincent arrives, it will be a slow and deliberate procedure with 10,000 litres of fuel still on board the tugs.
