Golden Ray Wreck Removal: Largest Ship Dismantling in U.S. History Completed

The salvage and removal of the MV Golden Ray, which capsized in St. Simons Sound, Georgia, on September 9, 2019, represents a landmark achievement in marine salvage operations. The 656-foot vehicle carrier, carrying more than 4,000 cars and a crew of 23, capsized before reaching open ocean, triggering a complex rescue and multi-year salvage operation.

T&T Salvage executed the ambitious removal plan using the Versabar heavy lift vessel VB-10,000. The innovative approach involved cutting the vessel into eight massive sections using a giant chain, then hauling away each section on barges. This technique, while time-consuming, proved effective for managing the capsized vessel in the environmentally sensitive coastal waters.

On September 26, 2021, the Coast Guard announced the removal of the final section, marking the completion of the largest removal of a capsized ship in U.S. history. Once dismantled, the wreck sections were transloaded to container barges and shipped to a recycling facility in Louisiana for environmentally responsible processing.

The operation's total cost exceeded $1 billion, reflecting the complexity of working in sensitive coastal waters and the extensive environmental protection measures required. The project involved continuous monitoring and response to prevent oil spills and protect local marine ecosystems critical to the region's fishing industry.

A 2024 settlement resolved federal lawsuits filed by local fishermen, crabbers, and business owners against the ship's owner and salvage company, addressing economic and environmental impacts. The case highlights the broader responsibilities salvage operators face beyond technical vessel recovery.

Industry experts cite the Golden Ray operation as a reference case for large-scale wreck removal, particularly the innovative sectioning technique and comprehensive environmental protection protocols that can guide future operations of similar scale.

The Golden Ray removal is a reference case for a situation every salvage operator eventually faces: a wreck too damaged to refloat intact. The answer in St. Simons Sound — cutting the hull into sections and lifting each away while containing pollution across a months-long operation — illustrates principles that apply just as much to a capsized vessel in an Egyptian port or off the Red Sea coast.

The lessons here are about sequence and safeguards. Sectioning a wreck is an underwater cutting and rigging task at its core, demanding precise dive planning around each lift. And in any environmentally sensitive setting — which describes much of Egypt's coastline — pollution containment and continuous monitoring are not the final step but a constant throughout the job. When a total refloat is not viable, a disciplined, phased removal that protects the surrounding water is the responsible alternative, whatever the scale of the vessel.