It should be possible to cut it up on the beach without any damage to the environment.

I'm not so sure. Read this article...

Goa: Grounded River Princess raises ecological concerns

http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=129970

Anyone who thinks that a u.k. style salvage job such as recently took place in Blackpool, is in for a shock I'm afraid. I would suggest a trawl of the net for operations at Alang beach in Gujarat, the breakers she would have been heading for. They simply start burning it up, and dragging the pieces up the shore, no attempt to protect the enviorment or anything. The mess, pollution etc is indescribable, you realy cannot imagine how bad it is. The same tactic would be followed in Goa I'm afraid, as the same plentyfull supply of manpower is available at minimal cost, and the same lack of control of, even minimal standards of garbage collection etc., is plain for all to see. And this way, there might even be a profit in it, rather than the loss making situation at present, and in India thats the number one criteria. Alan

See your points Big Neil and Gramps. Shame though because they have done an excellent job in Blackpool, despite our summer monsoon!!!

Spot on Gramps.

When I got back from Goa last February, I returned to our own shipwreck off the Lancashire coast. The "Riverdance" had run aground in storms and was lying in sand, initially at an angle of about 45 degrees, but eventually, on its side due to the strong tides battering it.

It has now been completely removed - they're just digging in the sands to remove the parts that are deeply embedded. The Riverdance wasn't as big as the River Princess, but it certainly wasn't a small ship and was carrying containers.

Nine months versus nine years....and still no result.

Ufortunatley, in salvage, speed is of the essence. Just stand at the waters edge, and you can feel yourself sinking in, so you can imagine how deep the Princess has sunk in, in the past 9 years. there's no prop showing at low tide so she must be burried 10ft. or more in the sand. If truth be told she's likely beyond moving now, that's why none of the specialist salvage companies even tendered for the job, as they realised it was impossible. Alan

Are we all in "Groundhog Day?" This all sounds very familiar!!!

Click Here

I have just been told by a local friend that all the ordinary people/householders etc of candolim and calangute are 'striking' (think he meant protesting) tomorrow about the river princess... he said they will all congregate on the roads and block them etc as it is causing problems and has been there too long... and nothing being done and they have had enough.. this is good really..something needs to be done
chilly

Seems a bit trivial considering what we are being told is happening there!

Squigs that is the UK this is Goa the locals are all on strike today we cannot get in or out of Nerul because all the roads have been blocked.

Mike

I'm afraid their protests are about 8 years too late, as it's removal now is no longer a viable option To move it now would be impossible as she's settled in about 10 feet or so. The only courses of action now is, either the usual Goan option, do nothing, or scrap it where it is. To scrap it there, would mean building a road for trucks up to the main Candolim road, you could image the consequences of that. The mess of burning it up where it is, would be the last nail in the coffin of the surrounding beaches, and anyway with the collapse of the scrap price, it would be not be viable. The first option, do nothing, and over the years, let the monsoon do the work, will be the route they will likely take. Sinquem beach is ruined now effectivley, so to save it would'nt be an option. It's now impossible to walk from Candolim to the Taj steps at any time other than low tide so the damage is beyond repair now. It's just one more example of the ineptitude of the Goan Goverment, what was a simple pull off job 8 years ago, is now an insoluble ecological disaster Alan

In todays Herald http://oheraldo.in/picoftheday.asp?id=102

That's about right!

whilst in Goa over the new year period i had a wee trip around the Princess on a jet ski as i had done the previous year when they were working on it. Sadly the ship has deterioted very badly with a very large crack from top to bottom. Must be 6 inches wide at least. IMO there is no way that boat is going anywhere ,except all over candolim beach

Thanks for that update, looks like we have started the end game here. We'll just have to wait now and see what result each succeeding monsoon storm does to her and the surrounding beaches. Whether the Goverment at some stage in the future, will attemt scrapping on the beach, remains to be seen. Certainly in the present economic downturn, nothing is going to be dony by anyone in the forseeable future. Alan

Anyone got any update on whats happening now?. In Dec there was a motly crew on board, mabey watchmen, you'd see them ferrying out supplies (mostly Kings) by means of a liferaft they'd attempt to paddle, without paddles! and pull along with a rope they'd strung up from the shore to the ship. Also the local Candolim villagers had had a demonstration re the complete lack of any plan for the removal. I expect like everything to do with this disaster, it's back to the usual option, do nothing, and it might go away! Alan

We got back yesterday from Goa, and while we were there, there was meetings held regarding it. As you said, nothing much is going to happen, but if that continues then the locals fear that it will ruin the beach for around 4 years.

Apparently Kingfisher man has been approached regarding turning it into a night club / hotel. He seems to be the only person around with enough money to do something. But that needs to be done pretty sharpish, as was mentioned above, the side of the boat opposite to the shore has got a huge crack, and what looks to be more on there way, so no doubt it could get messy when the next monsoon hits Candolim.

Apparently Kingfisher man has been approached regarding turning it into a night club / hotel

But that needs to be done pretty sharpish,

Yeak, like 6 or 7 years ago........