Hey all,

I am working for a salvage company in Malaysia, and were currently on a project to remove a wreck in deep in the Borneo jungles. Doesn't pay much but I am determined to do the job well, Attached are some photos of the wreck.

As you can see, there is absolute zero viz down there. and currents can be really strong.
I have tried inspecting the wrecks using standard scuba gear but I cannot go deeper than 3 meters.  Probably with a KMB, more weights, and a shotline I could get to the bottom.

To make matters worse, these ships have been there for so long that the officials have lost all records of the vessel. So we do not know how the ship looks like underwater, and we cannot see it for ourselves either. Also, I do not know the depth, but I will soon.

I am inspecting the wreck again soon and I will be prepared this time.

The reason I wrote this is to find out if anyone else have done salvaging like this, or have any ideas to remove this wreck with a budget of only 30,000 USD.

My best bet is to secure the bow (above water) with either a pontoon or seal it completely.
I plan to use sonar imaging to find out what its like down there, but would it work in zero viz with strong currents?
Once the front is secured, we either plan to refloat the stern or pull it out using a tug boat. It all depends on the state of the vessel underwater.
My team and I also plan to use an airlift to remove whatever silt around the bottom that is causing it to be stuck.

It is relatively close to the riverbank, but previous efforts by other companies to pull it out using a crane barely moved it.

So this is a near impossible task for a small budget company like mine, but again I just gotta do this somehow.

So is there anyone out there with a brilliant idea to get rid of this wreck?

These are my best estimates : Length: 34m, Weight: <150 tons, Depth: 10m

any advice appreciated.