The Universidade do Vale do Itajai, known as Univali, delivered a comprehensive technical feasibility study to the Superintendencia do Porto de Itajai presenting operational methods to clear the wreckage of the steamship Pallas. The federal Ministry of Ports and Airports estimates the total removal cost at approximately R$ 23 million, funded through national public resources to allow deep-water navigation in the maritime access channel.
Coordinated by researcher Jules Soto, who serves as director of the Oceanographic Museum at Univali, the assessment concluded that the 133-year-old vessel cannot be hoisted in a single lift due to severe structural deterioration. The team determined that the iron hull rests fragmented across the riverbed, recommending controlled traction combined with precision cuts at specific structural sections rather than an attempt at complete underwater salvage.
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Key figures and details of the ship Pallas clearance operation
- Estimated removal cost: R$ 23 million funded by the federal government
- Initial technical study agreement: R$ 310 thousand signed between port authorities and Univali
- Technical document size: 58 chapters across more than 400 pages
- Time submerged in the Itajai-Acu river mouth: 133 years
- Planned turning basin diameter: 530 meters
- Target dredging depth: 16 meters
- Maximum authorized vessel length after work: 366 meters
The technical dossier produced by the university expanded significantly beyond its initial scope as researchers conducted direct bathymetric and underwater analyses along the access route. “Começamos com 14 tópicos que considerávamos essenciais para compreender o problema e chegamos a 58 capítulos. Ao longo da pesquisa, novas informações e questões exigiram aprofundamentos que não estavam previstos no início”, stated Jules Soto during the formal presentation ceremony held at the port headquarters auditorium on Friday, September 25, 2026.
Soto explained that academic teams evaluated historical records and modern marine engineering practices before consolidating the recommendations. “Estamos apenas propondo metodologias com base não só no conhecimento adquirido na universidade, em 33 anos de conhecimento do Pallas, mas também do conhecimento dos especialistas do mundo todo, inclusive das maiores universidades do mundo em relação à arqueologia”, the oceanographer said regarding the documentation now handed over to municipal port managers.
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Technical milestones in the investigation of ship Pallas
- October 1893 — The refrigerated cargo steamship Pallas sinks during the naval combat of the Revolta da Armada near the northern jetty
- May 25, 2026 — The Superintendencia do Porto de Itajai signs a formal cooperation agreement worth R$ 310 thousand with Univali to draft salvage methodologies
- September 25, 2026 — Univali formally submits the completed 58-chapter feasibility report during an official ceremony in Itajai
Revolta da Armada and the 1893 sinking of the ship Pallas
The sunken remains lie directly within the navigation lane between Itajai and Navegantes, situated between buoys 9 and 11 close to the northern jetty. Historical records confirm the Pallas was an iron refrigerated cargo vessel originally built to transport perishable goods and meat, later commandeered by naval insurgents during the Revolta da Armada against the federal administration of President Floriano Peixoto in late 1893, remaining submerged for 133 years across an area investigated by Univali researchers over the past 33 years.
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Channel deepening and port competition drive the salvage project
Removing the submerged wreckage remains an operational requirement for the expansion of the regional port infrastructure, which handles substantial volumes of Brazilian containerized cargo and industrial exports. Local maritime authorities intend to enlarge Turning Basin Number 2 to a full diameter of 530 meters while simultaneously dredging the riverbed to a draft depth of 16 meters, structural adjustments designed to accommodate modern container vessels measuring up to 366 meters in total length.
Port managers point out that competing facilities across southern Brazil continue to invest in maritime access to retain long-haul shipping lines. “A gente sabe que os demais portos do Estado e do país estão conseguindo ampliar sua capacidade, então nessa disputa concorrencial nós não podemos ficar parados no tempo e temos que buscar essa ampliação de capacidade também”, declared Artur Antunes Pereira, superintendent of the Porto de Itajai. Pereira highlighted that historical preservation must align with economic necessity: “Queremos que o Pallas permaneça como uma parte importante do nosso passado, mas não como algo que impeça o avanço do nosso complexo.”
Administrative and operational procedures now move to federal regulatory oversight before physical interventions begin in the water. The port authority forwarded the technical volume to the Instituto do Patrimonio Historico e Artistico Nacional, known as Iphan, to inspect archaeological and cultural conservation parameters, alongside specialized units of the Marinha do Brasil, which supervise navigational safety. Guidelines issued by both federal entities will govern the drafting of the final executive engineering tender.
The definitive schedule for the physical extraction of the hull remains undefined. While port planners and ministry officials anticipate that the complete clearing process could be executed within two years, marine technicians observe that the exact duration depends strictly on formal clearances from federal heritage agencies, the progress of dredging equipment, and the selected cutting procedures.