Salvage Operations Begin On The USS Guardian

The USS Guardian sits in the Sulu Sea in the Philippines, stuck on the Tubbataha Reef, where it has been since Jan. 17, 2012. A Malaysian tug arrives Jan. 27 to remove hazardous material from the U.S. Navy ship. U.S. Navy/Flickr

Big Parts Coming Off U.S. Ship On Reef -- Brad Lendon, CNN

(CNN) -- Big parts are coming off a former U.S. Navy minesweeper that became stuck on a Philippine reef in January.

Salvage crews have removed the funnel, or smokestack, and mast from the former USS Guardian, the Philippine coast guard reports. The agency posted a series of photos on its website showing large parts of the minesweeper being lifted by a crane and transferred to a barge.

Once the top decks of the ship is cleared and heavy machinery is removed from the inside, the 224-foot-long, fiberglass-and-wood hull of the Guardian is expected to be cut into three parts before it is lifted from the reef.

Salvage efforts are expected to continue through most of March, the U.S. Navy said, but adverse weather could increase the time needed.

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More News On The USS Guardian

USS Guardian's mast, funnel removed -- UPI
Removal of US Navy ship gets under way at Tubbataha -- Inquirer
USS Guardian chimney, mast removed; salvage on schedule -- GMA News
USS Guardian salvage operation resumes; ship funnel, mast removed -- Inquirer
USS Guardian set to be dismantled -- Peninsula
Task Force Tubbataha sets Mar. 23 deadline -- Manila Standard