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1:50 AM Wed 4 Mar 2009 GMT
 | | 'Asgard in her last moments'
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It was only on 23rd February that the Board of Coiste, in discussing the future of Ireland's tragically sunken Asgard II sail training ship, decided not to pursue its salvage. This caused an angry reaction in Ireland, and now, already a solution might have been found.
A group of Belgian shipowners have said that they have a potential four million pounds as a budget to salvage the ship, which sank last year in French waters, and restoring it for sail training.
The e-mail containing the offer landed as the vessel's owner, Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea, was en route to Chad, leaving in his wake the angry reaction to his decision announced on Monday to leave the hull on the seabed.
The reason given y the Board of Coiste was the fact that that until the vessel is salvaged, it would not be possible to assess whether it can be restored and the cost of doing so. The greater the damage, the higher the cost of restoration.
They also took into consideration that fact that the Asgard II is a 30-year-old wooden vessel that would have ever-increasing maintenance costs in the years ahead. The Board was of the view that vessels that sink are 'never the same' after restoration and are likely to have on-going maintenance problems. In addition, the possibility of increased regulatory requirements by the Department of Transport could add substantially to the cost of restoration.
The Board also took into account the view that parents of potential trainees (particularly those with no sailing experience) may be reluctant to allow their children to sail on a vessel that has sunk.
Captain of the vessel, Capt Newport anticipates that the offer will be one of many such approaches.
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Wilsons Promontory, VIC
