On 14 September, the damage to "Georgic" was assessed and it was decided that the ship was salvageable, as the basic hull structure and machinery were still mostly intact. "Georgic" then underwent a lengthy salvage and refurbishment operation which took a total of three years, which the historian Richard De Kerbrech described as "one of the greatest feats in the history of salvage". During October the ship had its holes and openings temporarily plugged and then the water was pumped out to refloat the vessel. In December, "Georgic", now afloat and at an anchorage, had its temporary plugs replaced by more permanent cement boxes to make the vessel seaworthy. As "Georgic" had no power, light or accommodation, she had to be towed as an abandoned hulk; as no tugs were available, two British cargo ships, "Clan Campbell" and "City of Sydney" were allocated to the task. Beginning on 29 December, they first towed "Georgic" to Port Sudan taking 13 days. Here "Georgic" underwent further repairs lasting eight weeks to make her seaworthy for the longer voyage to Karachi.