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Marine Safety Unit News

20 Jul 2023

LNG Barge Clean Canaveral Bunkers First Cargo Ship in Canaveral

LNG bunker barge transferring LNG to Damia Desgagnés at Port Canaveral (Photo: JAX LNG)

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker barge Clean Canaveral completed its first barge-to-ship bunkering of a cargo vessel at Port Canaveral’s South Cargo Berth 4. JAX LNG, along with Polaris New Energy, handled the LNG refueling of the Damia Desgagnés on the ship’s inaugural call to Port Canaveral. The asphalt/bitumen tanker Damia Desgagnés completed her discharge of cargo and then JAX LNG proceeded with Desgagnés’s first barge-to-ship bunkering of LNG. The seafarers safely transferred approximately 400 cubic meters of LNG from North America’s largest LNG bunker barge…

05 Jul 2023

Five Rescued After Boat Strikes a Barge Near Galveston

(Screenshot from U.S. Coast Guard video, courtesy Air Station Houston)

Five people were rescued from the water Tuesday after their boat struck a barge near Galveston, Texas, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector Houston-Galveston received a call at 9:41 p.m. on VHF-FM channel 16 from the captain of the Blessey Marine Services towboat Richard Tolar that an 18-foot pleasure craft had collided with a barge and capsized east of the Galveston Causeway. All five boaters were in the water, had sustained injuries and…

09 Feb 2023

US Coast Guard Enforces Safety Zone for Historic Crane Import

The U.S. Coast Guard will enforce a temporary safety zone in the Savannah River on Thursday for the import of the largest gauge ship-to-shore cranes in U.S. history.The Coast Guard said its captain of the Port Savannah would establish a safety zone during the import of the cranes to ensure the safety and security of the public and all vessels in the channel. The safety zone is expected to take place from 12:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., Feb. 9.No Vessel Permitted in Safety Zone"Vessels are not permitted to enter into, transit through, moor, or anchor within 1,500 feet of the motor vessel Biglift Baffin. No vessels will be permitted in the safety zone 30 minutes prior to…

19 Sep 2022

Towboats Collide on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is monitoring a barge with heavy fuel oil aground after a two towboats collided near Plaquemine, La., at mile marker 43.5 on the Port Allen route of the Gulf intracoastal waterway.Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Baton Rouge responded after watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans were notified that the vessels Creole Crusader and the Jack Odom collided at approximately 12:30 a.m. on SaturdayThe Creole Crusader was towing two barges containing heavy fuel oil, and the Jack Odom was towing two empty barges and three barges of steel bars. All seven barges remain on scene, two barges were intentionally grounded to prevent flooding or pollution.No injuries or pollution have been reported.The waterway was closed at mile marker 43.5 to all vessel traffic…

09 Aug 2022

Oil Tank Platform Collapses, Oil Spills in Terrebonne Bay, Louisiana

(U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo)

The U.S. Coast Guard is responding to an oil spill after an oil tank platform collapsed at the Hilcorp Caillou Island facility in Terrebonne Bay, Louisiana, on Monday.Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Houma personnel initially received a notification from the National Response Center stating the platform experienced a structural failure causing a tank to fall into the water and spill the oil. Environmental Safety & Health Consulting Services has been hired as the oil spill removal organization.

15 Jun 2022

Maersk Containership Grounds in the Savannah River

The 1,091-foot Maersk Surabaya ran aground in the Savannah River, June 14, 2022. The ship was refloated with no reported injuries or pollution. (Photo: David Micallef / U.S. Coast Guard)

A Maersk containership has been refloated after running aground in the Savannah River near Fort Jackson on Tuesday.The U.S. Coast Guard said it was notified at 6:09 p.m. via the vessel agent of Maersk Surabaya that the vessel had run aground.The 1,091-foot box ship was repositioned to the center of the shipping channel with the help of seven tugs. AIS ship tracking data shows the vessel was aground for about 2 hours. The Danish-flagged vessel is now safely moored, and no injuries…

24 Feb 2022

Ailing Mariner Medevaced from Car Carrier off Georgia

An ailing crew member was medevaced from the car carrier Morning Capo approximately 12 miles east of Brunswick, Ga., the U.S. Coast Guard said.Marine Safety Unit Savannah watchstanders relayed a message from a Morning Capo crew member to Coast Guard Sector Charleston watchstanders at 2:27 a.m. via landline that a 35-year-old-man male crew member aboard was experiencing severe abdominal pain.A Coast Guard Station Brunswick 45-foot Response Boat—Medium boat crew arrived on scene at 6:20 a.m. and transferred the man to awaiting EMS at Station Brunswick."The Morning Capo crew members good communications on VHF-FM Channel 16 helped our crew position the RBM to a safe location to transfer the man," said Petty Officer 2nd Class William Butler, a crewmember on the case.

06 Jan 2022

Coast Guard, NTSB Investigating Towboat Bridge Strike

On December 23, 2021, at approximately 3:26 a.m., a towing vessel pushing six barges was traveling southeast along the Avoca Island Cutoff waterway when one of the lead barges in the tow struck the Bayou Ramos Bridge. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard District 8, Courtesy of Cajun Drone Photography, Jim Pierce JR FAA 107 Certified Pilot)

The U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) marine casualty investigators are investigating a barge allision with the Bayou Ramos Bridge near Morgan City and Amelia, Louisiana, on Highway 182. On December 23, 2021, at approximately 3:26 a.m., a towing vessel pushing six barges was traveling southeast along the Avoca Island Cutoff waterway when one of the lead barges in the tow struck the Bayou Ramos Bridge. Coast Guard personnel at Marine Safety Unit Morgan City received notification about damage to the bridge several hours later and identified the responsible party.

05 Sep 2021

Divers to Try to Locate Oil Spill Source in U.S. Gulf of Mexico

Illustration only - Credit: vejaa/AdobeStock

A private dive team will try to locate the source of a suspected oil spill spotted in the Bay Marchand area of the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, after Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc in the region this week, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Saturday.U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite images, first reported by the Associated Press on Wednesday, showed a miles-long brownish-black slick spreading in coastal waters about two miles off Port Fourchon, Louisiana, an oil…

09 Jul 2021

Cruise Ship Runs Aground near Canton, Kentucky

The U.S. Coast Guard responded Thursday to the aground cruise vessel American Jazz near Canton, Kentucky."American Jazz is aground near mile marker 62 on the Cumberland River outside the ship channel and is carrying 120 passengers and 54 crew members," the U.S. Coast Guard said.Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley watchstanders received a call Thursday morning from American Cruise Lines stating their vessel American Jazz ran aground. A Coast Guard Station Paducah 29-foot Special Purpose Craft-Shallow Water boat crew along with a Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Paducah marine investigator were launched to the scene."No damage, pollution, or injuries were reported. The Coast Guard is coordinating with American Cruise Lines to establish a salvage plan to dislodge the cruise vessel.

27 Apr 2021

Responders Working to Salvage Capsized Lift Boat Seacor Power

Coast Guard marine inspectors inspect the Seacor Eagle for readiness and approval to be used as an asset in the Seacor Power response. (Photo: Nicole J. Groll / U.S. Coast Guard)

The U.S. Coast Guard is working with the Seacor Power's owner to salvage the lift boat that capsized earlier this month in the Gulf of Mexico.A unified command including representatives from the Coast Guard and Houston-based Seacor Marine engaged in-person for the salvage and wreck removal, including the removal of fuel and oil from the overturned vessel, the Coast Guard said on Tuesday.The 234-foot Seacor Power capsized in heavy seas and winds approximately 8 miles south of Port Fourchon, La., on April 13.

26 Mar 2021

Coast Guard Investigating Mysterious Sheen in Brunswick, Ga.

Authorities are working to track down the source of a recurring mystery sheen emanating from the bank of the East River in Brunswick, Ga.The U.S. Coast Guard said Friday its Marine Safety Unit (MSU) Savannah personnel have been conducting an investigation since February 2019 to identify the source of the sheen across multiple waterfront properties.Hard boom and absorbent materials have been placed around the discharge sites to recover any product that enters the water as the source of the sheen remains unknown at this time. MSU Savannah personnel are coordinating the investigation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Georgia…

21 Apr 2020

Big City Fireboats

(Credit: Bill Ingalls, NASA)

On March 3, the Coast Guard published a notice that Martin Midstream Partners (MMP), a petrochemical transport and storage company, was seeking approval to modify terminal operations in Beaumont, Texas, along the Sabine-Neches Waterway. If approved, MMP would expand its liquefied hazardous gas (LHG) operations, both in volume and products. Instead of just handling ammonia the change would allow shipments of butane, propane, ethane, ethylene and propylene.Critically, MMP’s expansion would increase LHG vessel transit from 24 ships to as many as 350 per year.

27 Feb 2020

Coast Guard Pursues Enforcement Action against Bouchard

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is pursuing enforcement action against Bouchard Transportation Company after the shipping company failed to comply with a captain of the port order for one of its two vessels anchored in the Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur, Texas, area of responsibility.According to the Coast Guard, tugs Kim M. Bouchard and Danielle M. Bouchard and their associated barges have been anchored off Texas Point since mid-December with no known plans to move and crews unpaid since January, raising safety concerns for the crews remaining aboard as well as the public and other professional mariners, and environmental concerns for the region.Combined…

11 Feb 2020

Vessel Inspections: It's All About Safety

USCG marine inspectors at Marine Safety Unit Portland inspect a tug in Portland, Ore. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Paige Hause)

With the announcements that New York Waterway, a ferry operator running 32 boats around New York and New Jersey waters, had been largely shut down by the U.S. Coast Guard just prior to Thanksgiving, 2019, the reactions ranged from surprise to outright shock. There was also a great deal of grumbling, as commuters, the major customer group, endured delays on New York Waterway’s extensive network across the Hudson River, bringing New Jersey commuters into New York’s business districts.So, what happened?

07 Feb 2020

Vessels Queue Grows as Salvage Continues on the Intracoastal Waterway

Rock barge ACL 01700 split in half and sunk after grounding near Mile Marker 99 in Berwick, La. earlier this week. Salvage operations have continued day and night. (Photo Alexandria Preston / U.S. Coast Guard)

Nearly 200 towing vessels and 600 barges are queued on the Intracoastal Waterway while salvors work to clear a halved and partially sunken rock barge near Berwick, La., the U.S. Coast Guard said.A section of waterway has been closed since Sunday night, when a towing vessel pushing six rock-filled hopper barges ran aground at mile marker 99.The push boat Miss Odessa was reportedly transiting southbound on the Atchafalaya River when it turned west onto the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and hit bottom. One of the barges, ACL 01700, split in half and sunk when the vessel attempted to break free.

03 Feb 2020

Towing Vessel Grounds Near Berwick, La.

Members from Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Morgan City’s marine inspections team and investigations team respond to a report of a towing vessel that ran aground on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway at mile marker 99, near Berwick, La., February 3, 2020. The towing vessel company has hired a salvage company to assist the salvage of the barge. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

A section of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway has been closed after a towing vessel ran aground at mile marker 99, near Berwick, La., the U.S. Coast Guard said.Watchstanders at Vessel Traffic Service Berwick Bay received a report at approximately 10 p.m., Sunday, that the towing vessel Miss Odessa, carrying six hopper barges filled with rock, ran aground.The Miss Odessa was reportedly transiting south-bound on the Atchafalaya River when it turned west onto the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and hit bottom.

15 Nov 2019

OSV Collides With Tug Near Port Arthur

An estimate of 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel has been spilled as the result of a collision between an offshore supply vessel (OSV) and a tug near Port Arthur Texas, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Friday.The Coast Guard said it is responding to the incidenct after its watchstanders at Sector Houston-Galveston received a report of a collision involving the OSV Cheramie Botruc 22 and tug vessel Mariya Moran near the entrance to Sabine Pass, Texas, Thursday morning.Personnel from Coast Guard Station Sabine, Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur, Texas General Land Office, Oil Spill Removal Organization, OMI Environmental Solutions and…

17 Jan 2019

USCG Investigating Fatal Sinking

The U.S. Coast Guard has launched a formal marine casualty investigation into an incident involving the commercial crabbing vessel Mary B II, which capsized off Newport, Oregon, January 9, 2019, resulting in the loss of three lives and loss of the vessel.The crew of the 42-foot fishing vessel Mary B II were attempting to cross the Yaquina Bay Bar when the vessel capsized in rough waters with all three crewmembers on board.Rear Adm. David Throop, Coast Guard 13th District Commander, authorized the investigation pursuant to the authority contained in Title 46, United States Code, Section 6301 and the regulations promulgated thereunder.The probe will be led by Cmdr. Karen Denny, the executive officer of Marine Safety Unit Portland, who will issue a report upon the investigation's completion.

08 Jan 2019

Towing Vessel Sinks on the Tennessee River

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is responding to a sunken towing vessel near mile marker 22 on the Tennessee River, Tuesday. The two crew members on board were able to evacuate safely.The nearby Kentucky Lock and Dam has ceased locking operations due to the incident.The Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector Ohio Valley received a report at approximately 10 p.m. Monday that the inspected towing vessel Tom Bussler capsized at mile marker 15 on the Tennessee River.Inspected towing vessel George Leavell was able to recover the two crewmembers who were on board and transferred them to Calvert City Landing where they were transported to Lourdes Hospital in Paducah, Ky. in stable condition.The sunken vessel reportedly has approximately 4,100 gallons of diesel on board.

14 Mar 2019

Towing Vessel Sinks Near Baton Rouge

A section of the the lower Mississippi River has been closed to vessel traffic after a towing vessel sank near Baton Rouge, La., Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The Coast Guard said its watchstanders in New Orleans received a report at 11 a.m. that the towing vessel Michelle Anne sank at Baton Rouge General Anchorage near mile marker 226 on the Mississippi River.The four crewmembers aboard the Michelle Ann escaped and were rescued by a nearby tug. There were no reported injuries.The waterway is closed from mile marker 224.5 to mile marker 226.A Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Baton Rouge incident management team deployed to the scene to look for signs of pollution.

15 Feb 2019

CG Assists Towing Vessel Taking on Water

A Coast Guard crew assisted a 72-foot towing vessel taking on water near Port Arthur, Texas, Thursday evening.Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a report that the towing vessel, Antietam, was taking on water and in need of assistance. Antietam, who was pushing two barges, intentionally grounded near Taylor Bayou to avoid sinking.A Station Sabine Pass 29-foot Response Boat-Small boat crew was launched. Once on scene, the crew of the RB-S assisted in dewatering the vessel.There are no reports of pollution at this time.Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur personnel are scheduled to assess the vessel at first light, Friday.

01 Mar 2019

USCG Slaps Illegal PV operator with Fine

Photo: U.S. Coast Guard

Representatives from Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Chicago announced that the owner of two recreational pleasure boats has been fined $80,000 for operating as an illegal passenger vessel business on Lake Michigan for at least the past two years.Robert Glick of Chicago, owner of the 35-foot boats Allora and Fun, was charged with violating three separate federal regulations for each boat while operating a business that involved transporting paying passengers.The fine represents…