Salvors Send Crane Barge to Refloat Yacht that Grounded in Puerto Rico

Salvors are sending a crane barge to lift a yacht that ran aground on a coral reef just off Puerto Rico's Flamenco Beach.

The 72-foot sailing catamaran Obsession was reportedly traveling with four people on board from Puerto Rico to the British Virgin Islands when it struck a reef during a stop in Culebra on July 21. No injuries were reported.

To remove the vessel, salvage and marine services contractor Resolve Marine has deployed its 400-ton shear-leg barge. The 164-foot-long, 54-foot-wide barge is being towed by tugboat from Baltimore and is expected to arrive to Culebra, Puerto Rico before the end of the month.

The crane barge carries an a-frame structure with the capacity to do a clean lift during vessel removal operations. Once the barge is maneuvered into position and logistical arrangements are completed, Resolve Marine teams will lift the yacht for transport to a facility to be determined.

Vessel removal operations have been underway during peak hurricane season, which has been a cause of concern for responders as potential severe weather could impact salvage efforts.

“Fortunately, the passing of Tropical Storm Ernesto did not affect conditions at the work site as the vessel Obsession remains aground and stable with no signs of external pollution,” said Chief Warrant Officer Jamie Testa, Sector San Juan Federal On-Scene Coordinator representative for this case.

Resolve Marine and Clean Harbors, LLC removed an 1,500 gallons from the yacht's fuel tanks on July 31.

“As we wait for arrival of the crane barge, we continue to work with the experts from Resolve Marine, Clean Harbors LLC, Sea Tow, the vessel owner, and our local and federal partner agencies who have been fully invested in taking every possible measure to protect the environment and minimize any further impacts to the reef and surrounding marine life,” Testa said.

The Coast Guard federalized pollution response efforts and established an Incident Command including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources, who have been coordinating and collaborating in this effort since the day of the incident.

Despite removing the fuel, responders estimate a significant pollution threat remains aboard the vessel Obsession. The remaining oil products and hazardous materials are hard to measure because the machinery, tanks, and access hatches are submerged or inaccessible.

Responders are actively monitoring and planning to protect the sensitive environment, endangered species, and critical habitats from any potential discharge. The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and NOAA have conducted preliminary underwater assessments to evaluate the reef's damage caused by the vessel grounding. They have recovered and safeguarded various live coral species for rehabilitation.

The ongoing Endangered Species Act consultation is guiding best practices to protect Green, Kemp’s Ridley, Leatherback, and Hawksbill sea turtles; giant manta rays; oceanic whitetip sharks; scalloped hammerheads; Nassau groupers; Queen conchs; and various coral species including boulder, elkhorn, lobed star, mountainous star, pillar, staghorn, and rough cactus corals. No impacts to marine life have been reported yet, pending the reef damage assessment.