U.S. Coast Guard air crews rescued at least 27 mariners from vessels that grounded or sank near Port Aransas, Texas during Hurricane Harvey in late August.
Casualties requiring rescues included the 4,400-hp tugboat Signet Enterprise, which sank on Aug. 26 after the drillship it was assisting broke free from its moorings during the storm, which made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. The drillship, DPDS1, grounded twice after breaking loose.
Three Higman Barge Lines towboats and six barges also broke free on Aug. 26. Sandy Point and Sabine Pass grounded near San Jose Island, just north of Port Aransas, while Belle Chasse sank in the Lydia Ann Channel. All 11 crewmembers on the three vessels were rescued.
Coast Guard Lt. Peter Schofield, who flew the MH-65 helicopter that rescued the Higman crews, recalled seeing barges “scattered” around the island.
“The tugs were right on the edge of the marsh, whereas the barges ... were pretty much in the center of this island,” Schofield said in a recent interview. “The barges themselves disconnected and might have drifted with the storm surge, then landed high and dry in the middle of this island.”
Higman spokesman Darrell Wilson said the three towboats were each paired with two barges and were moored near Port Aransas when Harvey hit.
Denne historien er fra December/January 2018-utgaven av Professional Mariner.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December/January 2018-utgaven av Professional Mariner.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Mariner's role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed
Mariners’ role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed
Piracy edges closer to home with wave of raids in southern Gulf
In the brief cellphone video recorded by a crewmember on the offshore supply vessel (OSV) Remas, the pirates walk back and forth on the deck of the ship, clenching their guns and using them to point as they order around the crew. Their faces are draped in clothing and bandanas.
Casualties
NTSB: Dredge hit Texas gas pipeline, causing fire that killed four
IMO emissions report raises new concerns about methane slip
A recent report from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reveals that global shipping emissions increased nearly 10 percent from 2012 to 2018, with the industry facing a growing challenge concerning methane slip.
Bay State brothers find industry niche by making old into new
Zero non-conformities is what you want to hear when the U.S. Coast Guard inspects your tugboat. Once you’ve prepared your vessel, the inspectors come aboard to peruse your paperwork. They ask you pointed questions, to which they expect straightforward answers. Perusal completed, they then scrutinize all of the related safety systems, from bilge to antennas — even the ship’s bell.
Signals
A year into the pandemic, thousands ‘essentially indentured’ on ships
Analysis points to faulty loading, low ballast in Golden Ray rollover
While the salvage of the sunken vehicle carrier Golden Ray has been delayed for months due to COVID-19 and the hurricane season, analysis by the U.S. Coast Guard has determined a possible cause for the rollover: a combination of vehicles placed too high on the ship’s decks, and not enough ballast water gave the placement of the cargo.
Seastreak newcomer pushing through dip in demand
Two years ago, Seastreak LLC took delivery of Seastreak Commodore, a 600-passenger fast ferry, from Gulf Craft of Franklin, La. Designed by Australia-based Incat Crowther, the vessel is the largest of its kind in the United States and was built to meet the burgeoning demand for service in the New York-New Jersey market.
New year in a new world: Navigating COVID's maritime realities
In a matter of days, the decorative time balls will drop, “Auld Lang Syne” will fill the air, and ships at anchor will sound their horns as the world welcomes in the new year.
Advanced props, rudders provide new efficiencies below the waterline
It took a decade or two from the invention of the marine propeller in the 19th century for the technology to become widely accepted. Thereafter, adoption has been nearly universal, but progress toward improved efficiencies has come in fits and starts.
