Gale-force winds, high waves led to tilting of elevated liftboat

Gale-force winds, high waves led to tilting of elevated liftboat

(WASHINGTON) — Gale-force winds and high waves from a storm led to the listing (tilting) of an elevated liftboat in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday. Damage to the vessel and cargo was estimated at $6.9 million. On Nov. 20, 2022, the liftboat L/B Robert was reported to be listing (tilting) alongside a stationary…
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Two crewmembers killed in Houston containership fire

Two crewmembers killed in Houston containership fire

(HOUSTON) — Two crewmembers died Monday after an early morning fire aboard a containership in the Port of Houston, Houston Public Media reported. The Port Houston Fire Department responded to the fire on M/V Stride, docked at the Barbours Cut Container Terminal, at about 3:30 a.m. Baytown and LaPorte fire departments also responded to the scene, according to the Port…
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NTSB: Troubleshooting on trawler led to collision with boxship

NTSB: Troubleshooting on trawler led to collision with boxship

(WASHINGTON) — A fishing vessel mate not maintaining a proper lookout and conducting maintenance on critical equipment while underway led to the collision of a containership and fishing vessel, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday. No injuries were reported. Damage to the vessels was estimated at $6.25 million. On Oct. 28, 2022, while the containership MSC Rita was…
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Bulk carrier with lithium-ion batteries catches fire off Alaska

Bulk carrier with lithium-ion batteries catches fire off Alaska

(JUNEAU, Alaska) — The U.S. Coast Guard assisted a vessel on fire approximately 225 miles southwest of Dutch Harbor on Friday. At 4:40 a.m. Thursday, the 17th Coast Guard District Command Center in Juneau received report of a cargo hold fire aboard the bulk carrier Genius Star XI. The Coast Guard directed Genius Star XI to continue toward Dutch Harbor…
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Cruise ship, Coast Guard rescue 12 after cargo vessel sinks

Cruise ship, Coast Guard rescue 12 after cargo vessel sinks

(MIAMI) — A Carnival Cruise Line ship and the U.S. Coast Guard rescued 12 people Wednesday after their small cargo vessel sank about 30 miles north of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Coordinating with Carnival’s Fleet Operations Center in Miami, officers aboard Carnival Vista changed the ship’s course to assist when an emergency alert was received by an onboard monitoring system…
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Corroded wire rope led to crane failure on bulk carrier

Corroded wire rope led to crane failure on bulk carrier

(WASHINGTON) — Undetected corrosion and wear led to an equipment failure on a bulk carrier while offloading cargo last year in Houston, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday. On July 23, 2022, the cargo ship Thorco Basilisk was offloading a wind turbine component at the Greensport Terminal on the Houston Ship Channel when the hoisting wire rope on…
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Changes to anchorage, VTS urged after San Pedro Bay spill

Changes to anchorage, VTS urged after San Pedro Bay spill

(WASHINGTON) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended new notification alarms and procedures for potential incursions on pipelines and a change to an anchorage off the California coast following a crude oil release in 2021 caused by ship anchors damaging an underwater pipeline. NTSB investigators determined that the oil leak, which began on Oct. 1, 2021, in San…
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NTSB cites maintenance error for engine room fire on tanker

NTSB cites maintenance error for engine room fire on tanker

(WASHINGTON) — A maintenance error caused an engine room fire aboard the chemical tanker Endo Breeze last year, resulting in $1.2 million in damage, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday. On April 29, 2022, Endo Breeze was transiting outbound through the Raritan Bay West Reach channel near Staten Island, N.Y., when oil spray from a fuel injector pump…
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Derelict tugboat sinks at pier in San Juan Islands

Derelict tugboat sinks at pier in San Juan Islands

(SEATTLE) — Crews from Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound, Washington Department of Ecology, and the Islands’ Oil Spill Association (IOSA) responded to the sinking of the 80-foot vessel El Capitan at West Sound Marina on Orcas Island on Nov. 18. Watch standers at Sector Puget Sound command center received notification Nov. 18 from the West Sound Marina that El Capitan,…
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