09 Apr

Tour boat strikes rocks near Alcatraz Island

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News

The Coast Guard is investigating how a tour ferry got too close to Alcatraz Island and struck submerged rocks, denting its hull. The 90-foot Royal Prince scraped the rocks at about 1500 on Dec. 6, 2007. The vessel, operated by the Red and White Fleet, was giving a tour of Alcatraz to about 15 guests, the San Francisco company said.…

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09 Apr

Tug sinks 3 days after surviving a close call

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News

Three men were rescued from the Pacific Ocean after their 45-foot tugboat sank off the coast of Oregon. Just three days earlier, the Coast Guard had provided an escort to the vessel, which was taking on water. Coast Guard Station Tillamook Bay, Ore., received a call from the crew of the Joe Foss at 0615 on Jan. 23 reporting that…

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09 Apr

LNG carrier is towed to safety off Cape Cod

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News

A tugboat assists the disabled 933-foot LNG tanker 33 miles east of Chatham, Mass. A 932-foot liquefied natural gas carrier lost power and went adrift off Cape Cod after a boiler feed pump malfunctioned. At least eight emergency response vessels and tugboats were sent to the Catalunya Spirit to ensure that the disabled ship didn’t pose a hazard. Catalunya Spirit…

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09 Apr

Two escape sinking harbor tug

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News

A towboat pilot and a deck hand escaped injury by jumping to a nearby barge when their small vessel suddenly sank in the Tennessee River near Calvert City, Ky. The 51-foot-by-22-foot Janet Leavell sank Jan. 22 at mile 11.5 while en route to assist the larger towboat Elizabeth Lane, which was assembling a 15-barge coal tow. CWO Clarence "Charlie•bCrLf Rice,…

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09 Apr

Fuel spilled after wind and currents
drive bulk carrier against its dock

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News

Algonorth, a 730-foot laker, was blown back onto a dock in Toledo, Ohio. A 730-foot bulk ship scraped the side of a dock at Toledo, Ohio, spilling an estimated 3,100 gallons of fuel into the Maumee River, and a crewman on an adjacent vessel suffered a broken arm when a line snapped. The captain of the laker Algonorth had unwisely…

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09 Apr

Bridge hit leads to license suspension

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News

The experienced captain operating the towing vessel Sara Kaitlin had his license suspended for six months after a crane he was towing damaged a South Carolina bridge. The captain’s employer will pay a fine and have its hiring practices monitored by the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard charged Sara Kaitlin’s operator with negligence and misconduct after the April 2007 accident…

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09 Apr

Florida pilot applies some lessons
learned from his brush with death

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News

After his harrowing accident, Capt. Frank Knowles added some safety features to the RIB pilot boat: a rigid aluminum ladder and a 4.5-inch step rail with a nonskid surface.  Capt. Frank Knowles says he owes his life to four fellow mariners and the design of his association’s pilot launch. Knowles, a 35-year veteran of Florida’s St. Andrew Bay Pilots Association,…

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09 Apr

Freighter drags anchor, runs aground off Rhode Island

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News

(PORTSMOUTH, R.I.) -- A Netherlands-flagged freighter dragged its anchor and ran aground in East Passage, East Bay Newspapers of Bristol, R.I., reported. The 388-foot vessel refloated at high tide, and the Coast Guard inspected the hull for damage. The ship was scheduled to take on a cargo of yachts for shipment to England. The tugboats Rainbow and Reliance assisted.   Click here to…

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08 Apr

Lightered fuel barge refloated near Tampa Bay

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News

The following is the text of a press release issued April 4 by the U.S. Coast Guard:   (TAMPA, Fla.) -- The tug Yankee and its grounded barge was successfully re-floated under its own power at about 5:15 p.m. and is being transported to an off-shore anchorage, nine-miles west of Egmont Key, Fla. The barge will be inspected by American…

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08 Apr

Cruise ship fire forces evacuation of 177 people

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News

(STEVENSON, Wash.) -- An engine-room fire aboard a cruise ship on the Columbia River forced the evacuation of 177 passengers and crew, the Seattle Times newspaper reported. Three crewmembers were treated for smoke inhalation. The fire was on the Queen of the North, operated by Majestic America.   Click here to view the newspaper's story.

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