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

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

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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