28 Feb

NTSB faults navigation procedures of crew on small cruise vessel that hit rock and sank

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News
The master of Safari Spirit, the small cruise vessel that ran aground and sank in British Columbia's Kisameet Bay in May 2003, failed to use all available means to determine the vessel's position accurately, the National Transportation Safety Board has concluded.    Image Credit: Courtesy Shearwater Marine Resort The NTSB found that American Safari Cruises, the vessel's operator, was also…
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28 Feb

Containership dragons anchor, runs aground off South Africa.

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News
A U.S.-flagged containership, Sea-Land Express, dragged anchor and grounded on a beach near Cape Town, South Africa, despite warnings from Cape Town Port Control that it was in trouble, according to a South African official. Sea-Land Express, a 32,926-dwt containership managed by U.S. Ship Management of Charlotte, N.C., grounded about 600 feet off Sunset Beach in Table Bay, near Cape…
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28 Feb

Miscommunication may have contributed to tanker collision on the Mississippi

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News
The Coast Guard is examining the possibility that a mix-up in radio communication between pilots contributed to a collision between two tankers at a sharp bend in the Mississippi River. The May 19 incident involved the tankers Stolt Zulu and Bow Fortune. The ships, approaching bow-to-bow, sideswiped each other at a sharp bend called 81-Mile Point, near Donaldsonville, La. Stolt…
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28 Feb

Sail training vessel runs aground off California

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News
A100-foot wood-hulled sail training vessel ran hard aground off the southern California coast in March, striking a submerged sandbar formed by recent storms. The vessel remained aground for several days, being pounded by heavy surf before salvors wrenched it free. Irving Johnson lies battered by surf near Oxnard, Calif. The 20 people aboard — 10 professional crew and 10 students…
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28 Feb

Tour-boat sinking in Everglades is blamed on failure to repair earlier hull damage

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News
Failure to repair damage from an earlier grounding contributed to the sinking of the tour boat Panther in Everglades National Park on Dec. 30, 2002, the National Transportation Safety Board report has concluded. Thirty-three people, including five children, were aboard when the vessel sank in 12 feet of water during an afternoon tour of the park. All passengers were rescued,…
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