28 Feb

Tanker spills crude oil in the Delaware River near Philadelphia after hitting cast-iron pipe

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News
What may prove to be the largest oil spill in the history of the heavily trafficked Delaware River occurred on Nov. 26 when a 15-foot piece of cast-iron pipe pierced the hull of a Cypriot-flagged oil tanker as the ship was approaching its berth. The remaining oil was transferred from the tanker to lightering barges.    Image Credit: Courtesy U.S.…
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28 Feb

Bulker breaks loose from its mooring

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News
One of the most dramatic stories to emerge from the chaotic events surrounding Hurricane Katrina involved the efforts of the 107-foot tug Mariam Walmsley Cooper to bring under control the handysize bulk carrier Chios Beauty, which had broken loose from its mooring on the east bank of the Mississippi River in New Orleans. The Greek-owned, Panamanian-flagged ship of 34,291 deadweight…
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28 Feb

Hull crack in bulker suggests wider problem with brittle grade-A steel, TSB report warns

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News
The hull crack that nearly sank a bulk carrier in the Gulf of St. Lawrence could represent a wider problem posing the threat of catastrophic failure in other vessels, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada has concluded. Lake Carling. Investigators believe the crack was the result of steel that became brittle in ice-cold water.    Image Credit: Courtesy Transportation Safety…
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