Vessel listing in St Simons sound

[oldboat]

Is small boat traffic being allowed in and out of the sound?

 

[GeorgiaBob]

Is small boat traffic being allowed in and out of the sound?

The Coast Guard is not preventing small craft from passing through. They will have security to prevent lookyloos from getting too close (probably not full time), but have not announced any closures.

I heard yesterday that they are expecting to open the passage to ONE WAY ship traffic (alternating hours) in the next few days. Apparently the Coast Guard, port authorities, and harbor control have agreed that the RORO is far enough to the edge of the channel to allow for safe transit.

 

[GeorgiaBob]

I wonder what instructions the harbor pilot gave on the bridge of the Golden Ray after she began to list?

Is she on the edge of the channel because the pilot ordered her there?

 

[mattuga]

I read a post this morning from a trustworthy person working the scene that fuel impacts should be minimal. The ship is leaking a small amount but booms and socks were in place within 24 hours

 

[jfish]

I read a post this morning from a trustworthy person working the scene that fuel impacts should be minimal. The ship is leaking a small amount but booms and socks were in place within 24 hours

this is NOT accurate. booms did not go in until monday evening around bird island one small section in front of king and prince. that is gone now and they are around bird island. fuel impacts will be way more. this morning all you can smell is fuel at ssi marina. its floating by the docks.

booms are NOT around the source at all. so its STILL floating free and NOT contained.

 

[WalkinDead]

All four trapped crew members have been removed safely.

 

[dwhee87]

With Dorian having passed by there just a couple days earlier, was there enough of a storm surge or anything to alter the channel's known edges, sandbars, etc.?

Having done a lot of state and federal emergency response over the years, I have a hard time believing that there has not been some mitigating efforts in place since the early hours of the event. Most of the federal environmental responses I've been on, we were onsite typically within 12 hours of of the incident, with boom, etc. deployed soon thereafter. Haven't talked to any of my friends that are still doing this to see if any of them have been called up by EPA or Coast Guard.

 

[GeorgiaBob]

With Dorian having passed by there just a couple days earlier, was there enough of a storm surge or anything to alter the channel's known edges, sandbars, etc.?

Having done a lot of state and federal emergency response over the years, I have a hard time believing that there has not been some mitigating efforts in place since the early hours of the event. Most of the federal environmental responses I've been on, we were onsite typically within 12 hours of of the incident, with boom, etc. deployed soon thereafter. Haven't talked to any of my friends that are still doing this to see if any of them have been called up by EPA or Coast Guard.

Wheel, I don't think the Golden Ray hit anything before listing. And if I am right, the first several hours were all about recovering crew, then next keeping the RORO from going turtle (I think it is on the sand at the edge of the channel after an intentional effort to put the side on the ground and prevent her from going past 90 degrees. If I am right, it was at least 18 hours before anyone inside the decision loop focused on environmental protection.

It is reasonable to assume that the only spill during the first hours would have come from cars broken free and in the water inside the ship, solvent and diesel drums ruptured when she listed, and whatever the fire let leak. If there was little evidence of leakage, and the ship had not suffered from an underwater collision while underway, I can understand focusing on crew recovery instead of fuel oil containment. What doesn't make sense to me either, is ignoring containment completely for 48 hours.

I do know that both non-absorbent containment booms and oil absorbent booms were on the beach, waiting deployment, less than 8 hours after she went on her side. What no one has said (that I have heard) is why they waited an extra two days to start containment.

Maybe their was a reason - but I would want it explained!

 

[jfish]

maybe it didnt but heard it ran aground time will tell (in this case perhaps not).

 

[Mexican Squealer]

 

[jfish]

tug has been there since it happened. keeping it from moving.

 

[Horns]

What I don’t understand is, was the listing the cause of the fire or vice versa? The story doesn’t add up.

 

[GeorgiaBob]

What I don’t understand is, was the listing the cause of the fire or vice versa? The story doesn’t add up.

I would like to see answers to that multipart question as well. Mostly, I want to know what could have possibly gone so critically wrong as to prevent the automatic ballasting systems (several of them), and the crew monitored list control ballast transfer systems, from keeping the ship upright. - - - - Then I want to know why that fire wasn't out within minutes - there are also some very fancy fire suppression systems on that nearly new ship.

 

[Horns]

I would like to see answers to that multipart question as well. Mostly, I want to know what could have possibly gone so critically wrong as to prevent the automatic ballasting systems (several of them), and the crew monitored list control ballast transfer systems, from keeping the ship upright. - - - - Then I want to know why that fire wasn't out within minutes - there are also some very fancy fire suppression systems on that nearly new ship.

Glad I’m not the only one that ain’t buying the story. Ship is only 2 years old like you said. Should have every bit of modern technology on it. Also wonder if the cars were not properly secured that resulted in the listing. Just seems nearly impossible for it to happen basically inshore with good weather/seas

 

[GeorgiaBob]

Having sailed through that inlet several times (in small craft) I recognize the Golden Ray's position as just a few hundred yards outbound from the last turn in the channel and the place where both tide and waves are strongest. Waves and tide should not have been issues for the ship, except that point is also where a pilot would ask for increased power to accelerate the ship into the main passage out of Brunswick.

Did the call to ring up more turns on the shaft cause something to break and also cause power to ALL the pumps to fail? I really do want to see the answers!

 

[savannahfishing]

Good friend of mine captain's one of those car carriers for years. He has quit a couple jobs for the fact that the owners of the ships won't allow the ship to stay in port while captain finishes stability calculations ( cost too much money) and distribute ballast for safe departure. He personally has has ha one go 45% before he could flood enough ballat.

 

[boatbuilder]

With Dorian having passed by there just a couple days earlier, was there enough of a storm surge or anything to alter the channel's known edges, sandbars, etc.?

Having done a lot of state and federal emergency response over the years, I have a hard time believing that there has not been some mitigating efforts in place since the early hours of the event. Most of the federal environmental responses I've been on, we were onsite typically within 12 hours of of the incident, with boom, etc. deployed soon thereafter. Haven't talked to any of my friends that are still doing this to see if any of them have been called up by EPA or Coast Guard.

I went fishing Saturday and Sunday and it did seem like the bottom was a little different than pre storm. My depth finder was not jiving with my charts very well. Or it might be in my head.

 

[gordwa]

i wounder if they could dredge under her and get it to start sliding back in the channel somehow

 

[Steve762us]

He has quit a couple jobs for the fact that the owners of the ships won't allow the ship to stay in port while captain finishes stability calculations ( cost too much money) and distribute ballast for safe departure. He personally has has ha one go 45% before he could flood enough ballat.

Yikes...

I have some experience loading and discharging MSC vessels, with Army rolling stock. There's a LOT of labor + time involved in lashing.

I wondered about the possibility of balance change, due to discharge at the port,
altering center of gravity---assuming the vessel came over from SK, fully loaded.