Bulk Carrier Aground at Port of Virginia

The Hong Dai sits aground a quarter mile Northwest of Sewell’s Point near Norfolk, Virginia, October 1, 2020. U.S. Coast Guard

A large bulk carrier is aground at the Port of Virginia near the mouth of Elizabeth River.

The U.S. Coast Guard said it was alerted Wednesday night by the crew of the Panamanian-flagged Hong Dai, a 738-foot bulk coal carrier, that the ship had ran aground on a soft sandy bottom approximately one quarter mile Northwest of Sewell’s Point in Norfolk.

The crew reported no injuries, pollution or flooding concerns at the time.

Sector Virginia investigation crews have boarded the ship and are assisting in assessing damages and the threat of pollution.

The vessel remains under a Captain of the Port order to remain in place and the Coast Guard is currently in communication with the ship’s owners to assist in establishing a salvage plan.

AIS data from MarineTraffic.com shows the track of the vessel as it departed the Dominion bulk terminal in Newport News, Virginia.

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