A NOAA webcam showing the M/V Kaye E. Barker aground in the Muskegon channel entrance, April 29, 2022.
The U.S. Coast Guard is responding to a commercial bulk carrier that ran soft aground on a sand bar at the entrance to Muskegon in West Michigan late Thursday.
The 750-foot M/V Kaye E. Barker ran aground at around 8:30 p.m. on April 28 while transiting inbound towards Muskegon with a load of stone aggregate. No injuries have been reported and initial inspections indicated no pollution.
The M/V Kaye E. Barker was originally built in 1976 and is operated by The Interlake Steamship Company. The company said the vessel is loaded with approximately 25,000 net tons of stone from Port Inland, Michigan, and pointed to shifting sand as a potential cause.
“When making the approach, the ship was positioned in the center of the channel and was traveling at a slow speed before the incident,” Interlake said in an update posted to Facebook. “The lake bottom has been surveyed, and it has been confirmed that there is sand around the vessel.”
The Coast Guard is on site and working with the shipping company, local salvage organizations and the vessel crew to conduct lightering operations today to free the vessel from the sand bar.
The cause of the grounding is currently under investigation and the Coast Guard said more information will be released as it becomes available.
Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.
Join the 108,819 members that receive our newsletter.
Have a news tip? Let us know.
Salvage teams have successfully boarded the grounded containership MSC Baltic III off Newfoundland’s coast as response efforts continue amid challenging sea conditions. The Canadian Coast Guard reports that no pollution...
A major international rescue operation successfully evacuated 28 crew members from the roll-on/roll-off container vessel (Con-Ro) Grande Brasile after a fire broke out aboard on Tuesday, February 18. The vessel, which was...
The Canadian Coast Guard continues to monitor the grounded cargo vessel MSC Baltic III off Newfoundland’s coast, with the CCGS Ann Harvey arriving on scene Monday to conduct initial assessments....
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 108,819 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
