Update: gCaptain is told the Ocean Spirit 1 has been reflected with the help of Sea Tow vessels.
Earlier: The U.S. Coast Guard is responding Tuesday to the grounding of the 223-foot Togo-flagged cargo ship Ocean Spirit I just off the entrance of the Charlotte Amalie Harbor East Gregory Channel in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Coast Guard marine casualty investigators are on scene investigating the cause of the grounding, there are no signs of distress or oil leaking from the vessel at this time. The East Gregory Channel entrance remains open to maritime traffic.
The Ocean Spirit I aground just off the entrance of the East Gregory Channel of Charlotte Amalie Harbor in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, January 23, 2018 . U.S. Coast Guard Photo
The Coast Guard says the crew of the Ocean Spirit I completed the sounding of the vessel’s fuel and ballast tanks while Sea Tow-St. Thomas crews conducted an underwater damage assessment of the vessel’s hull.
Meanwhile, officials are working with the master and owner of the Ocean Spirit I and a salvage company to minimize any potential environmental impact or damage to the vessel’s hull during refloating and removal operations.
Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan where initially contacted by St. Thomas Harbor pilots at approximately 5 a.m. Tuesday, who reported the incident.
Global marine fuel sales jumped in 2024 after attacks by Yemen's Houthis starting in late 2023 prompted most shipping companies to divert vessels around southern Africa rather than through the Red Sea, according to data and analysts.
Suez Canal Authority chief Osama Rabie said he expects traffic through the Egyptian waterway to gradually return to normal by late March and fully recover by mid-year, as long as the Gaza ceasefire holds up.
Liquid natural gas producers have been avoiding the Red Sea for much of 2024 amid continuous attacks by Houthi militants. This may now be changing as the first LNG carrier...
February 8, 2025
Total Views: 2665
Sign Up Now for gCaptain Daily
We’ve got your daily industry news related to the global maritime and offshore industries.
JOIN OUR CREW
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 109,060 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
Your Gateway to the Maritime World!
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.