On the afternoon of November 21, the 21 meter long catamaran ferry Katie Underwood (MMSI: 367142510) allided in Doboy Sound at the Sapelo Island, Georgia. The Katie Underwood was attempting to land at the Marsh Landing when the vessel struck the dock. Fortunately, there were no injuries to the 41 persons on board. State authorities notified the United States Coast Guard who has launched an investigation into the incident. Reports state the ferry was taken out of service until investigation and inspections are completed. The extent of damage and the cause of the allision was not disclosed.
On the evening of November 19, the 170 meter long, 6499 dwt ro-ro passenger ferry Queen Jenuvia II (IMO: 9901386) ran aground in the Yellow Sea near the uninhabited island of Jokdo and Jangsan Island in the southwestern edge of South Korea. The Queen Jenuvia II had departed from Jeju with 267 passengers and crew bound for Mokpo. As the vessel approached the area off Jangsan Island, the vessel struck a rocky outcrop. The grounding caused the vessel’s main engines to power down and caused a 15 degree list to port, but there was no reports of flooding.
Authorities were alerted and dispatched all possible resources to rescue passengers off the Queen Jenuvia II. The Coast Guard dispatched 17 patrol boats, 4 coastal rescue vessels, and 1 aircraft which arrived an hour later. After 3 hours, all 246 passengers would be safely rescued off the ferry. The 21 crew members would remain onboard to assist with towing operations. Twenty-seven passengers had suffered minor injuries and would be taken to hospital for treatment.
Photo: chosun.com
The ferry would later be pulled free and towed to a nearby port. An inspection found the ferry had sustained significant hull damage with part of the bow crushed. The full extent of damage has not yet been released.
According to initial investigation by authorities, the South Korean Coast Guard identified the cause of the grounding. The ferry was left on autopilot in an area requiring manual operation. The officer handling navigation was reported to be distracted by their mobile phone at the time of the incident. The Coast Guard stated the navigation would be typically handled by the first officer who was not on the bridge nor the master at the time of the incident. There are plans to purse criminal charges against those found responsible for operational negligence.
On the morning of November 17, a 20 meter long fishing vessel (name not disclosed) became disabled in the Gulf of Naples between Punta di Annone and Punta Cavallo, Italy. The fishing vessel sent out a distress call after suffered a power blackout. The Naples Coast Guard received the SOS and dispatched the11 meter long patrol boat CP 890 (MMSI: 247068200) to assist. The 70 meter long, 390 dwt ro-ro passenger ferry Rosa D’Abundo (IMO: 7911143) was in the area and also assisted. The disabled fishing vessel had drifted into shallow water and became close to running up onto the rocks when the CP 890 arrived on site. The patrol vessel took the fishing vessel under tow and proceeded to deeper water. Reports state there were no injuries to the 9 crew on board the fishing vessel and the vessel was taken under tow back to port. No reports of damage or pollution released.
