A barge loaded with 80,000 barrels of diesel fuel went aground off Fort Point near Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The barge was being pushed by the 65 meter long tugboat Mediterranean Sea when the barge drifted onto a shoal. No reports of injuries. The double-hulled barge was undamaged and was later refloated. No pollution was released. The Coast Guard reports that alcohol and drugs were not a factor.
The 143 meter long, 16909 dwt tanker Harbour Feature allided with a bridge at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The tanker had drifted away from a nearby pier on the Piscataqua River when the crew dropped both anchors hoping to stop the vessel. The Harbour Feature suffered a 20 foot dent and a gash above the waterline near its port ballast tank. The bridge was closed to traffic until investigators can do a detail inspection of the superstructure. No reports of injuries or pollution released. The tanker was loaded with tallow oil at the time. The Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the incident. Reports state the 73-year old Sarah Long bridge was slated to be decomissioned in 2014 and if repairs would be made it would be in the millions of dollars.
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The 129 meter long, 4504 dwt ro-ro ferry Commodore Clipper caught fire shortly after leaving Portsmouth, England. The ferry loaded with 220 passengers and 39 crew departed Portsmouth headed to Guernsey when a small fire was discovered near an auxiliary engine system. The crew was able to quickly extinguish the blaze. No reports of injuries, damage or pollution. The Commodore Clipper proceeded back to Portsmouth.
