The 180 meter long, 35000 dwt bulk carrier Hanze Goteborg went aground off Portsmouth, Virginia. The Hanze Goteborg loaded with soybeans went aground in the Elizabeth River. The vessel was refloated the following day with the aid of several tugs. No reports of injuries, damage or pollution released. The Hanze Goteborg was escorted by tugs and proceeded to a nearby berth. The cause of the grounding is under investigation.
The 1004 foot long, dwt 62335 bulk carrier Mesabi Miner collided with the 68 meter long, Coast Guard cutter Hollyhock near the Mackinac Bridge in the Straits of Mackinac. The Hollyhock was breaking ice with several lake freighters following behind with the Miner following astern of the icebreaker. When the Hollyhock hit an ice pressure ridge, it suddenly halted. The Mesabi Miner was unable to stop and struck the stern of the cutter. The cutter had significant damage to its stern and fantail while the Mesabi Miner sustained damage to its bow. The Mesabi Miner was freed later the same day by the assistance of cutters Biscayne Bay and Katmai Bay. The Hollyhock proceeded to St. Ignace aided by the cutter Biscayne Bay. The Mesabi Miner continued on its way to Gary, Indiana with its cargo of iron ore. No reports of injuries or pollution released.
The infamous oil tankerExxon Valdez has been sold for demolition. The tanker had changed hands many times since it had run aground in Prince William Sound in 1989. The vessel was converted from an oil tanker to an ore carrier in 2007 and was sailing as the Dong Fang Ocean until 2012. In November 2010, the Dong Fang Ocean collided with the Aali in the South China Sea severely damaging both vessels. In March 2012, the vessel was sold for scrap and renamed to Oriental Nicety. It made its last voyage under her own power to Singapore where it will be dismantled.
The Exxon Valdez ran up on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound on March 24, 1989. The vessel’s tanks were ruptured allowing upwards to over 11 million gallons of oil into the water. The cause of the sinking was focused on the captain who was below deck sleeping off an alcohol “bender”, but more problems were revealed later in the investigation. The tanker’s radar was not functional for over a year before the incident. There was a lack of equipment and personnel to cope with an oil spill. As the investigation revealed, there was a widespread failure in the industry requiring new laws and reforms. The Valdez was the worse oil spill in United States waters until the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
