Thursday, November 20, 2025

Video: Florida Reefs Abandoned Cargo Ship Used by Smugglers

derelict cargo ship used for drug smuggling — The derelict cargo ship was disposed of through Florida's reefing program (USCG 2014)

Officials in Florida came up with a novel way to dispose of a small cargo ship that was seized more than a decade ago while smuggling cocaine. The vessel, which was last known as the Borocho, was added to the state’s artificial reef program.

The saga of the vessel, which was built in 1977 in Japan, began in September 2014 when the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Bear was on patrol in the Caribbean. The USCG identified the vessel as “suspicious” and ordered it to stop for a boarding and inspection. A search of the vessel turned up 719 kilograms of cocaine worth an estimated wholesale value of more than $23 million.

The United States seized the vessel, and it was taken to a backwater along the Miami River in Miami, Florida. The owners of the vessel appeared to have abandoned it, and over the years, its condition declined. The ship’s last known registry was in São Tomé & Principe, but abandoned, the federal and state government had to figure out how to dispose of the 226-foot (69-meter) vessel.

Martin County, Florida, has been part of a state-sponsored reefing program, sinking its first artificial reefs in the 1970s. A group of retirees and sport fishing enthusiasts, calling themselves the “Reeftirees,” began the movement to create self-sustaining marine habitats. The county has participated in the reefing of eight large vessels, the last of which was completed in 2018.

The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission was able to obtain the Borocho and, in May 2025, put out for bids the work to remediate and prepare the vessel for reefing. It paid the estimated $500,000 to clean and prep the vessel and made it available to Martin County for reefing.

The final voyage began early Tuesday morning, November 18, as the vessel was towed approximately 9 miles offshore to a position near St. Lucie inlet. It was positioned offshore from Stuart, Florida, on the state’s east coast.

The reefing took a little more than an hour, according to local media reports. By about 1:20 pm, the vessel had come to rest in about 180 feet of water. The spot was selected because it was a sandy bottom ideal for the reefing. The vessel became the newly christened Boo McCulley Reef, named in honor of John McCulley, a local contractor who was a strong supporter of the program and instrumental in the reefing efforts. He spent 20 years developing the artificial reef before his passing in November 2020.

Royal Navy's Bahrain-Based Frigate Slinks Back Home Silently

HMS Lancaster frigate — HMS Lancaster appears to have departed Bahrain likely on its way back to the UK (Royal Navy)

Without any announcement, and with a dearth of official information concerning its whereabouts, the Royal Navy appears to have withdrawn its permanently deployed frigate in the Gulf, HMS Lancaster (F229).

The last public appearance of HMS Lancaster (F229), a Type 23 frigate, was when carrying out yet another successful drug smuggling interdiction in the Gulf of Oman on October 12. A Royal Marine sniper on board HMS Lancaster's Wildcat helicopter disabled the motor of a skiff travelling at 40 knots, and the ship's crew was then able to recover heroin, crystal meth, and hashish worth $45 million. Since then, HMS Lancaster has not been sighted, and the only vessel alongside at the HMS Juffair base in Bahrain has been the Hunt-class minesweeper HMS Middleton (M34), which, with its trusty 30mm cannon, is now the Royal Navy's Middle East flagship.

HMS Lancaster is likely to be returning to the United Kingdom, in company for logistic support with RFA Tidespring (A136). Tidespring was last spotted in Cape Town on November 12, and although HMS Lancaster was not seen alongside, both vessels are likely to be back in the UK at the beginning of December, possibly joining up with the HMS Prince of Wales (R09) carrier strike group as it too returns home after its deployment to the Far East.

The Royal Navy has not announced whether HMS Lancaster is to be replaced, either in the short term by one of the two offshore patrol boats, HMS Tamar (P233) and HMS Spey (P234), based in Singapore, or in the longer term by one of the Type 31 frigates yet to be launched.

In the meantime, with the internal security situation in Iran deteriorating and tensions rising, the Royal Navy's presence in the region will be maintained by HMS Middleton. Once one of three vessels in the 9th Mine Counter Measures Squadron, Middleton provides a base afloat for a valuable mine counter-measures capability should trouble arise in the Straits of Hormuz area, as tends to occur when Iran goes through a period of tension.

HMS Middleton (M34) (Royal Navy)

The Royal Navy is currently suffering significant shortages, caused by shortages of budget, manpower, and replacements for obsolescent ships, and has been reluctant to acknowledge that these are affecting operational requirements.

Of six Type 45 destroyers, only two are operational - HMS Dauntless (D33) and HMS Dragon (D35), with HMS Daring (D32) returning to service after a refit lasting over 3,000 days. Of the eight remaining Type 23 frigates, HMS Richmond (F239) and HMS Somerset (F82) are active, with HMS Lancaster (F229) on its way home to be retired shortly. The Type 23s are being replaced by Type 31s, with HMS Venturer due in service by 2027, and by Type 26s, with HMS Glasgow due in service in 2028.

The Royal Navy now appears to be without its amphibious warfare capability entirely. All three Royal Fleet Auxiliary Bay Class amphibious warfare vessels are inactive, for manpower or budgetary reasons: RFA Lyme Bay (L3007), RFA Mounts Bay (L3008), and RFA Cardigan Bay (L3009). Albion Class assault ships HMS Albion (L14) and HMS Bulwark (L15) are being decommissioned, and the hospital ship RFA Argus (A135) has been condemned as being insufficiently seaworthy to prevent even a move from its berth in the Portsmouth Naval Base.

Without RFA Fort Victoria (A387), the fleet does not have a single vessel able to supply ammunition and food at sea. On its Far East cruise, HMS Prince of Wales (R09) was dependent for such support on the Norwegian logistics vessel HNoMS Maud (A530).

RFA Fort Victoria has been laid up in Liverpool (Royal Navy)

The submarine service is also under pressure. Cruises by the Dreadnought Class nuclear ballistic missile submarines, one of which is always on patrol, are having to be extended to record durations because of the lack of serviceable boats to maintain the rotation. Of the seven Astute Class nuclear attack submarines, two are still to enter service, and none of the five active boats are currently believed to be operational. The HMS Prince of Wales carrier strike group is believed to have been deployed without a submarine escort, contrary to standard practice.

Faced by these issues, the response of the UK's Ministry of Defence has been to highlight what the future procurement program will deliver, without acknowledging that short-term problems exist. There has, however, been no significant uplift to the defense budget in the interim, which is at the heart of the operational issues facing the Royal Navy.

Mexican National Charged for Death of Migrants in Capsizing off San Diego

Capsized panga after its recovery on Imperial Beach (USCG)

The skipper of the small boat that capsized off Imperial Beach, California last Friday has been charged in connection with the casualty, according to prosecutors. The capsizing resulted in at least four deaths, and other passengers may have been lost at sea.

Mexican national David Alfonso Barrera, 37, has been charged with smuggling resulting in death and smuggling immigrants for financial gain. He was detained on Saturday in connection with the case.

According to survivors, the boat departed Rosarito, Mexico on Friday night and headed north for the maritime boundary line. The boat had engine trouble, but Barrera decided to keep going, despite objections from some of the others on board, according to prosecutors. The boat capsized when it was approaching Imperial Beach, putting the occupants into the water. Four bodies were recovered, five people were rescued, and a large-scale search operation was mounted to look for any further survivors.

In interviews with U.S. authorities, Barrera reportedly denied that he was the captain and said that it was another individual, who was not among the nine identified occupants of the boat (deceased or surviving).

"This event underscores the very real danger and consequences of crossing the border illegally," said San Diego Sector Chief Border Patrol Agent Justin De La Torre. "The decision of this smuggling organization to carelessly risk the lives of everyone involved is truly inexcusable. We will ensure full accountability for anyone who chooses to violate our Nation’s laws."

The charge of smuggling in aliens resulting in death is a capital offense, punishable by life in prison or the death penalty.

Fire Extinguished on LPG Carrier Hit During Russian Attack on Ukraine

firefight on LPG carrier Ukraine — Ukraine extinguished the fire on the LPG carrier started by the Russian attack on Izmail (ISU Tulcea)

The fire on the Turkish-flagged LPG carrier Orinda, sparked by a Russian attack on the port of Izmail, has been extinguished. While the danger to the area has been abated, concerns are growing about a potential energy crisis this winter in Ukraine as Russia continues its attacks on the ports.

The 9,352 dwt vessel was alongside at Izmail offloading a cargo of liquified petroleum gas when the attack occurred early on November 17. Ukrainian port officials reported that the gas pumping equipment caught fire. The vessel, built in 2002, immediately commenced a shutdown operation, and the 16 crewmembers were safely evacuated.

Ukrainian firefighters were working to put out the blaze. Images show a fire boat positioned alongside the vessel, and by this morning, the fire was largely extinguished. The Turkish General Directorate of Maritime Affairs said it had been informed that the cooling effort had been completed and there was no more risk.

A portion of the gas cargo burned off during the fire, according to reports from Romania, which was closely monitoring the operation as the vessel was just 200 meters from one Romanian village. They reported that Ukraine had brought in a large vessel to refill the water tanks overnight, helping to reduce the danger of an explosion. More than 230 people had self-evacuated or were moved by the Romanian officials from two Romanian villages as a precaution. They were being permitted to return to their homes.

The vessel will be towed away from the dock to an anchorage on Wednesday, November 19, the Turkish Directorate reports. A full survey will be conducted to determine the level of damage to the 23-year-old ship.

While the danger has been reduced from this vessel, the concern remains high about a looming energy crisis as Russia continues its attacks on Ukraine’s ports and energy infrastructure. Ukrainian officials reported Izmail was one of several port areas struck in the latest round of attacks.

Ukraine, on Sunday, November 16, concluded an agreement involving the U.S., EU, and Greece for the import of American LNG as the country heads into winter. Starting in December, American LNG will be purchased with funds from the Europeans and Ukraine’s accounts to make up for the lost supplies from Russia. For the past decade, Ukraine has been supplied with gas from various EU states.

Due to the dangers of further attacks, the agreement calls for the gas to be shipped to Greece and offloaded. They will use a Soviet-era Balkan pipeline running from Greece via Moldova, Romania, and Bulgaria to get the LNG to Ukraine.

Speaking in Greece, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told reporters that Ukraine continues to rebuild after the Russian attacks. He said the new agreement would help to fill the void and ease the burden of time and effort required to repair the damage from the Russian attacks.

IRGC Releases Seized Tanker Talara From Iranian Custody

Talara (file image courtesy Cengiz Tokgoz / VesselFinder)

The tanker Talara has been released after five days in Iranian custody, along with the crew - but not the cargo, according to the operator.

Talara was seized last Friday by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at a position in the UAE, off Khor Fakkan. After boarding by helicopter, IRGC personnel diverted the ship to the coastal waters off Bandar Abbas, a typical destination for foreign-flag ships captured by Iran.

The IRGC has claimed responsibility, and in a statement to state media it asserted that the vessel was carrying 30,000 tonnes of petroleum products that were being transported "illegally" to Singapore. The ship is now in ballast, indicated manager Columbia Shipmanagement on Wednesday, implying that the cargo has since been removed.

The crew is safe and "in good spirits," Columbia said, and the vessel is under way.

The nature of the dispute remains unclear. According to Columbia, the crew, ship, owner and manager were never accused of any wrongdoing while in custody. If the IRGC took any action, it would appear to be limited to the cargo.

Writing for the Maritime Executive, a senior Mideast security expert suggested two possible reasons for the intercept: a routine smuggling bust, or a retaliatory action.

"The first possibility is a counter-smuggling operation. Iran has long conducted 'law enforcement' operations to clamp down on oil smuggling, which Iran could classify as resource theft," said the analyst. "The second - which would irritate the IRGC, and provoke their retaliation - would have been the loss of the tanker Falcon and its valuable cargo of LPG on October 18. Falcon was loaded in Iran's Assaluyeh shipment terminal and was under way to the Houthi-controlled port of Ras Isa. TankerTrackers.com reported at the time that the MV Falcon was part of the Iranian shadow fleet and noted that it had no known insurer."

Top image: Talara (file image courtesy Cengiz Tokgoz / VesselFinder)

Severe Windstorm Damages Multiple Vessels in Argentina

A severe windstorm in southern Argentina damaged multiple fishing vessels in ports around the region on Monday, including three smaller vessels that sank in the harbor at Caleta Olivia, Santa Cruz.

With a low pressure system arriving from the Pacific and blowing over the Andes, gusts in parts of southern Argentina hit speeds upwards of 80 knots, according to the nation's government weather service. Swells rolling in from the Atlantic hit hard for smaller vessels moored alongside in less-protected ports. Three boats identified as the Yakisa, Barracuda, and Alborada went down in sequence at Caleta Olivia, according to Revista Puerto. No injuries were reported, and Argentina's navy is working with the owners and other agencies to arrange for refloating the wrecks.

A fourth smaller vessel, the Madre Teresa, reportedly took on water and partially sank at a shipyard in Rawson, Chubut Province.

In Puerto Deseado, to the northeast of Patagonia in Santa Cruz Province, the winds tore one vessel away from its mooring and sent it slamming into the bow of another. The fishing vessel Atlantico I hit the squid jigger Soho Maru, putting a hole in the latter vessel's bow. No injuries or pollution were reported.

Well into Tuesday, eight provinces in Argentina remained under "yellow alert" for high winds, with gusts up to 40 knots in southern Patagonia.

In Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, five tourists were confirmed dead after they were caught in wind-driven whiteout conditions while on a mountain hike. Four survivors were located and rescued on Tuesday.

NTSB: Loose Electrical Wire Led to Dali Hitting Francis Scott Key Bridge

[Breaking] A simple oversight in labeling an electrical wire was a likely causal factor in the blackout aboard the boxship Dali, resulting in the vessel's allision with a bridge pier and the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The Dali's main switchboard was constructed with spring-grip terminals for each wire connection. To make a connection, the spring is pushed back with a tool, the bare tip of the wire is inserted down into the terminal block, and the spring is released, forcing the wire against a contact - where it should stay for the rest of the life of the ship.

Aboard the Dali, each individual wire had a cylindrical label with the wire number on it for easy tracing and troubleshooting. The label was supposed to be placed above the bare tip of the wire, up on the insulation. Instead, someone clamped at least some of the wires' labels too far down towards the tip of the wire, NTSB found.

On wire 1 of terminal block 381, the label's incorrect position and its larger diameter prevented the bare tip of the wire from being inserted all the way down into the terminal block, the NTSB alleged. The safety agency determined that the improperly-placed plastic label hit the top of the terminal block and stopped the wire from going in any further. Because of this, the wire's tip was barely held by the clamp at the time of assembly. It then rattled free of the clamp at some point in service, and thereafter it made a poor, intermittent connection with the contact, according to NTSB's investigators.

In the early hours of March 26, 2024, the loose wire ceased making contact with the terminal, causing a fault that shut down the Dali's auxiliary power, NTSB found. In a cascade of events, this cut out the vessel's propulsion and steering, leaving Dali helpless and adrift. Without tug assist, and unable to restart successfully, Dali drifted into a pier supporting the Francis Scott Key Bridge and destroyed it, collapsing the structure and killing six people.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said Tuesday that the crew would have had a hard time finding the loose wire. NTSB only located it after a forensic examination of the switchboard and a series of tests aided by the shipbuilder. "It’s high with miles of wiring and thousands of electrical connections. Locating a single wire that is loose among thousands of wires is like looking for a loose bolt in the Eiffel Tower," she said.

NTSB's wire-label finding echoes a claim made previously by the vessel's owners and operators. In late July, owner Grace Ocean and operator Synergy Marine filed a lawsuit alleging that the shipbuilder "defectively designed the switchboard in such a manner that wiring connections were not secure, could not be verified as secure, and could lose connection" because the “labeling band identifying the wire was installed too close to the ferrule crimped on the end of the wire.”

NTSB also concluded that the Francis Scott Key Bridge was vulnerable to catastrophic failure if hit by a modern boxship, as has been previously observed. The Key Bridge suffered a similar incident in 1980 when it was hit by the small containership Blue Nagoya, and it survived with little damage. Dali was 10 times larger than the Nagoya, reflecting the upsizing of containerships over the decades. Ships had changed, but the bridge had not, and the outcome was much different.

Courtesy NTSB

Slow Progress for Salvage of Fire-Damaged Wan Hai 503 Containership

Salvage teams continue to make slow progress in their efforts to clear the fire-damaged containership Wan Hai 503. Two months after the hulk was permitted to dock in the port of Jebel Ali, UAE, the salvage operations continue to face challenges after having removed approximately two-thirds of the containers from the vessel.

Vessel operator Wan Hai posted its latest update, reporting that 1,148 containers have been discharged from the vessel in a slow and challenging operation, with an additional 574 containers still aboard. At the end of October, salvage teams had removed 638 containers, and by the end of the first week of November, it had risen to 987 containers.

The shipping line highlights that the first challenge was that carbon monoxide remained in some of the unopened cargo holds despite the fire, which began on June 9, being largely extinguished by early July. The operation required careful ventilation of the below-deck spaces.

The boxes were waterlogged and suffered extensive fire damage as well as damage to the structures holding the containers. Heavy machinery and grab units were being used to remove each box, but they noted that lifting paths needed to be constantly revised.

Dewatering has also continued, with some 5,000 tonnes of firefighting water having been discharged. The efforts to remove the remaining water, however, have become increasingly difficult due to the amount of cargo residue that is blocking the pump pipes or the hold openings.

Entry into the cargo holds has also been complicated by the deformation of the hatches. They report the hatches were severely deformed by the fire, requiring the salvage teams to cut the hatches into segments before they could be lifted.

The remaining containers are among those that were the most deformed, melted, and structurally weakened during the fire. Wan Hai reports that it is becoming increasingly difficult to identify the individual containers as they are being discharged.

The fire began while the containership was approximately 54 nautical miles west of India in the Arabian Sea and was finally brought under control by early July. It was finally declared fully extinguished by the end of July, and then more than a month was spent searching for a port of refuge before it was decided to tow the vessel to the Middle East. Four seafarers, two from Taiwan and one each from Indonesia and Myanmar, were reported missing when the vessel was abandoned on June 9. The remaining 18 crewmembers were evacuated with the assistance of the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard, with six admitted to hospitals in India with injuries from the explosion and fire aboard the vessel.

UK HSE Investigates Fatal Accident Aboard North Sea Jackup

Valaris 121 (Arjan Elmendorp / Vesselfinder)

Safety authorities in the UK are investigating the death of a rig worker aboard the jackup Valaris 121 at a site in the North Sea. The victim, identified as Lee Hulse, 32, is believed to have fallen from a crane.

"Around 4.40am on Friday November 14 we received a report of the death of a 32-year-old man on a drilling rig in the North Sea," said Police Scotland in a statement. "The death is not being treated as suspicious."

Operator Valaris confirmed that a worker passed away as a result of an incident on board. "Their next of kin has been informed and Valaris is offering support to them at this difficult time."

Shell, which operates the fixed platform where Valaris 121 was working, expressed its condolences to Lee's family. "We are deeply saddened by the death of a crew member on Valaris 121, which was working at our Shearwater platform in the North Sea. We are providing support to Valaris following the incident," the company said.

No other personnel were injured, and Valaris initiated a temporary halt to operations aboard the vessel.

A GoFundMe has been set up for Hulse's family. "Lee always looked after his family and all his friends," the organizers wrote in an appeal for donations. "This is our turn to make sure we look after him and give him the best send off that he deserves and make sure his daughter is well looked after."

It is the second time in as many years that a fatality has been reported aboard the jackup rig. In January 2023, a worker disappeared from the Valaris 121 while it was under tow. A dislodged polymer grating was found in an inspection after the disappearance, "exposing employees . . . to a risk to their safety by tripping on the displaced grating and/or falling through the subsequent hole in the decking area," inspectors with the UK Health and Safety Executive wrote in an advisory to the operator. The missing man was never found, and the case is still under investigation.

Valaris 121 is a Keppel FELS Super "A" Class harsh environment jackup built in 2014. High-pressure / high-temperature capable, it can drill to depths of up to 40,000 feet.

Top image: Valaris 121 (Arjan Elmendorp / Vesselfinder)

Officer was Distracted on Cell Phone as Ferry Grounded Says Coast Guard

grounded ferry — Ferry missed a key navigation turn as the first officer was reading news on his cell phone (Photo by Mokpo Coast Guard)

The Korean Coast Guard held a briefing on yesterday’s grounding of a passenger car ferry, reporting a litany of failures and saying it is pursuing charges, including gross negligence. It said the first officer, who was responsible for navigation, was distracted by his cell phone and failed to perform his duties, while the captain and helmsman are also under investigation.

The first officer of the ferry, identified as a Korean in his 40s, was in charge of the vessel as it was completing its four-hour run from the popular tourist destination on Jeju island. He initially told the Coast Guard the steering had malfunctioned, but later admitted he had been reading the news on his cell phone.

During the final 45 minutes of the voyage, the ferry Queen Jenuvia 2 was traveling through a narrow navigation channel, and according to the Coast Guard, the vessel should have been under manual control. Instead, the vessel’s automatic pilot had remained engaged as it approached a nearly 90-degree bend in the channel.

The vessel overshot the turn by approximately two to three minutes, or 1,500 meters, and was approximately 100 meters from an uninhabited island when the error was detected. The bow of the vessel was holed as it hit the island. A total of 27 passengers were taken to the hospital after the vessel was evacuated, suffering from a range of minor injuries.

The Coast Guard said the first officer, along with the helmsman, is being detained and facing arrest on charges of gross negligence. If convicted, they would face up to five years in jail.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing, with the Coast Guard reporting that it was seizing cell phones to conduct forensic analyses. It is also reviewing closed-circuit TV camera video from the ship, as well as the voyage data recorder.

The master of the vessel, a Korean in his 60s, is also under investigation because he was not on the bridge at the time of the incident. He is facing charges for a failure to fulfill his duties. The helmsman, who is from Indonesia, was being interviewed through the use of an interpreter.

The operators of the ferry, Sea World Express Ferry Co., issued a formal apology and suspended service. It said it was working with the authorities while noting it had arranged shelter for the passengers after they were evacuated. The company said it was working to determine the circumstances and promised to “comprehensively reorganize our safety management system across all ship operations to prevent a recurrence.”

The ferry was refloated overnight at high tide and was brought to the dock in Mokpo for further investigation. It had 246 passengers and 21 crewmembers aboard and was carrying 118 vehicles. Arrangements were being made for the vehicles to be offloaded along with the cargo from the ship.

Passengers Being Evacuated After Korean Ferry Runs Aground

ferry aground — Ferry aground off Korea (Mokpo Coast Guard)

A large rescue operation is underway along the South Korean coast south of Seoul after a larger passenger-car ferry grounded while approaching the port at Mokpo on Wednesday evening, November 19. Coming 11 years after South Korea’s worst sea disaster on another passenger ferry, the government, including the president of South Korea, has quickly responded to the grounding.

President Lee Jae Myung was briefed during a state visit to the UAE and immediately ordered all available resources to be deployed. The government issued instructions for the local authorities to immediately establish temporary shelter and put medical support teams on standby. The danger, however, was reported to be less imminent as the ferry is hard aground and not reported to be taking on water.

Built in 2021, the 26,546 gross ton Queen Jenuvia 2 was completing a run from the popular tourist destination on Jeju Island. There were 267 passengers aboard and a crew of 21. The ship is operated by SeaWorld Express, which acquired it in 2024, and it is registered in Panama. It has a capacity for 1,010 passengers and more than 3,500 tons of cargo or vehicles.

According to the media reports, the vessel was nearing shore at low tide when the bow of the 558-foot (170-meter) ferry struck an uninhabited island at approximately 8:15 p.m. local time, approximately 45 minutes before its scheduled arrival time. It had departed Jeju at 4:45 pm local time. Passengers reported a strong jolt, and media reports are saying five passengers suffered minor injuries.

The ship was reported listing 15 degrees to port with a hole in its hull. Weather conditions were fair with light winds.

The Coast Guard dispatched 10 patrol boats, with the first vessels reaching the stranded ferry within approximately 20 minutes. Passengers were instructed to put on their life jackets and were being transferred to the Coast Guard vessels.

A skeleton crew was remaining aboard the vessel with the captain. The Coast Guard was hoping to refloat the vessel and move it to port overnight during the high tide.

In 2014, the Sewol ferry bound for Jeju sank in a similar position to the current incident. Many people were trapped aboard the ferry, with over 300 killed. It was later determined that the ferry had been overloaded.

Cargo Barge Damaged and Taking on Water North of Vancouver

barge low in the water — Barge is sitting low in the water after likely hitting something while transiting the Inside Passage (Heiltsuk Marine Emergency Response Team photos)

A U.S.-bound cargo barge being towed by a U.S. tug reported that it was taking on water north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, while traveling along the Inside Passage. Officials said that the vessels were moved into a more secure location and that the situation remains stable while the operators prepare to lighten the cargo load on the barge.

The Dunlap Towing Company tug Malolo reported on Tuesday morning, November 18, that the barge it was towing was taking on water and sitting low in the water. At the time, it was approximately 300 miles northwest of Vancouver near Bella Bella, B.C. It is in an area supervised by the Heiltsuk First Nation’s Marine Emergency Response Team.

The Malolo is a 50-year-old twin screw tug with 3,420 horsepower. It was towing a barge for Alaska Marine Lines, coming from Kodiak, Alaska, bound for Seattle, Washington. The company operates barges that are approximately 400 feet in length with a capacity of upwards of 17,000 tons of cargo. Photos show the barge carrying at least 300 containers, as well as several vehicles on top of the containers and boats on trailers.

The Heiltsuk response team was monitoring the barge and reports that a precautionary pollution control boom has been strung, although there are no reports of leaks or pollution so far. The barge was towed into one of the inlets to put it in a more sheltered position, and divers inspected the hull on Wednesday. A spokesperson from the Heiltuk First Nation told Canadian media that there is damage to the hull of the barge and speculated that the barge likely struck something. They reported that the barge, however, is stable and is not continuing to sink.

Alaska Marine Lines told the Canadian media that a second tug and barge had been set to location and the plan was to lighten the load on the barge. They expect that the two tugs with the barges will then proceed to Seattle. The operation could be challenged or delayed by forecasted high winds in the region this week.

The Canadian Coast Guard reports it is collaborating with the Heiltsuk Nation, Transport Canada, and the tug owner to ensure an appropriate response.

Alaska Marine Lines provides a vital cargo link between Alaska and Washington state. The company told the media that because the barge was southbound, it was not carrying groceries or supplies for Southeast Alaska, and there would be no disruption to the supply chain to the state.

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