Bulker grounded in Delaware river refloated
Algoma Verity moved to Tioga Marine Terminal on Saturday but more work is needed to transfer it out of the port, says US Coast Guard
A bulker that ran aground in the Delaware river on Wednesday was refloated on Saturday and moved to the Tioga Marine Terminal, the US Coast Guard said
THE supramax bulker that ran aground near Philadelphia last week has been refloated, the US Coast Guard said on Saturday.
The Bahamas-flagged, 50,165 dwt Algoma Verity (IMO: 9183776) was sailing north in the Delaware river on Wednesday when it ran aground about one mile north of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.
The USCG said the vessel was refloated on Saturday morning and taken to the Tioga Marine Terminal.
“The on-scene personnel demonstrated exceptional initiative in a very dynamic environment,” said Captain Kate Higgins-Bloom, captain of the port and commander of Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay.
“The vessel is now well out of the channel, but we still have work to do to get Algoma Verity safely out of the port.”
No injuries or pollution were reported, but marine inspectors identified damage to four of the vessel’s ballast tanks and to one empty fuel tank, the USCG said in an update on Friday.
The agency established a new safety zone around the ship, restricting traffic from 100 yards upriver and 100 yards downriver of the Tioga Marine Terminal. Vessels seeking to enter the safety zone must obtain permission from the USCG captain of the port.
The vessel was laden with about 45,000 tonnes of solar salt when it ran aground.
The cause of the grounding is under investigation.