This is totally unconfirmed. Who has the scoop?
Crowley’s Am Liberty was coming off the dock in garyville Louisiana last night and they let go the tug too early, missed the turnaround, sideswiped an anchored ship, bashed into a group of laid up barges and broke em all loose, then got control and got tied up at a grain dock. Sliced the port side most of the way from 1P-6P WBT and dented in the engine room.
Another source says they “lost RPM”
I don’t have a scoop but was curious about the vessel and she comes up on vesselfinder with an AIS destination of “Buck Kreihs” so I would say repairs are most likely in order.
Word around the fleet is about the same, didn’t hear anything about losing RPMs yet.
AKA the federal pilot let go the tug too early…
Longitudinal damage like that to the port side doesn’t indicate the problem was letting the tug go too early. Garyville is on the east bank and everything that would be anchored below there, plus the fleet of barges, would be on the west bank. I would expect the damage to either be on the starboard side or they actually hit vessels moored to the east bank below Garyville - which would mean that the turn was made.
Of course, a lack of RPM with the river running the way it is could also result in not such a fun time handling a loaded tanker…
Will be interesting to see how this plays out. The Federal Pilots are generally very good and they’re on Crowley equipment out of Garyville constantly.
If they came off the dock and turned on a left wheel and let the tug go before they were pointed down river they could have easily hit on the port side.
There is no anchorage at Garyville so unless a ship was anchored there for a special reason, it still doesn’t make sense. Shooting across the river into the fleet while trying to top around could result in damage to the port bow, but not “Sliced the port side most of the way from 1P-6P WBT and dented in the engine room.” kind of damage. You’d plant the bow into the trees before that would happen.
My bet is that there’s something to the “loss of RPM” statement and they were unable to gain enough speed/rudder authority to keep from smacking into something on/near the east bank after turning around. Letting the tug go too early may mean that it was imprudent to let them go before the engine had sufficient turns on - not that the turn wasn’t already complete.
A friend who works VTS New Orleans / Baton Rouge said he knew of a ship losing an engine/engines coming off a dock at Marathon Garyville (I’m guessing this is the same incident). He wasn’t on watch and called it hearsay but suffice to say it was a loss of propulsion or power. Also, the river is rolling right now. When the river is this high, the common thing I hear is “it’s something every day”. Literally can count on an accident or f*ck up a day even without vessles losing propulsion.
Some would say the eco-class don’t have much for RPM even on a good day
I agree with previous. When the river is up there is more or less a sinking, drowning, collision, allision, spill or anchor dragging every day!
I’ve seen some photos of the damage, but have found nothing in any news anywhere - the “Econ” Tankers are around 47,500 DWT, about 60,000 Disp Tons loaded and have a Max HP Diesel of 11,100 - not much in a 5-6 KT Current this time of year
By all means, share them!
I don’t think I can - another Mate here studying had them sent to him from a Mate on the ship. Port Side - above Boot Topping - slashed open ( about a 6" cut) from Manifold Area back on Port Side - also photo of an anchored ship with hole on Port Bow…
I just got a brief look at the photos - the anchored ship may have been holed on the Stbd vs Port Bow - again just got brief look - but it is factual
American Liberty left ‘Buck Kreihs’, now near ‘Pilot Town’, destination ‘Tampa’.
I hear its going to Tampa Ship for quite a while to be repaired. Would love to see some pictures of what happened…
Somebody produce the pics…
I see a little wood wedged into that lower crease. Damage control or piling?
Ouch!!!
