A Bahamas-registered bulk carrier that ran aground in the Delaware River near Philadelphia has been refloated and is now moored at PhilaPort's Tioga Marine Terminal, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
At approximately 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, the Algoma Verity was refloated during the incoming tide and safely moored at the nearby marine terminal, the Coast Guard said in a statement.
The 623' ship, which was transiting northbound with a cargo of approximately 45,000 tons of salt when the incident occurred, had been aground since Wednesday evening. No injuries were reported.
Following the incident, marine inspectors found that four of the vessel’s ballast tanks and one empty fuel tank were damaged as a result of the grounding, the Coast Guard said. There have been no reports of pollution.
With the vessel now moored, Coast Guard personnel, representatives from the ship’s owners, and contracted salvage personnel remain on board to ensure the safety of the vessel, crew, waterway, and environment.
“The on-scene personnel demonstrated exceptional initiative in a very dynamic environment,” said Capt. 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 the Algoma Verity safely out of the port.”
The Coast Guard said it established a new safety zone restricting vessel traffic from 100 yards upriver and 100 yards downriver of Tioga Marine Terminal. Vessels will need permission from the captain of the port or a designated representative to enter the safety zone.
Algoma Verity is a 2000-built Supramax self-unloading bulk carrier with a deadweight of 50,259 MT. Wholly owned by Algoma Central Corporation, St. Catharines, Ontario,
