The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its findings on a January 2024 incident in which a crane barge struck a ship-to-shore crane at the North Charleston Terminal, resulting in over $4.5 million in damages.
On Jan. 4, 2024, the towing vessel Royal Engineer was pushing the crane barge Stevens 1471 along the Cooper River when the barge’s crane contacted a ship-to-shore crane that was conducting cargo operations. The tow was navigating a narrow passage between the docked containership Celsius Nicosia and a dredging vessel, while a floating discharge pipeline from the dredge obstructed the rest of the channel.
The NTSB reported that the mate aboard Royal Engineer had previously transited the area and was aware of the dredging operations. He attempted twice to contact the dredge crew earlier in the day to coordinate passage but was unable to establish communication until about 15 minutes before reaching the dredging zone. The NTSB report stated the mate initially planned to request that the dredge crew temporarily break the pipeline to allow passage to the east, however, the dredge captain preferred the tow to pass west of the dredge, between the dredging vessel and the containership. The two ultimately agreed to proceed with that route, NTSB said.
The NTSB report noted that during the maneuver, the mate did not recognize that the ship-to-shore crane boom extended beyond the containership’s side, encroaching on the tow’s path. According to the report, had the mate been aware of the crane’s position, he likely would have adjusted the passage plan to avoid the overhead hazard.
“Ship-to-shore cranes, when conducting cargo operations on a vessel and in the lowered position, may extend considerably beyond the side of the vessel and become a hazard to vessels with high air drafts transiting nearby,” the report stated. “Mariners should always consider their vessel and tow’s air draft when identifying hazards to navigation.”
The full Marine Investigation Report 25-09 is available online.
