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GROUNDED TANKER SHIP WHITE SEA FREED FROM AMBROSE CHANNEL
NEW YORK-Three tugs safely pulled the grounded 800-foot tanker ship White
Sea from the Ambrose shipping channel's sandy bottom at 6:20 p.m. today
during high tide after 121,000 barrels of the 556,000 barrels of low sulfur
fuel oil cargo was lightered to Bouchard Barge B-230 earlier today. There
were no reports of fuel product in the water.
Lightering operations started a little after 2:00 a.m. today and ended
shortly after 4:00 p.m. The White Sea proceeded under its own power with 3
tugs assisting it to Stapleton Anchorage, off Staten Island, where it
arrived at approximately 8:30 p.m. While at Stapleton, divers will conduct
another hull survey.
The U.S. Coast Guard continues its investigation and has issued a Captain of
the Port Order prohibiting the ship from departing until a satisfactory
inspection by the ship's classification society.
"Several factors contributed to this successful outcome," said Lt. j.g. Kathryn
Campagnini, Coast Guard Sector New York Command Duty Officer.
"The sandy bottom, the ship's double-hull design, and the mild sea state were key in
helping avert a potential spill. After lightering the 120,000 barrels of fuel
to enhance buoyancy, three tugs successfully assisted in refloating the White
Sea. This is about as good an ending as you can expect."
The White Sea was en route Singapore from Bayonne, N.J. with 556,000 barrels
of low sulfur fuel oil when it lost steering and ran aground by buoy 14 in
the Ambrose shipping channel, about four miles north of Sandy Hook, N.J. at
6:30 a.m. Thursday. The ship suffered breaches to two ballast water tanks,
but the product compartments inside the double-hulled ship remain intact.
The location of the grounded ship caused no delays to other incoming and
departing shipping.
The White Sea is owned by the Singapore-based Tanker Pacific Management on a
time charter to United Arab Emirates-based Westport Shipping Services. Its
local agent is Atlantic Shipping Company.
The seas are reported as calm, two-to-four foot seas and northwesterly winds
at 10-15 knots.
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