The Coast Guard is investigating what caused a bulk carrier full of scrap metal to collide with a stationary dredge in Upper New York Bay in clear weather.
The accident happened at 0900 March 14 near buoy No. 24, off the Stapleton section of Staten Island, about one mile north of the Staten Island Ferry’s St. George Terminal. The Coast Guard said the 623-foot Osprey I was outbound when it struck the dredge Delaware Bay.
The collision was the second time in less than a month that a bulk ship struck a stationary dredge in the region. On Feb. 21, the orange juice carrier Orange Sun struck and severely damaged the dredge New York in Newark Bay — about five nm west of the site of the Osprey I accident (see PM #112, April 2008).
In the most recent incident, the impact poked a 30-foot-by-3-foot hole in the starboard side of Osprey I, the Coast Guard said. The gash was above the waterline. The dredge had no significant damage.
The Coast Guard confirmed that Delaware Bay was not moving at the time of the collision.
“The dredge was nestled down into the seabed, so it was stationary,†said Coast Guard spokeswoman Petty Officer Angelia Rorison.
“The dredge was nestled down into the seabed, so it was stationary,†said Coast Guard spokeswoman Petty Officer Angelia Rorison.
Osprey I had picked up a load in the Albany area and traveled down the Hudson River before pausing at an anchorage to take on bunker fuel.
Coast Guard investigator Lt. Thomas Casey said Osprey I had been back underway for only a short time when it struck the dredge. Visibility was clear and winds were 10 knots out of the north/northeast. The bay current was 2.5 knots, a little stronger than usual, Casey said.
No problems were found in Osprey I’s navigation or propulsion systems or any other equipment, Casey said. No other vessel traffic was causing congestion, and the bulk ship had plenty of room to operate safely, he said.
No problems were found in Osprey I’s navigation or propulsion systems or any other equipment, Casey said. No other vessel traffic was causing congestion, and the bulk ship had plenty of room to operate safely, he said.
After the Coast Guard inspected both vessels, Osprey I went to a berth at Port Newark Marine Terminal for temporary repairs to the hull, Casey said. The Marshall Island-flagged ship was originally scheduled to sail to Turkey.
Osprey I is a Supramax bulker with a deadweight of 50,206 tons. It is part of the Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. fleet, based in New York. The documented owner is Osprey Shipping LLC, the Coast Guard said. The technical manager is V. Ships USA LLC.
Eagle Bulk spokesman Jonathan Morgan said the company’s ship was able to stay on schedule.
“The vessel was not taking on water, and there were no injuries,†Morgan said.
Morgan declined to specify the permanent repairs that were necessary and where they would be completed.
Morgan declined to specify the permanent repairs that were necessary and where they would be completed.
Donjon Marine Co. of Hillside, N.J., owns the 225-foot-long Delaware Bay, which is involved in an ongoing Army Corps of Engineers channel-dredging project.
