Article

Coast Guard assists distressed cargo ship off San Juan, Puerto Rico


by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 3 August 2020 74 -

Text and photo by U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan

Coast Guard air and surface rescue crews at Sector San Juan responded and assisted the distressed M/V Island Express Wednesday afternoon, after the ship started taking on water when it departed the Port of San Juan for storm avoidance in anticipation of Tropical Cyclone 9.

The M/V Island Express, a Cyprus flagged 412-foot ro-ro cargo ship, and its 18-man crew is now safely moored in San Juan Harbor.

Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a Mayday VHF radio transmission on Channel 16 from the Captain of the M/V Island Express, who reported that there was a possible broken pipe in the engine room and that approximately 75% of the bilges were full of water.

Watchstanders directed the launch of two 33-foot small boats and a 45-foot Response Boat Medium from Station San Juan that got underway and arrived on scene with the M/V Island Express. A Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter also arrived on scene, and the aircrew was able to maintain communications with the Coast Guard boat crews as they escorted the cargo ship in eight to 10 foot seas back to the safety of the port.

“Despite the impending tropical storm and all Station San Juan small boats securely out of the water for an incoming storm, our boat crews responded immediately to launch two 33-foot small boats from their trailers and the 45-foot Response Boat Medium utilizing the mobile boat hoist” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Lance Wiser, Station San Juan officer in charge. “The teamwork and training of Station operators allowed these evolutions to safely take place simultaneously which led to all three assets arriving on scene with the distressed vessel within 45 minutes. The sea conditions on scene were pushing the parameters of the small boats but the crews endured and the distressed vessel was escorted safety into the harbor.”

Meanwhile, Sector San Juan Prevention personnel coordinated with the San Juan Bay Pilots and two Puerto Rico Towing tugboats that rendezvoused with the M/V Island Express at the entrance of San Juan Harbor. The tugboats escorted the M/V Island Express to Pier 15, where the vessel safely moored and the crew was able to finalize dewatering of the bilge spaces.

What's your opinion on this?
Login or register to write comments and join the discussion!
Read more...

Article Safehaven Marine delivers a new Interceptor 48, 15m Pilot Vessel to the San Juan Bay Pilots, Puerto Rico.

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 11 May 2020

Safehaven Marine have delivered one our Interceptor 48 pilot vessels to the San Juan Bay Pilots, Puerto Rico.
This marks Safehaven Marines 41st pilot boat delivered to portsWorldwide. ‘Harbor Thunder’ a very striking
design, she is powered by a pair of Cummins QSM11 engines at a heavy duty rating of 450hp, allowing the
vessel an economical continuous operational speed of 22-23kts.

0

Article MAIB releases report into grounding and recovery of Thea II in Humber Estuary

published on 21 August 2020

UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch has published grounding and recovery of a container feeder vessel and a tug in the approaches to the Humber Estuary in storm force conditions on 15 December 2018.

0

Video Methanol Fueled Pilot Boat from Sweden

published on 7 July 2022

FASTWATER Consortium and the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) successfully demonstrated a pilot boat that has been converted to operate on Methanol fuel. The demonstration in Stockholm Harbour follows the successful bunkering of the vessel at the SMA pilot station in Oxelösund, Sweden, where the pilot boat will be based.

1

Video Safehaven Marine Interceptor 48 pilot boat for the Gdynia Pilots in Poland

published on 6 July 2020

Video by Safehaven Marine / Frank Kowalski
Here’s a cool video of the latest Interceptor 48 pilot boat we’ve launched for the Gdynia Pilots in Poland. We captured some nice alongside ship footage during the sea trials and had a chance to test out our new drone ‘catch net’ on Thunder Child.

0

Article Hefring Marine and Loodswezen forge strategic partnership

by Hefring Marine - published on 10 June 2024

Hefring Marine have announced a new partnership with Loodswezen, aiming to improve the safety and efficiency of the Dutch pilotage associations operations by installing the Intelligent Marine Assistance System (IMAS) on its latest pilot tenders.

0

Article Update: "Strength of Pilot Ladders and Intermediate Securing of Pilot Ladders"

by Capt. Troy Evans - published on 2 November 2020

An investigation into actual strength of ladders and intermediate securing methods used.
Capt. and Marine Pilot Troy Evans (New Zealand) decided to look into pilot ladder strength and intermediate securing arrangements after MNZ put out what he felt was a confusing and unclear document about securing of pilot ladders.

0

Video GENOA - The new Pilot boat operating in Singapore bay

published on 2 September 2020

Timothy Cosulich introduces to us the new pilot boat that will operate in the Singapore Bay, owned and operated by Fratelli Cosulich.

0

Video GoPro Sticker Tips: Time-lapse vessel videos with telemetry data widgets

by River Pilot Kris De Decker - published on 29 September 2021

Tips by Captain Kris.
kris@mes.de
krisdedecker

0

Video Suez Canal Timelapse | Life at Sea on a Container Ship

published on 6 July 2019

Tag along as we journey through Suez Canal into Mediterranean Sea.
The ship is on a 77 days voyage from Asia to East Coast United States in which we've taken the Suez Canal route. By using Suez Canal instead of around cape of Africa, this will save more than 5000 miles of fuel and time.
The time-lapse was taken over 16 hours.

0