A general cargo ship inbound for Port Arthur, Texas, and a bulker collided on August 21 causing significant damage to both vessels.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the accident took place in the Sabine Pass. Namely, the 18,000 dwt general cargo ship Damgracht was inbound from Italy transporting a cargo of cement. The vessel had been authorized to move from the anchorage where she had been for several days into the port.
During the inbound maneuver, a USCG spokesperson reported that an engine alarm sounded on the vessel, and the engine shutdown caused a loss of steering.
Outbound from Port Arthur was the bunker AP Revelin. The bulker had loaded a cargo of wood chips and was departing for the Immingham port in Great Britain.
The vessels were caught in the confines of the shipping channel and collided. USCG reports the bow of the Damgracht contacted the port quarter of the AP Revelin.
The bow of the cargo ship was damaged and the vessel took on water, although US Coast Guard reports its pumps have been able to handle the water.
AP Reveling sustained structural damage in the collision, and its owners reported in a stock exchange filing that the vessel sustained “significant material damage.”
They also believe that the damage will lead to significant loss in “usable ship time,” while repairs are undertaken.
There was no injury to the crew aboard either vessel and no pollution in the waterway.
Both vessels remain in the Sabine Anchorage undergoing damage assessments.
