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Bulker allowed to sail after temporary repairs of grounding damage
The Captain of the Port for Oregon and southern Washington canceled the captain of the port order on the "Sparna" allowing the vessel to leave its mooring at Kalama, Washington, on May 23, 2016. The bulkcarrier briefly had run aground near Cathlamet on the Columbia River on Mar 21, resulting in the ship needing to undergo temporary repairs. The Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Portland inspected the "Sparna" and has approved the temporary repairs to make the vessel seaworthy. The inspection team has monitored the planning and implementation of the repairs over the last two months. The original COTP order was put in place immediately after the grounding incident and required the ship undergo emergency repairs to the hull before departing to a foreign shipyard for permanent repair. All repair work was completed to the satisfaction of the Coast Guard and the vessel’s flag state of Panama. The boulder that was lodged inside the hull of the vessel during the incident was incased in steel and concrete and was still aboard the "Sparna". The ship left the same day bound for Otaru.
Investigation into grounding may take time
It will take weeks or month to investigated the grounding of the "Sparna" which went aground outside Columbia River shipping lanes near the paper mill at Wauna while it was attempting to leave the Columbia River. An inbound vessel was passing her in the opposite direction at the time of the mishap. The ship channel is 600 feet wide and 43 feet deep, making it a tight fit for large vessels — especially those loaded to capacity — to navigate safely. All 10 people on the bridge of the "Sparna", including the Columbia River pilot, were subject to routine blood-alcohol testing. The Coast Guard was interviewing crew members of both vessels and was reconstructing the movements of the vessels using satellite and ground-based tracking devices. The ship has a 25-foot-long gash that’s five feet wide in its hull, and with a boulder lodged inside. The damage is to a void space, which is normally empty. No fuel spilled from the ship. The "Sparna" was undergoing repairs at Kalama that could take several weeks. Report with photo: http://tdn.com/news/freighter-was-outside-columbia-ship-lanes-when-it-went-aground/article_bb12f979-814d-5628-846a-90c75d460cc1.html
Grounded Bulker Sparna Moved to Pier
On Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard oversaw the movement of the damaged bulker Sparna from an anchorage near the site of her grounding on the Columbia River to a pier at Kalama, Washington. Two tugboats and the Columbia River Pilots provided assistance. The transit took about six hours. While the Sparna's fuel tanks were undamaged in the grounding and no pollution was reported, a response vessel followed with spill control equipment. She is carrying 200,000 gallons of high sulfur fuel and 40,000 gallons of marine diesel. The Coast Guard put a 300-food safety zone around the vessel for the transit; the river has since been reopened to all traffic. Picture and report at http://maritime-executive.com/article/grounded-bulker-sparna-moved-to-pier
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