Golden Ray: Barge preparations continue

Written by Nick Blenkey
Heavy lift vessel holds section of Golden Ray wreck

The VB-10000 holds Section Five of the Golden Ray wreck in a position ready for loading and away from Section Four, the final section of the wreck. [St. Simons Sound Incident Response photo]

Though the giant heavy lift ship VB 10000 has made its final cut through the hull of the capsized car carrier Golden Ray, the last two of the wreck’s original eight sections remain in St. Simons Sound, Ga., with responders making the preparations needed to get them on their way to recycling.

The latest update is that the response engineering team is continuing to refit a dry-dock barge at the Mayor’s Point Terminal in Brunswick, Ga., to receive section five of the Golden Ray wreck. Once the team has completed modifications to the cradle system on the barge, it will transit to the wreck site to receive the section.

Imagery released by the St. Simons Sound Incident Response, shows section five still being held by the VB-10000 as it awaits arrival of the barge.

The 150-yard safety zone around the environmental protection barrier (EPB) around the wreck has been increased to 200 yards for any non-response vessel not transiting inside the shipping channel. The Unified Command (UC) advises mariners to steer clear of the perimeter to ensure the safety of responders and the public. Any unauthorized use of drones (unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs) around the wreck site and near response facilities is discouraged due to safety concerns.

The response team says UAVs are distractions that can lead to near misses, mishaps and injuries. Responders will report any sightings of drones and drone operators to local authorities.

Modifications are made to barge to prepare it to receive section of Golden Ray wreck
Response engineers construct modifications to a cradle system on a dry-dock barge at Mayors Point Terminal on Tuesday. Once the modifications are complete, the barge will receive Section Five. [St. Simons Sound Incident Response photo]
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