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USCG responds to Virgin Islands grounding

Written by Nick Blenkey
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Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment personnel in St. Thomas are working with the master and owner of the Ocean Spirit I and the vessel's salvage company to minimize any potential environmental impact or damage to the vessel's hull during refloating and removal operations.

JANUARY 23, 2018 — Coast Guard crews were today responding to the grounding of the 223-foot Togo-flagged cargo vessel Ocean Spirit 1 just off the entrance of the Charlotte Amalie Harbor, East Gregory Channel, U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Equasis data base categorizes the 1982-built vessel as an offshore/tug supply vessel and shows the registered owner as Ferrol Trucking Services.

Coast Guard marine casualty investigators are on scene investigating the cause of the grounding, there are no signs of distress or oil leaking from the vessel at this time and the East Gregory Channel entrance remains open to maritime traffic.

The crew of the Ocean Spirit I completed the sounding of the vessel’s fuel and ballast tanks while Sea Tow St. Thomas crews conducted an underwater damage assessment of the vessel’s hull.

Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment personnel are working with the master and owner of the Ocean Spirit I and the vessel’s salvage company to minimize any potential environmental impact or damage to the vessel’s hull during refloating and removal operations.

Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan where initially contacted by St. Thomas Harbor pilots, who reported the incident at approximately 5 a.m. this morning. 

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