Chemical tanker hits moored sailboats, sustains bow damage

JUNE 30, 2016 — The Coast Guard said yesterday that is continuing to monitor the condition of a 19,888 dwt chemical/oil products tanker that allided with three unoccupied, moored sailboats Wednesday afternoon at the mouth of the Piscataqua River near Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Kittery, Maine.

Coast Guard vessel inspectors boarded the vessel, the Panama-flagged Chem Venus, owned by Amsterdam based Ace Tankers CV, and determined that it had sustained damage to its bow causing it to take on water.

The rate of flooding was stabilized and is being monitored by the Coast Guard and the crew of the Chem Venus.Despite the damage, says the Coast Guard, no pollution has been reported, and the Chem Venus remains safely anchored outside of the Piscataqua River.

The vessel was carrying a load of used vegetable oil and a variety of other industrial chemicals.

The Coast Guard Salvage Engineering Response Team has been engaged to conduct a vessel stability assessment.In addition, divers were expected to conduct a survey of the damage early this morning.The cause of the allision is under investigation