# Vessel listing in St Simons sound



## Bobbrown (Sep 8, 2019)

Coast guard evacuated crew from a car carrier that is listing in St Simon sound at 4am.
Article said port was closed to all boat traffic...not sure what to that means.
Just might want to check before heading out.
Another article said the tide was pushing it toward the pier...not sure which one.
That’s alli got....sorry


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## Bobbrown (Sep 8, 2019)

Just took a look see. Seems to be on the SSI side of the channel. Probably pretty close to their fishing pier.  Rolled over on its side at about a 45 debtors the island, I think 2 crewmissing


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Sep 8, 2019)




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## Mars (Sep 8, 2019)

https://www.foxnews.com/us/cargo-ship-georgia-coast-guard-listing


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## bilgerat (Sep 8, 2019)

that aint listing, its rolled over!!!


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## Cumberlandjg (Sep 9, 2019)

Saw that this is going to be a big environmental issue, right around the time of bull red spawning also, hopefully it isnt a huge blow to the fishery there.


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## billdawg (Sep 9, 2019)

Cumberlandjg said:


> Saw that this is going to be a big environmental issue, right around the time of bull red spawning also, hopefully it isnt a huge blow to the fishery there.



I cant find much info on how much of a spill there was and what/how harmful the substance is. We'll see what DNR comes up with this week once they do their testing. 

Hoping it doesn't impact things too badly.


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## BDD (Sep 9, 2019)

Looking at the first picture sure doesn’t look like it’s in 38 foot of water,
It look like the hole ship is out of the water.


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## dwhee87 (Sep 9, 2019)

I noticed in several of the daylight pictures that there was no containment boom around the vessel yet, but also didn't see anything that looked like a sheen or slick from fuel. I'd assume there's a response contractor on scene by now to handle any fuel or oil that leaks.


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## Rhodes (Sep 9, 2019)

So how do you right a 700 foot long ship loaded with over 4,000 vehicles that surely are all pilled to one side?


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## Cumberlandjg (Sep 9, 2019)

I saw on social media that fuel/oil has leaked and some of it has already reached Marsh Grass in the area.


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## Ladder Man (Sep 9, 2019)

Yeah, they are not even trying to contain the spill.  I am super bummed that I moved to this area now.  Without fishing, I am lost.  Hopefully I can find a job that will get me back to Florida in the next year.


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Sep 9, 2019)

There's no leak yet


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## Big7 (Sep 9, 2019)

Way top heavy. The folks that designed that ship need to go back to engineering school.

That is a different discipline than mine. Even I can see that.

Greedy. Plain and simple.


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## LTZ25 (Sep 9, 2019)

Ladder Man said:


> Yeah, they are not even trying to contain the spill.  I am super bummed that I moved to this area now.  Without fishing, I am lost.  Hopefully I can find a job that will get me back to Florida in the next year.


Pump the brakes .


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## boozinbuzz (Sep 9, 2019)

Rhodes said:


> So how do you right a 700 foot long ship loaded with over 4,000 vehicles that surely are all pilled to one side?


Here's another similar incident, sounds like they just used the ballast in that one.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Cougar_Ace


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Sep 9, 2019)

Rhodes said:


> So how do you right a 700 foot long ship loaded with over 4,000 vehicles that surely are all pilled to one side?



Truck boat truck?


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## Mexican Squealer (Sep 9, 2019)

Big7 said:


> Way top heavy. The folks that designed that ship need to go back to engineering school.
> 
> That is a different discipline than mine. Even I can see that.
> 
> Greedy. Plain and simple.



More stufff you know nothing about but must comment on. Cracks me up.


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## bilgerat (Sep 9, 2019)

they floated the cruise ship that sank and rolled over a few years ago and it had a big hole in the hull, they can upright and float that cargo ship in a few months ,I saw that they rescued 3 of the missing crew today and located the 4th, he is trapped behind a  wall and they were working on cutting him out.


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## GeorgiaBob (Sep 9, 2019)

My guess is that this RORO will be floated off the sand before October 10, 2019 and moved somewhere inside the sound. It will probably take a couple of monster cranes, hundreds of air bladders and a half dozen "ocean" tugs. After they have the ship out of the entrance channel a recovery team will work on repairing internal bilge systems and pumping her dry. Only then will they attempt to move Golden Ray into an upright position.

I do not claim any expertise beyond my 60 years as a small boat sailor. Most of the guess is based on common sense and the known stability issues of RORO (roll on, roll off) ships.


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## mattuga (Sep 9, 2019)

Big7 said:


> Way top heavy. The folks that designed that ship need to go back to engineering school.
> 
> That is a different discipline than mine. Even I can see that.
> 
> Greedy. Plain and simple.



These ships sail daily with the same design.  There was an operational mistake with the ballast filled vs load or some kind of unknown mechanical failure.  This ship would've sunk to the ocean floor with the first roller in the open seas and is lucky itself to have tipped in the sound.  This is my no-knowledge opinion.  What is bad is the threat to the local environment and one of the most efficient ports in the world shut off to any ships.


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## Big7 (Sep 9, 2019)

mattuga said:


> These ships sail daily with the same design.  There was an operational mistake with the ballast filled vs load or some kind of unknown mechanical failure.  This ship would've sunk to the ocean floor with the first roller in the open seas and is lucky itself to have tipped in the sound.  This is my no-knowledge opinion.  What is bad is the threat to the local environment and one of the most efficient ports in the world shut off to any ships.



That may be the case. In my eyes, looked a little top heavy. That would need the ballast(s) to be more closely monitored.

I hope all that oil, battery acid, etc.. doesn't cause an ecological disaster.


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## Big7 (Sep 9, 2019)

[YouQUOTE="Mexican Squealer, post: 11879802, member: 123304"]More stufff you know nothing about but must comment on. Cracks me up.[/QUOTE]

You have a PM.


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## Big7 (Sep 9, 2019)

Mexican Squealer said:


> More stufff you know nothing about but must comment on. Cracks me up.



 My remarks were just at first glance opinion. I never said it was a fact.

You sound like a sheeple. More accurately, you fall in with the dumb masses.

Pound Sand.


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## mattuga (Sep 9, 2019)

Big7 said:


> My remarks were just at first glance opinion. I never said it was a fact.
> 
> You sound like a sheeple. More accurately, you fall in with the dumb masses.
> 
> Pound Sand.



Most of us who make comments that envoke this anger would likely make the same comment face to face with a wry smile.  We should all remember that! Including me.


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## billdawg (Sep 10, 2019)

seems like a lot of the news stations are reporting different stuff about the leak. At this point I don’t think anyone knows how bad it is

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fi...sland/77-f3e76724-3a9c-420d-b4fd-354710ee6fc9


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## Ladder Man (Sep 10, 2019)

No boom yet.  Poor people fish, so containing the spill is not going to be a priority.  They don't care about a spill as long as they can start moving more cargo in and out of the port.  I am glad I haven't bought a house here yet.


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## GeorgiaBob (Sep 10, 2019)

billdawg said:


> seems like a lot of the news stations are reporting different stuff about the leak. At this point I don’t think anyone knows how bad it is
> 
> https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fi...sland/77-f3e76724-3a9c-420d-b4fd-354710ee6fc9



There are 4,000 cars, most strapped to the deck so now on their side, many broke free and are piled against the lower topsides of the ship. All of them had a small amount of gasoline, over a gallon of motor oil, about a gallon of antifreeze, washer fluid, and brake fluid. The ship itself has tans of heavy fuel oil, hundreds of barrels of solvents, paints, and cleaning fluids, a few thousand gallons of diesel (for generators and back up pumps), large tanks for black water, and several hundred tons of sea water ballast (now likely also polluted). Much of that mess has been overturned, twisted around, broken open or otherwise released by the listing ship and the small fire.

Yes, pollution will be a big issue in the weeks to come. OTOH, it is possible to contain much of it and, once upright, possible to secure or remove everything left. What the salvage people will not be able to contain will be the over the top exhortations of the environmental extremeophiles. We will certainly be hearing lots of excessive forecasts of doom and disaster from greenies.


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## Mexican Squealer (Sep 10, 2019)

Ladder Man said:


> No boom yet.  Poor people fish, so containing the spill is not going to be a priority.  They don't care about a spill as long as they can start moving more cargo in and out of the port.  I am glad I haven't bought a house here yet.



“Poor people fish”...hmmmm.
You aren’t from around here are you?


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## Cumberlandjg (Sep 10, 2019)

While we are speaking of the St Simons Sound, any reports of bull reds coming in yet?


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## Silver Bullet (Sep 10, 2019)

Cumberlandjg said:


> While we are speaking of the St Simons Sound, any reports of bull reds coming in yet?



We fished south a little on Saturday with another boat.  The other boat caught 3.
SB


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## boatbuilder (Sep 10, 2019)

It it on the bottom or floating?


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## fuelman1 (Sep 10, 2019)

I took my cousin, her daughter, and her daughters boyfriend out fishing Saturday in Sapelo Sound. He has only been fishing one other time when he was very young. He caught a bunch of sharks and a nice 40" bull red using live mullet minnows fished on the bottom.


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## jfish (Sep 10, 2019)

the MORONS that are in charge of our local DNR office should be held accountable.  Oil has been leaking since sunday evening.  First just a little yesterday it was alot.  Containment booms should have been deployed sunday morning.  we that live here knew what was coming yet nothing was done.  i understand and fully support the recovery efforts but the uscg still could have went into and out of a containment boom.  even the tugs keeping it on the bar could have been let in and out.  i do not understand why nothing was done.


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## boatbuilder (Sep 10, 2019)

I was concerned when I saw no booms around it sunday

How bad is the oil spill?


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## Big7 (Sep 10, 2019)

jfish said:


> the MORONS that are in charge of our local DNR office should be held accountable.  Oil has been leaking since sunday evening.  First just a little yesterday it was alot.  Containment booms should have been deployed sunday morning.  we that live here knew what was coming yet nothing was done.  i understand and fully support the recovery efforts but the uscg still could have went into and out of a containment boom.  even the tugs keeping it on the bar could have been let in and out.  i do not understand why nothing was done.



I'm not sure but I would think that would go to the feds. EPA possibly. Probably over local DNR's pay grade. Maybe they will have a small role? I can't see DNR in charge of containment and/or clean up.

Just my 2 cents.


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## Blackston (Sep 10, 2019)

Y’all know this wasn’t the Exxon Valdez right ?


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## Ladder Man (Sep 10, 2019)

Blackston said:


> Y’all know this wasn’t the Exxon Valdez right ?



Does it have to be that bad to be a problem in your mind?  I promise they will be spraying dispersants no matter how minor and that is nasty stuff.


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## Mexican Squealer (Sep 10, 2019)

Took my daughter down to the pier this evening to check it out. Heck of a sight.


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## mattuga (Sep 10, 2019)

jfish said:


> the MORONS that are in charge of our local DNR office should be held accountable.  Oil has been leaking since sunday evening.  First just a little yesterday it was alot.  Containment booms should have been deployed sunday morning.  we that live here knew what was coming yet nothing was done.  i understand and fully support the recovery efforts but the uscg still could have went into and out of a containment boom.  even the tugs keeping it on the bar could have been let in and out.  i do not understand why nothing was done.



I would bet DNR has their hands tied by "uppers" and cannot wait to have SOME control.  DNR is mainly staffed by people who make less than their capabilities could elsewhere in the private realm.  Despite the narrative you hear about government workers it isn't across the board, DNR is a heavy outlier of good gov't employees.


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## oldboat (Sep 11, 2019)

Is small boat traffic being allowed in and out of the sound?


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## GeorgiaBob (Sep 11, 2019)

oldboat said:


> Is small boat traffic being allowed in and out of the sound?



The Coast Guard is not preventing small craft from passing through. They will have security to prevent lookyloos from getting too close (probably not full time), but have not announced any closures.

I heard yesterday that they are expecting to open the passage to ONE WAY ship traffic (alternating hours) in the next few days. Apparently the Coast Guard, port authorities, and harbor control have agreed that the RORO is far enough to the edge of the channel to allow for safe transit.


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## GeorgiaBob (Sep 11, 2019)

I wonder what instructions the harbor pilot gave on the bridge of the Golden Ray after she began to list?

Is she on the edge of the channel because the pilot ordered her there?


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## mattuga (Sep 11, 2019)

I read a post this morning from a trustworthy person working the scene that fuel impacts should be minimal.  The ship is leaking a small amount but booms and socks were in place within 24 hours


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## jfish (Sep 11, 2019)

mattuga said:


> I read a post this morning from a trustworthy person working the scene that fuel impacts should be minimal.  The ship is leaking a small amount but booms and socks were in place within 24 hours



this is NOT accurate.  booms did not go in until monday evening around bird island one small section in front of king and prince.  that is gone now and they are around bird island.  fuel impacts will be way more.  this morning all you can smell is fuel at ssi marina.  its floating by the docks.

booms are NOT around the source at all.  so its STILL floating free and NOT contained.


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## WalkinDead (Sep 11, 2019)

All four trapped crew members have been removed safely.


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## dwhee87 (Sep 11, 2019)

With Dorian having passed by there just a couple days earlier, was there enough of a storm surge or anything to alter the channel's known edges, sandbars, etc.?

Having done a lot of state and federal emergency response over the years, I have a hard time believing that there has not been some mitigating efforts in place since the early hours of the event. Most of the federal environmental responses I've been on, we were onsite typically within 12 hours of of the incident, with boom, etc. deployed soon thereafter. Haven't talked to any of my friends that are still doing this to see if any of them have been called up by EPA or Coast Guard.


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## GeorgiaBob (Sep 11, 2019)

dwhee87 said:


> With Dorian having passed by there just a couple days earlier, was there enough of a storm surge or anything to alter the channel's known edges, sandbars, etc.?
> 
> Having done a lot of state and federal emergency response over the years, I have a hard time believing that there has not been some mitigating efforts in place since the early hours of the event. Most of the federal environmental responses I've been on, we were onsite typically within 12 hours of of the incident, with boom, etc. deployed soon thereafter. Haven't talked to any of my friends that are still doing this to see if any of them have been called up by EPA or Coast Guard.




Wheel, I don't think the Golden Ray hit anything before listing. And if I am right, the first several hours were all about recovering crew, then next keeping the RORO from going turtle (I think it is on the sand at the edge of the channel after an *intentional* effort to put the side on the ground and prevent her from going past 90 degrees.  If I am right, it was at least 18 hours before anyone inside the decision loop focused on environmental protection. 

It is reasonable to assume that the only spill during the first hours would have come from cars broken free and in the water inside the ship, solvent and diesel drums ruptured when she listed, and whatever the fire let leak. If there was little evidence of leakage, and the ship had not suffered from an underwater collision while underway, I can understand focusing on crew recovery instead of fuel oil containment. What doesn't make sense to me either, is ignoring containment completely for 48 hours.

I do know that both non-absorbent containment booms and oil absorbent booms were on the beach, waiting deployment, less than 8 hours after she went on her side. What no one has said (that I have heard) is why they waited an extra two days to start containment. 

Maybe their was a reason - but I would want it explained!


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## jfish (Sep 11, 2019)

maybe it didnt but heard it ran aground time will tell (in this case perhaps not).


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## Mexican Squealer (Sep 11, 2019)




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## jfish (Sep 11, 2019)

tug has been there since it happened.  keeping it from moving.


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## Horns (Sep 11, 2019)

What I don’t understand is, was the listing the cause of the fire or vice versa? The story doesn’t add up.


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## GeorgiaBob (Sep 11, 2019)

Horns said:


> What I don’t understand is, was the listing the cause of the fire or vice versa? The story doesn’t add up.



I would like to see answers to that multipart question as well.  Mostly, I want to know what could have possibly gone so critically wrong as to prevent the automatic ballasting systems (several of them), and the crew monitored list control ballast transfer systems, from keeping the ship upright. - - - - Then I want to know why that fire wasn't out within minutes - there are also some very fancy fire suppression systems on that nearly new ship.


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## Horns (Sep 11, 2019)

GeorgiaBob said:


> I would like to see answers to that multipart question as well.  Mostly, I want to know what could have possibly gone so critically wrong as to prevent the automatic ballasting systems (several of them), and the crew monitored list control ballast transfer systems, from keeping the ship upright. - - - - Then I want to know why that fire wasn't out within minutes - there are also some very fancy fire suppression systems on that nearly new ship.


Glad I’m not the only one that ain’t buying the story. Ship is only 2 years old like you said. Should have every bit of modern technology on it. Also wonder if the cars were not properly secured that resulted in the listing. Just seems nearly impossible for it to happen basically inshore with good weather/seas


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## GeorgiaBob (Sep 11, 2019)

Having sailed through that inlet several times (in small craft) I recognize the Golden Ray's position as just a few hundred yards outbound from the last turn in the channel and the place where both tide and waves are strongest. Waves and tide *should* not have been issues for the ship, except that point is also where a pilot would ask for increased power to accelerate the ship into the main passage out of Brunswick.

Did the call to ring up more turns on the shaft cause something to break and also cause power to ALL the pumps to fail?  I really do want to see the answers!


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## savannahfishing (Sep 12, 2019)

Good friend of mine captain's one of those car carriers for years. He has quit a couple jobs for the fact that the owners of the ships won't allow the ship to stay in port while captain finishes stability calculations ( cost too much money) and distribute ballast for safe departure. He personally has has ha one go 45% before he could flood enough ballat.


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## boatbuilder (Sep 12, 2019)

dwhee87 said:


> With Dorian having passed by there just a couple days earlier, was there enough of a storm surge or anything to alter the channel's known edges, sandbars, etc.?
> 
> Having done a lot of state and federal emergency response over the years, I have a hard time believing that there has not been some mitigating efforts in place since the early hours of the event. Most of the federal environmental responses I've been on, we were onsite typically within 12 hours of of the incident, with boom, etc. deployed soon thereafter. Haven't talked to any of my friends that are still doing this to see if any of them have been called up by EPA or Coast Guard.



I went fishing Saturday and Sunday and it did seem like the bottom was a little  different than pre storm. My depth finder was not jiving with my charts very well. Or it might be in my head.


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## gordwa (Sep 12, 2019)

i wounder if they could dredge under her and get it to start sliding back in the channel somehow


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## Steve762us (Sep 12, 2019)

savannahfishing said:


> He has quit a couple jobs for the fact that the owners of the ships won't allow the ship to stay in port while captain finishes stability calculations ( cost too much money) and distribute ballast for safe departure. He personally has has ha one go 45% before he could flood enough ballat.



Yikes...

I have some experience loading and discharging MSC vessels, with Army rolling stock. There's a LOT of labor + time involved in lashing.  

I wondered about the possibility of balance change, due to discharge at the port, 
altering center of gravity---assuming the vessel came over from SK, fully loaded.


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