Cruise ferry Caribbean Fantasy is towed to Pier 15 in San Juan Harbor, Puerto Rico, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016. 511 individuals had been evacuated from the ship following a fireplace Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016
AUGUST 21, 2016 — The cruise ferry Caribbean Fantasy was moored safely Saturday at Pier 15 in San Juan Harbor.
Salvage and hearth combating groups boarded the vessel Friday to evaluate the standing of the hearth, assess injury to the vessel and decide the steadiness of the vessel. They positioned the stays of two lacking pets close to the disembarkation space. They had been left on board when 511 individuals had been evacuated from the ship following a fireplace Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016.
When the salvage and firefighting groups boarded the vessel, the hearth was nonetheless energetic however was contained contained in the engine room and mentioned to be within the decay stage. Teams accessed nearly all of the vessel however weren’t capable of clear the engine room, the generator room or the steering gear.
The vessel was refloated round 10 p.m. Friday and a tow line was established round 2 a.m. Saturday by tug boats.
Dive groups inspected the vessel’s hull round 8 a.m. Saturday and reported no important injury.
Ardent, the responding salvage firm, finalized a vessel salvage and towing plan that was authorized by the Coast Guard and the vessel was subsequently towed into San Juan Harbor.
The Unified Command is growing an evaluation and disposal plan for potential hazardous and non-hazardous waste.
The Coast Guard has established a 100-yard security zone across the vessel. There have been no experiences of sheening or air pollution close to the vessel right now.
The vessel is being carefully monitored and a couple of,500 ft of growth has been deployed across the vessel as a precautionary measure towards potential discharge from the vessel.
The Unified Command has applied an air monitoring plan within the neighborhood of the vessel and Pier 15 to make sure the security of responders and the area people.
The Caribbean Fantasy Response Unified Command consists of the Coast Guard, the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board, the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and Baja Ferries (proprietor of the Caribbean Fantasy).
Also helping the response efforts are American Cruise Ferries, Ardent, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Response Corporation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, O’Brien’s Response Management, the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency and the Puerto Rico Fire Department.
A joint marine casualty investigation with the Coast Guard, the National Transportation Safety Board, RINA Services and the flag state, Panama, is underway.
The 1989-built Panamanian-flagged vessel has a lower than glowing inspection file. According to the Equasis knowledge base, which categorizes the ship as a Passenger/Ro-Ro Cargo Ship, 10.53% of the vessels inspections previously 36 months have led to detentions.
A U.S. Coast Guard inspection in San Juan earlier this month discovered 4 deficiencies associated to fireside security measures and one associated to the propulsion and auxiliary equipment. None was extreme sufficient to warrant detention of the vessel.
The most up-to-date detention recorded within the Equasis knowledge base was in Gibraltar in July this yr and was for six days and associated to deficiencies associated to the auxiliary engines.
In October of final yr, the vessel was detained in San Juan for 3 days by the U.S. Coast Guard for 3 deficiencies associated: hearth security measures (worldwide shore connection); crew certificates (certificates of competency) and ship’s certificates and paperwork (security manning doc).
