Port of Galveston closed due to fog, collision 1-15-2020

[JupiterTwo]

Am on the Enchantment of the Seas, anchored outside of Galveston. 

 

The port is closed for fog and search and rescue of two missing fishermen whose boat collided with a tanker yesterday. 

 

Captain says not likely to get clearance to proceed until noon, maybe later, and will be another 1.5 hours after that until we dock. 

 

Steve 

[bahacca]

Hope they find the fisherman safe!

[rrkky]

Thanks for the update.  The Galveston Port website says one dead, one still missing.   Good to hear that you are expected to dock today, we are boarding.  Please continue to post updates.  RCCLs email said they will update us at 12:30.   I bet passengeres are freaked out about missed flights.   Are you still in cabins or have they kicked you out?

[JupiterTwo]

Captain just gave us the 11:00am update. No change in status yet. 

 

We are still in cabins. They opened the restaurants, pools, shops (except liquor), casinos slot machines, and are scheduling trivia and other games in the lounges to keep people occupied. 

 

Steve 

[NavyCruiser]

A few years back, we couldn't dock in Galveston for a day & half because of fog...

[twangster]

Last year around this time I was delayed returning to Tampa for fog.  I barely made my 6:30pm flight.  When I booked it I thought I'd be sitting in the airport all day but turned out to be a blessing.  A lot of people had to pay fees to change flights, some had to book hotels and fly the next day.

 

Good lesson in travel insurance and later flights.  

 

When we finally made port everyone ignored the timed departures waiting for bags to be in the terminal.  Many had to be go sit outside on the curb and wait for bags to come off.  They ended up going through customs twice.  A certain "gotta get off" mentality develops and people ignore the announcements.

 

Glad to see you taking the delay in stride.  Nothing anyone can do about it.  

[ssb]

 

!

Houston channel out in Gulf inside Jetties is where the Collision occurred !

Galveston channel is good.  

Fog diminished earlier this morning,

and visibility has been four miles for a while .

[JupiterTwo]

Captain just gave the noon update. 

 

Fog is clearing, but Coast Guard still has the channel closed for S&R. Also, saying it won't be until 3:00pm before they can secure the sunken boat. 

 

So, we wait. 

 

Steve 

[Btank]

Follow-up: Houston Chronicle.

 

     --bruce T.

 

[ssb]

Wednesday 12pm noon update 
 

The search for two missing mariners has shut down all traffic in the Houston and Galveston Ship Channels, according to the Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service.

The Coast Guard has shut down the channel in order for search and rescue and salvage operations to occur, said Steve Nerheim, the director of the vessel service.

 

The channels were closed in the hours after the collision on Tuesday night, officials said.

The closure means that cruise ships can't leave the Port of Galveston and that chemical and oil tankers traffic can't go to the Port of Texas City.

Original Story

GALVESTON

Search and rescue teams are still looking for two crew members who fell overboard after their fishing vessel collided with a petrochemical tanker near the Galveston jetties late Tuesday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The crash happened when the 81-foot Pappy’s Pride and the 600-foot tanker Bow Fortune collided in fog just before 3:30 p.m., capsizing the smaller boat and sending four of its crew overboard, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Johanna Strickland said.

One of boat crew members died Tuesday and one was taken a University of Texas Medical Branch hospital before 6 p.m., Galveston Island Beach Patrol Chief Peter Davis said.

 

The crew of a good Samaritan vessel and of a Coast Guard medium response boat had pulled two of the crew members from the water and transferred them to emergency medical services personnel, according to the Coast Guard.

The surviving crew member was taken to the hospital with a broken leg, he said.

The Coast Guard, the beach patrol, the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office were searching Wednesday for the two still missing, Davis said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, Strickland said.

Lingering fog Wednesday was impeding the search, Davis said.

Edited January 15, 2020 by ssb

[JupiterTwo]

 

[rrkky]

Thank you for the updates, do you think you will make it in tonight?  How long does it take to get an 81' fishing boat out of the water?  I am wondering if I should book my Galveston hotel room another night.  RCCL is only telling us it is due to the fog.

[JupiterTwo]

We didn't get a 1:00pm captain's update. The last update was possibly getting clearance from the Coast Guard at 3:00pm, but then it takes another 90 minutes to get to the dock from here. 

 

That means we won't dock until 4:30pm at the soonest. And that assumes we're the first ship in line to go. 

 

Steve 

Edited January 15, 2020 by JupiterTwo

[John&LaLa]

Fog in the gulf sure seems to be a challenge 

[JupiterTwo]

The question now is if we have to stay here for too much longer, the fog will start rolling back in. 

 

Steve 

[DaniDanielle]

Good luck

[reallyitsmema]

41 minutes ago, rrkky said:

Thank you for the updates, do you think you will make it in tonight?  How long does it take to get an 81' fishing boat out of the water?  I am wondering if I should book my Galveston hotel room another night.  RCCL is only telling us it is due to the fog.

 

Too many variables to know how long it will take to get the boat out of the way.  The lives of the missing fishermen is their top priority.

[Galveston Cruiser]

1 hour ago, rrkky said:

Thank you for the updates, do you think you will make it in tonight?  How long does it take to get an 81' fishing boat out of the water?  I am wondering if I should book my Galveston hotel room another night.  RCCL is only telling us it is due to the fog.

Ships come in with fog. 

This a search and recovery for two missing fishermen; has little to do with the boat.

The channel has been closed since 3:30 yesterday when the accident occurred.

[Galveston Cruiser]

Ship channels closed as search continues for missing mariners

• By KERI HEATH The Daily News

 

 

Update, 2:10 p.m.

Crews are assessing the amount of diesel fuel that has leaked into the water near the site of where the fishing vessel Pappy's Pride and 600-foot tanker Bow Fortune collided, Galveston County officials said.

The county learned fuel from Pappy's Pride had leaked Wednesday morning, county spokesman Zach Davidson said.

 

Crews are working conduct cleanup operations as quickly as possible, Galveston County Judge Mark Henry said Wednesday afternoon.

Crews are still searching for two missing people, officials said.

The ship channel is still closed to boat traffic to the Port of Galveston, Texas City and Houston, officials said.

[JupiterTwo]

3:00pm captain's update. 

 

The channel is open and we're moving. ETA is 4:30pm to be dockside. 

 

Steve 

[ssb]

Fog was not the issue in this case .

 

The search for two missing mariners has shut down all traffic in the Houston and Galveston Ship Channels, according to the Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service.

The Coast Guard has shut down the channel in order for search and rescue and salvage operations to occur, said Steve Nerheim, the director of the vessel service.

 

Pilots not Coast Guard  shut down channel for fog. 

[notyours75]

Be interesting to see how fast they can turn the ship around. 

[JupiterTwo]

We are just now pulling up to the dock. Probably won't begin disembarking until 5:00pm. 

 

Steve 

[KsucAts]

47 minutes ago, notyours75 said:

Be interesting to see how fast they can turn the ship around. 

 

Seems to me that it would be pretty tough to get it out tonight.  I guess it depends on if they are able to be fully staffed.  Seems like that might be tough to get everybody involved to adjust their schedules.  I guess I don't know how that all works in situations like this.  

[ssb]

10 minutes ago, KsucAts said:

 

Seems to me that it would be pretty tough to get it out tonight.  I guess it depends on if they are able to be fully staffed.  Seems like that might be tough to get everybody involved to adjust their schedules.  I guess I don't know how that all works in situations like this.  

It will go fast , if Immigration shows up and properly staffed .

Cruisers will be waived thru the disembarkation stations . 

Edited January 15, 2020 by ssb