The US Coast Guard is investigating what caused a bulker owned by Spar of Norway to break free from its moorings at a California refinery and ground nearby in the river.
The 53,500-dwt Spar Lyra (built 2005) busted from its mooring at the Pittsburg Tesoro Refinery pier around 2 pm local time on Wednesday and went soft aground on an island in the San Joaquin River, with no pollution detected, the Coast Guard said.
Crews managed to refloat the vessel late Wednesday, a Coast Guard spokeswoman said Thursday evening, and there remained no sign of pollution from its fuel tanks. Two tugs escorted it back to the refinery mooring.
An underwater hull survey will be required before the vessel is allowed to sail. Crews had hoped to carry that out today but found the water too murky to see properly, the Coast Guard said. The plan is now to move the bulker to a nearby anchorage with tug escorts late tonight and try the underwater survey again Friday.
Spar Lyra is owned by Spar Shipholding of Bergen and managed by Spar Shipping, according to the Equasis database. Flagged in Norway, it is classed by Det Norske Veritas and insured by Gard.
