Golden Ray Shipwreck Destroyed Over 4,000 Cars
By: Steven Symes (MSN)
Amazing salvage operation.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
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And it's caused a huge mess on the coast of Georgia…
Shipwrecks can cause a huge mess which isn't easily cleaned up, especially when it's a huge cargo ship like the Golden Ray. While transporting thousands of cars in the St. Simons Sound off the southeast coast of Georgia on September 8, 2019, the ship suddenly lost power and then stability, tipping to one side. The crew of 24 were trapped inside for days before they were rescued. However, cleaning up the ship, which measures 656 feet long, has proven to be a difficult, expensive project.
Check out another famous car transport shipwreck here.
Don't worry, nothing collectable or that interesting was damaged in this accident. Most of what was on board were Hyundai Accents, Kia Tellurides, Kia Fortes, Ram pickups, GM crossovers, and Mercedes SUVs.
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The original route of the Golden Ray was altered by Hurricane Dorian. At first, the cargo ship was supposed to depart Mexico and hit several ports in the United States, finishing up in Wilmington, North Carolina. Thanks to the storm, the ship was delayed in leaving Texas and was routed to Jacksonville, Florida before going to Brunswick, Georgia.
In the investigation conducted by the United States Coast Guard, it came out that some shuffling of where cars from Brunswick were loaded onto the ship took place. After seemingly running out of room on one deck, the crew had the remaining vehicles placed on another deck.
Compounding the cleanup efforts has been the scapegoat of 2020 and now 2021: covid. That's right, the virus has been blamed for slowing the work of cutting up the ship and hauling away sections. The cutting has been done with a giant chain, allowing a rigging constructed over the shipwreck to haul the 7 different sections up to be loaded onto barges. The process has been slow and reportedly very loud, upsetting residents in the area further.
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Then a fire broke out as crews were preparing to cut a section of the ship away back in May of 2021. Black smoke billowed out of the Golden Ray and blew across the water, concerning nearby residents. One man interviewed by the local news lamented the environmental damage being done, claiming to have come across pieces of tar and even car bumpers while walking on the beach.
After working to clear the shipwreck for almost two years, the long project is almost complete. A report from CNN stated that in September of 2021 the final cut was made, leaving only two sections left to be hauled away.
The Coast Guard investigation also concluded there was no mechanical failure at the time of the accident. What's strange is that the crew didn't notice anything wrong with the ship before it capsized. No alarms sounded, no communications among crew members indicated a problem, and so the cause has remained a mystery.
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We've seen a car transport ship capsize before, specifically the Hoegh Osaka, which ran aground in the Solent back in January of 2015. An investigation into that accident revealed that the ship was carrying far too much weight, a practice some claim is common in the automotive transportation business.
After months of the Coast Guard digging into the events surrounding the capsizing, the National Transportation Safety Board finally concluded the Golden Ray crew used incorrect calculations about the ship's stability. It also found two watertight doors had been left open, allowing water to rush into the hull and flood part of the ship after it capsized, compounding the problem and trapping crew members in the engine room.
Pictures credit: YouTube
Sources: CNN, WSB-TV, CNN
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Several videos of the ship burning in various degrees of being salvaged,
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And what happened to the cars and trucks, you ask?
The Golden Ray project had turned into the world's most expensive salvage operation ever.
Ship owner Hyundai Glovis and its insurer, North of England P&I Club and 13 other P& I clubs will cover the cost.
Silly question: Why the vast difference in the damage to the vehicles in the image? Some of them look like they were in some kind of monumental explosion, while that silver vehicle is showing minimal body damage and a show-room shine.
They cut the ship into 8 sections with massive chains ( see the video in my comments above the seed )
They cut a fair number of cars in half and the sparks ignited spilled fuels
and fluids in different floors in different sections. There were at least three major fires during salvage ops.
That makes sense. I had already watched the video (which was super interesting), but I missed the part of the article that discussed the fires.
Thanks for posting such an interesting article.
It sure is a mystery how and why the ship capsized. Also, no warning, all I can think of is that the center of gravity of the ship shifted when the cars were moved creating a list to one side. Once the ships reach a certain degree of list they turtle, turn upside down and sink very quickly. The water is shallow enough there that it couldn't turtle.
the ultimate multi-vehicle rollover crash.
My guess would be that the ballast tanks were involved resulting in uneven weight distribution.
One or the other article linked affirms that ballasts were adjusted while at sea between ports.
They also chose to re arrange the vehicle loads at the previous port thinking they could have all of the next offload
in one section without affecting the load distribution or ship stability.
The CG says that there was a fire and a power interruption, but NO Mechanical failures
and have yet to issue a final report.
Bottom line - human failure. Two bulkheads left open. Ship drifts aground throwing vehicles and balance to one
side causing extreme list. Ship ends up on it's side as sea water rushes into those two sea doors left open for some
inexplicable reason.
Good sense of humor by the local tourist industry already rocked by COVIS.
They have a complete line of "Ship Happens" tee shirts, hats and memorabilia.
That's hilarious.
More information, but the pictures! Oh My!
Ship Happens: How the Golden Ray's Final Voyage Went Wrong in a Hurry (msn.com)
coming soon to a car lot in georgia...
going to be a lot of wheels and tires available for sure.
Thanks Al !