A 623-foot Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier Sparna ran aground early Monday morning in the main shipping channel of the Columbia River near Cathlamet, Washington, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Sparna has taken on water in void spaces, but authorities believe the vessel's fuel tanks were not damaged in the incident.
Coast Guard officials said the 623-foot bulk carrier Sparna ran aground around 12:16 a.m. in the narrow section of the river.
Officials said the Sparna was fully loaded with grain, along with 218,380 gallons of high sulfur fuel and 39,380 gallons of marine diesel, and heading west towards the ocean before it was grounded.
The ship apparently hit a submerged object in the river and took on water in void spaces, but the vessel’s fuel tanks were not damaged.
The channel has not been closed to boat traffic. The river pilot was still aboard when it ran into trouble, the Coast Guard reported.
“The positive news so far is that responders have not observed any oil in the water,” said Captain Dan Travers, Coast Guard Captain of the Port for the Columbia River.
The Coast Guard, Washington Department of Ecology and Oregon Department of Environmental, along with other state and county agencies, are investigating. The Coast Guard will need to approve the salvage plan before the ship’s company can attempt to refloat the vessel.
Two tug boats — the PJ Brix and Pacific Escort — were on scene Monday to keep the Sparna stabilized while the ship awaits repairs. Depending on the extent of the damages, the ship might get temporary repairs on site and then be moved elsewhere for more work, Read said.
The Panama-flagged Sparna is owned by Santoku Senpaku of Japan, an operator of about 120 vessels of various classes, including bulkers, container ships, ro/ros, wood-chip bulkers, reefers and chemical tankers.