Tropical ship grounded near Wreck of the Rhone
Published: August 30, 2011
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The Tropical Sun is grounded off Salt Island in the British Virgin Islands.
SALT ISLAND, BVI - The Tropical Shipping cargo vessel Tropic Sun's journey that began Sunday on St. Thomas ended aground near a popular dive site off Salt Island in the British Virgin Islands at about 10 p.m. the same night.
No crew members were injured when the 363-foot, battleship-gray hulk collided with the island's western corner. The vessel ran aground about 4.7 miles south east of Road Town, said Chris Haycraft, managing director of Island Shipping and Trading, which represents Tropical Shipping in the BVI.
"The ship hit the rocks pretty hard," Haycraft said.
The adjacent historic Wreck of the RMS Rhone park is closed until further notice, said Joseph Smith Abbott, director of National Parks Trust.
The site is known as one of the British Virgin Islands' most popular diving destinations.
"It was really close to the Wreck of the Rhone," Leonard said. "It didn't seem as if there were any leakages. And all the containers were intact. Everything was in place."
Tropic Sun's itinerary included trips from St. Thomas to Tortola and from Tortola to St. Maarten, during which the collision occurred.
By Monday, an investigation had not revealed why the ship ran aground, said Linton Leonard, information and education manager of the Department of Disaster Management for the BVI government.
"They must have misinterpreted where they were," Leonard said.
Inquiries by the BVI Port Authority, the BVI Shipping Registry, National Parks Trust and the Royal Virgin Island Police Force's Marine Unit continued Monday, Leonard said.
The Tropic Sun's speed upon impact was not known, Haycraft said. The Tropic Sun can reach 15 nautical miles per hour, according to vessel specifications on the Tropical Shipping website.
The impact bent its submerged bulbous bow hard to port.
"Everyone on the ship is sound," Haycraft said. "It's a safe situation."
On Monday, three private salvage teams continued planning the ship's removal, and assessments revealed little damage to the double-skinned hull - or to the containers stacked four-high amidships.
"There is no chance of any leakage of any contaminants," Haycraft said.
A representative with Tropical Shipping's corporate offices told The Daily News the company had no statement on Monday.
- The Associated Press contributed to this article. Contact reporter Michael Todd at 774-8772 ext. 304 or email mtodd@dailynews.vi.
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