Posted on April 29, 2021
A 760-foot vehicle carrier ran aground early Tuesday morning near the Cape Charles Anchorage in the Chesapeake Bay, as the vessel headed south from Baltimore, destined for Savannah, Ga.
U.S. Coast Guard Sector Virginia reports the vessel Tirranna ran aground around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, but has since been refloated. A Coast Guard boat crew from Station Cape Charles and a helicopter crew from Air Station Elizabeth City assessed the scene from the water and the air. They saw no pollution or significant damage.
As of Tuesday evening, it was safely anchored in the Bay south of Cape Charles.
Tirranna is operated by Wallenius Wilhelmsen, the Port of Baltimore’s biggest roll on/roll off shipper. The company says its Large Car and Truck Carrier (LCTC) vessels, such as Tirranna, have high ramp and deck capacity, expanding the range of cargo that can be lifted.
The cause of the grounding is under investigation. It comes as cargo ships’ mishaps have been in the international spotlight. Just a month ago, the massive MV Ever Given ran aground in the Suez Canal, diagonally wedged across the canal and blocking all commerce. Ships from all over the world were held up on either side, including some bound for the ports of Baltimore and Virginia. And the $80 billion salvage operation to remove the Baltimore-bound ship Golden Ray from St. Simons Sound, Ga. is still ongoing 19 months after it ran aground.
Thankfully, Tirranna‘s grounding was far less eventful.
“With the recent focus on global shipping, we are relieved this incident was quickly resolved and are thankful for the engagement of our port community and interagency team,” said USCG Capt. Samson Stevens, Commander Coast Guard Sector Virginia. “The Commonwealth’s marine transportation system is vital to the region’s success, prosperity, and economy.”
-Meg Walburn Viviano
