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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Thursday, February 3, 2005

Tugboats working to free grounded tanker

By Will Hoover and Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writers

The Coast Guard and four tugboats late last night were attempting to move the 555-foot Chinese cement tanker Cape Flattery, which ran aground about 400 yards off the entrance to Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor early yesterday.

There was no sign that fuel had leaked after a Chinese cement tanker hit a reef near the entrance to Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor yesterday. Efforts to dislodge the ship failed during low tide.

Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

The tanker, registered in Hong Kong, was bound for the harbor when it hit the reef at around 6:45 a.m. off the east side of channel entrance, said Scott Ishikawa, Department of Transportation spokesman. The ship was carrying approximately 35,000 tons of cement.

Three tugs and the Coast Guard attempted to dislodge the vessel earlier yesterday, but failed because of the low tide.

A higher tide was expected to roll in at about 8 last night and a second attempt was under way late last night to remove the vessel.

As of 10 p.m., there was no word on whether the tugs were successful, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Jennifer Johnson.

Ishikawa said the tanker did not block the harbor entrance, and the U.S. Coast Guard was allowing other vessels to move through the channel.

Coast Guard spokeswoman Marshalena Delaney said investigators who were at the ship had not determined the reason it went aground or if the accident was weather-related.

"Right now we're in the initial stages of the investigation, and so we just don't have any information on that," she said. "There appears to be no hull damage, but again, it's still on the reef and there hasn't really been a chance to inspect it."

Coast Guard Petty Officer Aaron Camren headed a Coast Guard crew that kept tabs on the tanker throughout the day from the shoreline.

"We're out here to determine if there's any pollution from this grounded boat," Camren said. "We can't really see a lot from here, but we have helicopters in the air and a patrol boat out there to assist us."

Although the tanker was carrying some 100,000 gallons of fuel, Camren said no sign of leakage had been sighted. As a safety precaution, the patrol boat was keeping incoming vessels a safe distance away.

"We've secured any navigation hazard, which is why our patrol boat is out there," he said.

Reach Will Hoover at 525-8038 or at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com. Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8025.