# Freighter aground off Ft Lauderdale



## rushie (Jul 5, 2005)

Fron cbs4news.com - 

_US Coast Guard in Ft. Lauderdale have spent Thursday night figuring out how to move a makeshift tourist attraction off the beach.

The "Clipper Lasco", is 645-foot cargo ship carrying 30,000 metric tons of bauxite, the main component in aluminum. According to the Coast Guard, the ship was inbound to Port Everglades, waiting for a berth to free up when it ran aground. The last port of call for the Bahamian flagged ship was Sete, France.

The ship stranded directly east of Beach Place on Fort Lauderdale Beach earlier in the day.

Coast Guard inspection and investigation teams on board the ship continued gathering information on the ships grounding at night. It has not been determined on what type of bottom (sand, coral, mud, rocks) the vessel grounded and the extent, if any, of environmental damage. 

Workers with the private salvage company Sea Tow were placing a huge boom with platic sheeting around the ship to contain any leak of fuels or chemicals into the water if any. _

Rushie


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## hawkey01 (Mar 15, 2006)

Clipper Lasco.
IMO: 9283837
Callsign: C6S2093.- glad we dont have to send that in MORSE!!!! 
Bulk Carrier.
28,200 tons
Built Feb 2004
Flag: Bahamas.
Picture in Sinisa's gallery. 
Also one attached taken off shore Fort Lauderdale 14th Sept 06 by ROX on shipspotting site.
Hawkey01(POP)


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## rushie (Jul 5, 2005)

Cheers,

Quite a nice looking vessel.

Rushie


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## exsailor (Dec 18, 2005)

U.S. Coastguard news at http://www.d7publicaffairs.com/


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## rushie (Jul 5, 2005)

*Update from 15/09*

From the Miami Herald - 

_The U.S. Coast Guard this morning is coordinating efforts to remove a cargo ship lodged on a Fort Lauderdale reef.

The Clipper Lasco was en route to Port Everglades yesterday afternoon when it ran aground at 1 p.m., U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Dana Warr said.

The 645-foot vessel sailing from France was carrying 30,000 tons of bauxite, an aluminum ore product used to make cement. Also on board: 300 metric tons of fuel.

The Coast Guard is currently awaiting a salvage plan from the owner, which may include removing some of the ship's cargo, Warr said.

In the meanwhile, a Coast Guard inspection team has boarded the vessel to gather information about the hull and the possible cir***stances of the grounding. A private tow company is also on hand to contain any possible leaks.

''It's a precautionary effort,'' said Warr. ``We want to at least make preparations for a spill.''

No environmental damage or injuries have been reported._

Rushie


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## Tony Breach (Jun 15, 2005)

Interesting stuff. First they wanted to get her off a "beach", then she was on a "reef". Agree with you Rushie, she is quite good looking but what condition is her bottom in?


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## rushie (Jul 5, 2005)

*Update 18/09*

From the Miami Herald - 

_Crews started removing about 2,000 tons of an aluminum ore product from a cargo ship stuck about one mile east of Fort Lauderdale beach on Sunday night, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Clipper Lasco ran aground on Thursday when the 645-foot vessel became lodged in a reef.

The boat, sailing from France, carried about 30,000 tons of bauxite, an aluminum ore product used to make cement, along with 300 metric tons of fuel.

Officials expect after they remove 2,000 tons of the ore the ship would be light enough to float again, Coast Guard Petty Officer Dana Warr said.

The bauxite will be placed on a barge and taken to Port Everglades, the ship's original destination, Warr said. The process should take about 24 hours.

A 500-yard safety zone also is in place around the ship, according to the Coast Guard.

How much damage was done to the reef will be unknown until the ship is moved, the Coast Guard said._

Rushie


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## rushie (Jul 5, 2005)

*Update 19/09*

From the Miami Herald - 

_So how do you move a 34,589-ton cargo ship, including a load of 30,000 tons of a cookie-dough-like substance, perched precariously on an environmentally sensitive reef just off the coast of one of South Florida's largest cities?

You hire a team of engineers and environmental scientists, and you use tarps, sprinklers, pumps and cranes.

You hope a tugboat keeps it steady. And then you pray for high tide.

The ship, which set sail from France and is registered in the Bahamas, was bound for Port Everglades with a cargo of a bauxite ore, which is used to make an aluminum. Both its stern and its bow became stuck Thursday in the reef, less than a mile off the coast of Fort Lauderdale.

The Clipper Lasco's stern already broke free once, causing a moment of concern that its hull would break or that its movement would cause further damage to the reef, said Lt. Cmdr. George Zeitler, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard's salvage operation.

Workers on Monday night planned to begin offloading cargo in the hope that would lighten its load enough to allow the vessel to float free.

As crews transfer the bauxite into a barge, they will fill tanks in the ship with water to keep the weight constant and hold the vessel in place until the tide is high. The bauxite fills up the boat similar to the way coal fills a train car; instead of being contained in crates, it's piled inside.

The plan then calls for workers to pump the water from the tanks, rapidly lightening the boat and raising it several feet, Zeitler said.

So far, a tugboat is holding it steady. The hard reef, home to rock-like corals, holds the vessel by the bow perpendicular to the beach. The position maximizes the surface area being pushed against by the north-south current, officials said.

The Coast Guard needed a plan to raise the boat up a few feet quickly, because a gradual lift means wiggle time.

''It could cause more damage to the vessel, or it could cause more damage to the reef,'' Zeitler said. ``The last thing we want to do is do more damage.''

Crews were scheduled to begin removing 2,000 tons of bauxite, and Zeitler said high tide Wednesday morning looks like the most likely time for dislodging the ship.

The Coast Guard noticed the ship was leaving the anchorage area on its way into Port Everglades before it hit the reef. The cause of the accident is still under investigation, Coast Guard Petty Officer Dana Warr said.

The extent of damage to the reef, which is 27 feet beneath the water's surface, also remains uncertain. Divers will examine the destruction once the ship is moved, Zeitler said.

The material is not highly toxic, but it is not naturally found in the ocean, officials said.

The actual removal of the cargo to the barge for transport to the port should take about 24 hours, Zeitler said. The scoops can dig up about 10 yards of dirt in one bite and can carry about 10 tons of bauxite each trip. Cranes should be able to move about 50 tons of bauxite per hour, and about two cranes should be in use throughout today._

Rushie


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## rushie (Jul 5, 2005)

*Now afloat at last*

From Reuters - 

_The cargo ship "Clipper Lasco," which ran aground off Fort Lauderdale, Florida, last week, was refloated successfully on Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

"First thing this morning, at high tide, the vessel did refloat," Coast Guard spokesman Luis Diaz said.

He said the 645-foot (197-meter), Bahamian-flagged bulk carrier had been moved to an anchorage area about two miles east of Port Everglades where divers were inspecting its hull for any damage.

"If it's found that there aren't any breaches to the hull, most likely it will be coming into port later today," Diaz said.



Refloatation of the ship came after a salvage operation that included the removal of about 2,000 metric tons of bauxite from "Clipper Lasco's" cargo hold.

The ship, whose last port of call was Sete, France, was carrying more than 30,000 tons of bauxite when it ran aground on Thursday.

The cause of the mishap was under investigation, Diaz said. The Coast Guard says it had warned the vessel it was off course and likely to run aground._

Rushie


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