The runaway SC ship causes damage of at least PLN 500,000. dollars, lawsuit

A runaway container ship that briefly halted traffic on the Ravenel Bridge last week is accused of causing more than $500,000 in damage during its short-lived, full-throttle cruise through the Port of Charleston, prompting an investigation and at least one federal lawsuit.

The U.S. Coast Guard said it was investigating a marine accident to determine why the throttle stuck at full forward speed and the container ship MSC Michigan VII accelerated to 14 knots – or twice its speed – as it left the Port of Charleston terminal in North Charleston. just before noon on June 5.

Police cleared the bridge as the 300-meter-long vessel, still speeding uncontrollably, approached the span, which suffered no injuries. Ultimately, the ship was brought under control, but its operator is currently facing charges of financial losses.

Carver Maritime, a North Charleston company that handles general cargo at its terminal on the Cooper River, said in a lawsuit filed this week that the Michigan VII damaged a vessel docked there. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Charleston, claims that the high-speed wake of the Michigan VII pulled the moored vessel toward the river as it passed and then “forced it to back” onto the pier, “causing significant damage” to the pier and its components.

According to the website www.marinetraffic.com, the docked Norway Pearl departed North Charleston on June 9.

MSC, the Swiss-based global container shipping line that operates the Michigan VII, has not filed a response to the lawsuit. A spokesman did not respond to The Post and Courier’s request for comment.

Carver – who also named the Cypriot shipowner Kyveli Oceanway Ltd. as a defendant – is seeking unspecified financial damages and attorney’s fees, and also wants the Michigan VII ship sold at auction to cover these costs. An attorney representing Carver could not immediately be reached for comment.

Judge David Norton approved Carver’s emergency petition to stop the Michigan VII from leaving the Port of Charleston. The ship, which Carver said was scheduled to sail on June 10, was still docked at the port’s Columbus Street terminal on the morning of June 11.

Norton appointed James D. Lucas Jr. What. Charleston-based LLC as conservator of Michigan VII pending the outcome of legal proceedings against Carver. The custodian will be responsible for ensuring that the vessel does not leave South Carolina waters and may also arrange for the transfer of any crew and cargo remaining on the vessel. A spokesperson for the guardian could not immediately be reached for comment.

Carver said in court documents that the damage to its property is “substantial” and that the company is “in the process of conducting inspections and damage investigations to determine the extent of the damage.”

In addition to material damage, two sailors suffered non-life-threatening injuries as a result of the incident.

The Coast Guard reported that preliminary estimates of all damages from the Michigan VII incident exceed $500,000, which is defined as a major maritime casualty. The National Transportation Safety Board also investigates such incidents. Coast Guard spokesman Kurt Frederickson said the agency is “cooperating with NTSB investigators on scene during the fact-finding phase of our independent investigation.”