Photo: vesselfinder,com

On Wednesday morning at 11:46 a.m. the container ship MSC Michigan VII departed the North Charleston Container Terminal in Charleston, South Carolina, with its engine set to “dead slow ahead” as it moved down the Cooper River toward the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. Instead of proceeding at a harbor speed of 6 -8 knots, however, the engine increased power to near full-ahead without warning, propelling the ship between 14 and 17  knots, and would not respond to commands.

Charleston Harbor pilot called in assistance from nearby tugboats; however, they could not reach the vessel due to the increased speed. 

The US Coast Guard was alerted to an “out of control vessel” in the Cooper River around 12:17 p.m. Wednesday, Coast Guard Sector Charleston Deputy Commander Randy Preston said. Authorities rushed to clear boaters from the vessel’s path and shut down the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge before the ship passed underneath.

The vessel passed safely under the bridge and didn’t hit any of the bridge’s supports. Eventually, the crew regained control of the engine and anchored the vessel about 8.5 nautical miles offshore, where it remained until midnight when several tugboats ushered the ship back to the port.

Two recreational boaters in the area were pushed onto some rocks by the ship’s wake and sustained non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

There were also reports of minor damage along the vessel’s route. Inspectors were conducting damage assessments throughout the port.

The loaded MSC Michigan VII will remain at the Columbus Street Terminal in downtown Charleston as the US Coast Guard investigates. The National Transportation Safety Board, an investigative government agency, is also involved in the investigation

The Ravenel Bridge, a two-and-a-half-mile-long overpass with a 1,546-foot cable-stayed main span, is a major artery connecting Charleston to Mount Pleasant.

While Preston couldn’t say how close the vessel came to the bridge, “any time a vessel can’t control its propulsion, it’s concerning,” he said. But “it turned out well, and that’s due to our intense partnerships and coordination.”

The MSC Michigan VII is about 997 feet long and has a container capacity of 6,430 TEU. It was bound for Savannah, Georgia when it lost control of its propulsion system.

Thanks to Larry Witmer for contributing to this post.