Hauler Capsizes, Spilling Cars Into Brunswick River

In September 2019, the Golden Ray cargo ship capsized near the Port of Brunswick in Georgia, USA. The 656-foot-long vessel was carrying approximately 4,200 to 4,300 newly built vehicles, including cars from Kia, Hyundai, Chevrolet, GMC, GM, Mercedes-Benz, and Ram. The ship was headed from the Port of Brunswick to Baltimore and the Middle East for export. The cause of the capsizing is still under investigation, but initial reports suggest it may have been due to a fire or instability from the cargo load. The ship has since been dismantled and removed, with the vehicles inside still intact.

The Golden Ray cargo ship was carrying 4,200 cars when it capsized

Hyundai Glovis confirmed that none of the cars on board were Hyundais. However, some of the vehicles were manufactured by Kia Motors, while others belonged to "other global carmakers." According to a Hyundai spokesperson, the cars were destined for the Middle East for export.

The Golden Ray was a 656-foot-long cargo ship with a capacity of up to 7,400 cars. It began its final voyage by loading vehicles at the ports of Veracruz, Altamira, and Freeport before proceeding to Jacksonville and Brunswick, where some vehicles were unloaded and others were loaded.

The cause of the capsizing was attributed to inaccurate stability calculations, as determined by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The investigation revealed that the chief officer made a mistake while entering ballast quantities into the stability calculation program, resulting in less stability than anticipated. Additionally, two watertight doors had been left open, causing the vessel to flood after capsizing and trapping four crew members who were later rescued.

The salvage operation for the Golden Ray was a complex and challenging process. The ship was eventually dismantled and removed in sections, with the final cut completed in September 2021. The removal of the wreck was declared the largest wreck removal operation in United States history by the US Coast Guard.

The ship was owned by Hyundai Glovis, a South Korea-based global hauler

The Golden Ray, a 656-foot-long cargo ship, capsized near the Port of Brunswick in Georgia in September 2019. The ship was owned by Hyundai Glovis, a South Korea-based global hauler and transportation arm of automaker Hyundai.

Hyundai Glovis is a licensed Ocean Transportation Intermediary, a Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC), and also operates a network of owned vessels. The company provides integrated third-party logistics services such as transportation, storage, loading and unloading, international logistics, logistics equipment leasing, and packing services to customers in various industries.

Hyundai Glovis's logistics history is rooted in the time-sensitive and demanding automotive industry. The company understands air freight and options to optimize the balance between routing, pricing, and speed. They provide complete Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) services covering the inbound and outbound of items, inventory management, repackaging, and sub-assembly.

The Golden Ray was carrying 4,200 newly built vehicles from a variety of carmakers, including Kia Motors and "other global carmakers." None of the cars on board were Hyundais. The ship was headed from the Port of Brunswick to Baltimore when it capsized, and the cause of the incident is still unknown.

The ship was headed from the Port of Brunswick to Baltimore

The Golden Ray was headed from the Port of Brunswick to Baltimore when it capsized in September 2019. The 656-foot-long cargo ship was carrying 4,200 new cars on board, with some reports suggesting the number was closer to 4,300. The ship was owned and operated by Hyundai Glovis, the transportation arm of automaker Hyundai. However, a spokesperson for the company stated that none of the cars on board were Hyundais.

The cars on the ship were destined for the Middle East and included Kia Motors vehicles as well as cars from other global manufacturers. Some reports indicate that the cars were manufactured in Mexico and included models from Chevrolet, GMC, GM, Mercedes-Benz, and Ram.

The Golden Ray had already been delayed by four days to avoid Hurricane Dorian and had added water to its ballast tanks to improve stability before releasing it prior to arriving at the Port of Brunswick. After departing the port, the ship executed two turns to port before the state-provided maritime pilot ordered a starboard turn. The pilot noted that the vessel felt directionally unstable and that it wanted to keep turning. Despite attempts to compensate, the ship continued to turn to starboard and heel over, ultimately capsizing within the Port of Brunswick's harbor.

The capsizing of the Golden Ray led to the closure of the port and caused significant environmental concerns due to the leakage of fuel and oil. The ship was eventually dismantled and removed, with the process coordinated by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The cause of the capsizing was a lack of righting energy due to the way the vessel was loaded

In September 2019, the cargo ship Golden Ray capsized off the coast of Brunswick, Georgia, with 4,200 newly built vehicles on board. The cause of the capsizing was a lack of righting energy due to the way the vessel was loaded.

Righting energy is a crucial factor in the stability of vessels, and it is determined by the design and distribution of weight and buoyancy. In the case of the Golden Ray, the cargo of vehicles was not adequately secured, and when the ship rolled onto its side, the cars broke free and slid down, adversely altering the ship's centre of gravity. This shift in weight distribution further exacerbated the instability, making it impossible for the ship to right itself.

The concept of righting energy is fundamental to a vessel's ability to recover from a capsize. It refers to the potential energy that a ship has to return to its upright position after being tilted or overturned. The design of a ship plays a significant role in its righting energy. For example, the placement of weight and buoyancy can either enhance or hinder a ship's ability to right itself. In the case of the Golden Ray, the weight distribution, particularly the unsecured cargo, contributed to the capsizing.

Additionally, the high centre of gravity of the car carrier made it more susceptible to capsizing. The large open car decks near the waterline, characteristic of roll-on/roll-off ships, inherently pose a higher risk of capsizing. When the Golden Ray flipped onto its side, the sudden shift in weight caused by the cars likely played a significant role in the vessel's inability to right itself.

To prevent similar incidents in the future, it is essential to consider the design and loading of vessels. Ensuring that weight is distributed evenly and that cargo is securely fastened can significantly reduce the risk of capsizing. While external factors such as weather conditions and wave action cannot be controlled, implementing proper safety measures and adhering to design considerations can mitigate the potential for disasters like the capsizing of the Golden Ray.

The ship was eventually dismantled and removed as scrap

The Golden Ray, a 656-foot-long cargo ship, capsized near the Port of Brunswick, Georgia, in September 2019. The ship was carrying 4,200 newly built vehicles, including some Kia Motors cars and others from global manufacturers. The cause of the capsizing is still unknown.

The ship's removal was a complex case, as officials had to consider both the economic and environmental impacts of keeping the port closed during the salvage operation. The U.S. Coast Guard, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and a representative for the ship's owner, Hyundai Glovis, coordinated the removal and cleanup. They decided to dismantle and remove the ship as scrap, rather than attempting to right it and sail it away.

The Golden Ray was eventually cut into eight parts with the aid of a huge chain, and the parts were lifted out of the water and removed on barges. The process was challenging due to the ship's size and the need to recover the thousands of vehicles on board. The salvage operation also had to address the leakage of fuel and oil from the ship, which was minimized through the use of absorbent booms.

The dismantling and removal of the Golden Ray as scrap took several months to complete, and the incident highlighted the complex nature of such operations and the potential environmental risks involved in maritime accidents.

Overall, the response to the capsized hauler in Brunswick demonstrated the coordinated efforts of various agencies and the importance of balancing economic and environmental considerations in emergency response and salvage operations.

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