Cargo Ships In Brunswick: Where To Watch

The Port of Brunswick is a major productive port on the Atlantic coast, specialising in auto shipping services. It is the second busiest port in the nation for import and export Ro/Ro cargo. The port's diverse carrier fleet, convenient location, and ample space provide automotive and other Roll-on/Roll-off shippers with a vital link to global markets. The port's deep harbours in the Atlantic give sufficient depth for the processing of cargo vessels with a draught of up to 40 feet. The Port of Brunswick is also one of the busiest ports for automobiles, ranking sixth in the country.

Port of Brunswick reopens after car carrier accident

The Port of Brunswick in Georgia, US, has reopened on a "case-by-case" basis following a car carrier accident on Sunday, September 8, 2019. The Golden Ray, a 656-foot vehicle carrier, overturned in St Simons Sound with 24 crew members on board. A fire was reported on the ship, and four people were initially reported missing. The US Coast Guard and multiple agencies responded to the incident, and all 24 people were safely evacuated.

The Port of Brunswick, the second busiest roll-on/roll-off port in the US and the number one for new auto imports, was closed to all vessel traffic unless approved by the USCG Captain of the Port. An emergency safety zone was established in St Simons Sound, with a half-mile perimeter set up around the Golden Ray. The vessel remains stuck, half-submerged, with its starboard side pointing upwards. Salvage teams placed an oil boom around the ship and began the process of removing bunker fuel.

The successful rescue mission was a collaborative effort involving various Coast Guard units, including Response Boat crews, helicopter crews, the Cutter Heron, Sector Charleston, Marine Safety Unit Savannah, and the Salvage Engineering Response Team. The vessel's master and chief engineer also provided crucial assistance to authorities and salvage teams in developing plans to stabilize the vessel and continue rescue efforts.

The cause of the incident was under investigation, and authorities were assessing how to remove the Golden Ray from St Simons Sound. The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has shown its commitment to the Port of Brunswick with a $152 million investment plan over 10 years, following significant infrastructure improvements over the previous decade.

The Port of Brunswick is expected to experience an increase in cargo ship traffic due to the recent cargo ship collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which caused the bridge to collapse in the Patapsco River, blocking the Port of Baltimore.

Georgia Ports Authority's $152m investment in the port

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has committed to a 10-year, $152 million investment plan for the Port of Brunswick, a multi-terminal facility in the state's southeast. This investment comes after $46.2 million in infrastructure improvements already made over the previous decade by the GPA. The GPA is the administrative agency overseeing two deepwater seaports (Brunswick and Savannah) and two inland ports (Port Bainbridge and Port Columbus) in the southeastern US state.

The Port of Brunswick is the second-busiest port in the nation for vehicle imports and exports and is the fastest-growing port in this sector. This reflects a boom in car sales and exports across the Southeastern US, with manufacturers including Mercedes, Volkswagen, and Toyota.

The GPA's $152 million investment plan will include a range of improvements to the port's infrastructure. One of the biggest improvements will be a fourth berth for RoRo cargo at Colonel's Island Terminal, accounting for about $40 million of the new investment. The GPA has also been preparing 40 acres on the south side of Colonel's Island to be pad-ready for new port customers.

Other improvements to Colonel's Island will include 640,000 square feet of new processing space and 122 acres of additional auto storage. The FY 2016 projects for the Port of Brunswick included additional earthwork on the south side of Colonel's Island, the next phase of the Anguilla Junction Rail Yard expansion, the first phase of a berth upgrade at Mayor's Point, East River Terminal improvements, and continued upgrades at the Colonel's Island agribulk facility.

The GPA's investment in the Port of Brunswick is part of a wider $4.5 billion investment in Georgia's port infrastructure over the next decade, which is expected to have a significant impact on the state's economy and create a large number of jobs.

The Port's Ro-Ro cargo capabilities

The Port of Brunswick is the second busiest in the US for total Ro-Ro trade. The Colonel's Island Terminal in Brunswick is a dedicated Ro-Ro facility without container competition. It features three on-terminal auto processors: International Auto Processing, Mercedes-Benz USA, and Wallenius Wilhelmsen Solutions. The Port of Brunswick offers three modern Ro-Ro berths, served by nine steamship lines.

The Colonel's Island Terminal in Brunswick grew Ro-Ro volumes by 18% in the fiscal year 2023, to more than 705,000 units of autos and heavy machinery. This included Ocean Terminal in Savannah's Ro-Ro volumes, which totalled 723,515 units. The Port of Brunswick served 610 vessel calls in FY2023, an increase of 11% over the previous year. Colonel's Island handled 495 of those ships.

To accommodate growing volumes, the Port of Brunswick is undergoing improvements totalling more than $262 million. Construction has been completed on 350,000 square feet of near-dock warehousing that serves auto and machinery processing on the north side of Colonel's Island Terminal. Three additional buildings, representing 290,000 square feet and 122 acres of Roll-on/Roll-off cargo storage space, are under construction on the south side of the island.

The Georgia Ports Authority has also won federal approval for a fourth Ro-Ro berth at Colonel's Island, which will enable more vessel calls. This project will efficiently accommodate vessels that can carry up to 7,000 vehicles. A planned new railyard on the Southside of Colonel's Island will enter the construction phase next year, extending Brunswick's reach into interior markets.

The Port of Brunswick is part of a two-pillar strategy at the Georgia Ports Authority to "specialise and scale operations for customers". Colonel's Island Terminal will handle all future Roll-on/Roll-off cargo, while the Port of Savannah concentrates on containerised trade.

The Port's location and transport links

The Port of Brunswick is located on the Atlantic coast of Georgia, United States of America, at coordinates N 31° 08' W 081° 25'. The port is about 70 miles south of Savannah, Georgia, and 51.6 miles from Jacksonville. There are no inland waterways separating the port from the Atlantic Ocean. The port's deep-sea location in the Atlantic gives it sufficient depth to accommodate cargo vessels with a draught of up to 40 feet.

The Port of Brunswick is easily accessible via road and rail. It has immediate access to Interstate 95, which means key cities and manufacturing points can be reached within a one- to two-day drive. The port also offers Class I rail service to and from major population centres in the US Southeast, Gulf, and Midwest.

The port's prime location and transport links make it ideal for the massive worldwide shipment of automobiles. It is one of the major productive ports on the Atlantic coast and is the nation's second busiest port for import and export Ro/Ro cargo. The port's carrier fleet, location, and space provide automotive and other Ro/Ro shippers with a vital link to global markets.

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) is the administrative agency overseeing the Port of Brunswick, along with three other ports in Georgia: another deep-water seaport in Savannah, and two inland ports in Bainbridge and Columbus. In 2015, the GPA announced a 10-year, $152 million investment plan for the Port of Brunswick, following $46.2 million in infrastructure improvements over the previous decade.

The Port's terminals and facilities

The Ports, Terminals, and Facilities

The Port of Brunswick is a multi-terminal facility located in the southeast of Georgia, United States. It is one of four ports in the state overseen by the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), the administrative agency that also manages the Port of Savannah, and the inland ports of Port Bainbridge and Port Columbus.

The Port of Brunswick is a major productive port on the Atlantic coast, specialising in auto shipping services. It is the primary US automobile shipping port for car manufacturers from Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, including Volvo, Porsche, and Hyundai.

The port's natural and man-made features are utilised to make auto transport more efficient. Its location provides easy access to major Georgia highways, and it is around 70 miles from Savannah, Georgia, and 51.6 miles from Jacksonville. The port's deep harbours in the Atlantic offer sufficient depth for cargo vessels with a draught of up to 40 feet.

The Port of Brunswick has a vast acreage, with over 5,000 acres of leased and owned land dedicated to auto shipment. The port has leased land to car manufacturers as exclusive shipment terminals. The entire harbour is sectioned into dedicated berths, with the container terminal berth being the busiest single-container terminal in North America. It offers deep-water berths with a consistent overall depth of 9,693 feet, which is advantageous for large cargo ships.

The Port of Brunswick is the second busiest US port for Ro-Ro (Roll-on/Roll-off) cargo, with two dedicated Ro-Ro terminals: Colonel's Island Terminal and Ocean Terminal. These terminals occupy a total area of more than 1,700 acres, with about 346 acres of paved open storage dedicated to open car storage.

Colonel's Island Terminal offers three modern Ro/Ro berths and three on-terminal auto processors. Upgrades to roads, bridges, staging areas, and rail loading/offloading areas mean the berths are capable of handling project cargo. The terminals handle a diverse mix of bulk commodities.

The Port of Brunswick provides immediate access to I-95, meaning key cities and manufacturing points can be reached within a one- to two-day drive. It also offers Class I rail service to and from major population centres in the US Southeast, Gulf, and Midwest.

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