| The US Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston’s Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) held a Port Coordination Team (PCT) conference call at 1600 hours this afternoon to update all concerned about the situation. Your WGMA Maritime Affairs team participated on the call and has the following report for our membership:
From VTS at 1600 hours, December 6th, 2025, via GOV Delivery:
· At 1600 hours(local), December 6th, 2025, the Texas City Channel is reopened with the following restrictions: VTS directs minimum safe speed, no meeting or overtaking and avoid the red side between Texas City channel lights 7&9 due to possible submerged hazard on the red side channel limit.
· Transit the area with caution and maintain 1000 yard spacing between all vessel traffic.
· VTS will actively meter traffic in order to facilitate these traffic measures.
· A Safety Zone remains in effect between Texas City lights 7 and 19 in order to facilitate salvage operations and ensure safety of vessels until the hazard is removed.
· All vessels will check in with VTS Houston Traffic prior to transiting the safety zone.
VTS Houston-Galveston:
The traffic restrictions will remain in place until the missing spud has been recovered.
Encore Dredging Partners, operating as Inland Dredging Company, made a report:
· Divers were on site today, investigating the first of the anomalies notated on the surveys.
· The divers did NOT locate the missing spud.
· The barge relocated for the 2nd dive, over what they believe is the approximate location of the spud at the time of the collision.
· The dredge has been removed from the channel and stationed out of the way.
· They have dismissed the dive team.
· Tomorrow, they will be moving all their dredge down to Bolivar Roads, to get a replacement spud installed.
· They will also be removing the rest of their equipment from the position of the collision.
· They are trying to schedule another surveyor to run a magnetometer survey as soon as they can get the surveyor hired.
· By removing their equipment from the area, they are removing anything that may possibly interfere with the next survey.
· Once new surveys have been completed and analyzed, they will return with their barge and have another dive to check any anomalies found, hopefully then removing the missing spud.
USACE:
Nothing to add to the conversation at this time.
Galveston-Texas City Pilots:
· Pilots have been scheduled to move 5 ships to/from berth.
· This will bring all traffic current.
USCG VTS will continue to monitor the situation and will look at other courses of action as additional information comes available.
National Weather Service:
Winds have shifted to the southeast. Dense fog will begin to develop late tonight and worsen just before sunrise. Fog should begin to lift around sunrise. A cold front will push offshore on Sunday. Gusty winds and building seas are likely in the front’s wake Sunday afternoon into Monday. These conditions will be hazardous for marine traffic; 5PM and later will likely have small craft warnings in effect through Monday midday.
This will be the final PCT conference call on this situation. Updates and interim notifications will be coming from USCG VTS Houston-Galveston to industry via GOV Delivery as and when conditions change. |
