Titan Pulls One Off for Marine Response Alliance

The first call is made to the Marine Response Alliance (MRA) Dispatch Office on MRA's 24 hour emergency response line. The call is from V-Ships' Miami office informing the dispatcher that they had sustained a casualty. The M/T Sea Jackie, a 58,508 dwt single hull tanker, laden with 44,000 barrels of oil, had run aground at the entrance to the Mississippi River.

The MRA went into high gear.

Founded in 1994, the MRA is made up of member companies Crowley Marine Services, Inc. (CMS), Marine Pollution Control Corp. (MPC) and Titan Maritime, LLC (TITAN). The company was formed to provide a "one call" approach to rescue towing, lightering, salvage and firefighting in all U.S Captain of the Port Zones. V-Ships vessels' name the MRA in their OPA-90 required Vessel Response Plans. Given the nature of this incident, the MRA elected to have Titan lead the response, with the knowledge that emergency lightering packages of MPC and high horse power tugs belonging to CMS would be available in Louisiana if needed. Titan immediately responded by dispatching Assistant salvage master, John Swanson, located in New Orleans, to the Sea Jackie while arrangements for naval architect, Jeremy Vecchione, and salvage master, David Walshe to fly to New Orleans from Titan's headquarters in Fort Lauderdale were being made. At the same time. Titan sent logistics coordinator, Gage Parrot to V-Ships' office in Miami to facilitate Titan's technical response in regard to vessel data. A full dive/salvage team followed over the road with truck and trailer loaded with specialized equipment. The first vessel dispatched to the scene on behalf of Titan was E.N.

Bisso & Son's tug Vera Bisso. As the Vera Bisso is a high horsepower, yet nimble tug, purpose built for operations in the Mississippi River, Titan new she was the right tool for the job.

With Titan's Salvage plan approved by the USCG early the next morning. Titan mobilized additional tugs to assist in the re-floating effort: Dumar-II, Dumar-III, J.A. Bisso and Bud Bisso were all put into position for the re-floating effort. The five tugs combined equated to a bollard pull force in excess of 400 tons. With numbers checked and re-checked, Titan re-floated the Sea Jackie on the morning tide of May 24 — less than 48 hours after it was grounded.

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