Two tugboats have been stranded in the Gulf of Mexico, five miles off the coast of Sabine Pass, Texas, since Nov. 26. Members of the crew say they haven’t been paid since the start of the year.
The tugs, with their attached barges, are more than 700 feet long, and are lying at anchor. The crews are asking for help, and contacted Father Sinclair Oubre, who’s with the International Seafarers Center in Port Arthur. He, in turn, asked the Transport Workers Federation, as well as the marine safety unit in Port Arthur, to seek a solution.
Various members of the crew told 12News that the Bouchard Transportation Company, which owns the boats, can’t pay for the tugs to dock.
Some crew members told the Coast Guard on Feb. 10 that they were threatening to abandon ship. At that point, the Coast Guard issued two Captain of the Port notices that required the crew to stay on board. It said that abandoning the vessels at anchorage would violate federal law; abandoning a barge at anchor would pose a risk to other vessels and to the environment. The Coast Guard also urged Bouchard to solve the problem.
Father Oubre said “The crew is responsible for the well-being of the vessel and if you walk off the vessel and leave it unmanned you can be brought before the Coast Guard and your Merchant Marine credential or your license can be taken.”
Father Oubre told 12News that he has been in phone contact with crew members and is going to take fresh fruit out to the boats. Read more:
