MSC Chiara; Buzzards Bay, MA

Buzzards Bay, MA | 1992-Dec-11

Initial Notification: At approximately 2030, Thursday, December 10, 1992, the MSC Chiara, a Panamanian-flagged, Swiss-owned container vessel, struck a submerged object after exiting the Cap Cod Canal into Buzzards Bay, MA. The vessel's Master, fearing for the stability of his vessel, put her aground east of Cleveland Light. She reported to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Marine Safety Office (MSO) Providence that she had been holed and was listing 14 degrees to starboard. A command post was established at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Bourne, Massachusetts. The vessel was carrying 200 metric tons (mt) of diesel fuel and 800 mt of Bunker C oil. She was nearly fully loaded with containers of various products, including several chemicals of concern that were listed on the Dangerous Cargo Manifest (DCM). The Chiara was carrying methyl bromide, maleic anhydride, hydrogen peroxide, dimethyl ethanolmine, and para cresols. USCG district 1. Keyword: none.