TB CTCO 2601; Tampa Bay, FL

Tampa Bay, FL | 1998-Dec-15

Initial Notification: The T/B CTCO 2601, being towed by the tug Camie Cenac, and loaded with 23,000 Bbls of a light lube oil ran aground in Tampa Bay last night at 2000 local time. It is reportedly hard aground on a sand bottom at position 27 degrees, 41.54 minutes north and 082 degrees, 34.34 minutes west, a location 3 miles west of Palmetto and west of Port Manatee. The vessel appears to be aground along the entire length of the hull except at the starboard forward rake. The vessel dimensions are 236 feet x 52 feet x 15.5 feet. It has 5 port tanks and 5 starboard tanks with 2300 Bbls of lube oil in each tank. Both the bow and stern rakes are empty. No product has been reported leaking but damage to the vessel has not been fully assessed at this time. The shorelines in the area are highly sensitive and water depths are typically very shallow, especially to the east in Cockroach Bay were there is a preserve containing seagrass beds and mangroves. USCG district 7.