FELICITY 8

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Cargo to be lightered to refloat ship

On Sep 17 the PCG District Southern Tagalog was monitoring the grounded LCT 'Felicity 8', which was stuck some 200 meters away from the shore of Barangay Tilik, that ran aground after it nearly hit a fishing boat in Lubang, Occidental Mindoro, en route to the port of Tilik from Cabangan in Zambales. To refloat the 'Felicity 8', the Coast Guard instructed the crew to drop anchor and reduce the cargo to lighten the vessel. Following an inspection, members of the PCG Sub-station Lubang reported that the vessel’s bow was stuck and no sign of an oil spill was spotted. The PCG asked the captain of the m/v 'Banton Pearl' and the f/v 'Orene' to tow the 'Felicity 8' to deeper waters, but they failed. A diver hired by the PCG to inspect the hull of the ship for possible water omgressfound the opposite side of the port beam had flattened. The PCG advised the master to renew the vessel’s documents, including the safety and seaworthiness certification. As a safety precaution, fishermen were told to avoid fishing near the 'Felicity 8' Report with photo: https://www.philstar.com/nation/2024/09/18/2386024/pcg-monitoring-beached-cargo-ship

Vessel grounded at Barangay Tilik

The 'Felicity 8' ran aground approximately 200 meters from the shoreline off Barangay Tilik in Lubang, Occidental Mindoro on Sep 15, 2024, with 13 crew members on board. The ship arrived at Tilik Port from Cabangan, Zambales, to discharge its cargo of sand and gravel. Shortly after the departure at 05:40 a.m., the vessel encountered an unexpected situation when a fishing banca crossed its path. Despite the crew's efforts to avoid the collision, the vessel ran aground in shallow waters. The vessel temporarily anchored and in response, the crew initiated deballasting procedures on both port and starboard sides in an attempt to refloat the vessel. The Coast Guard Sub Station (CGSS) Lubang, while conducting a routine mobile patrol, observed the vessel anchored and confirmed its location. A subsequent boarding and inspection was conducted by the CGSS Lubang and revealed no signs of an oil spill, though it was noted that the vessel's bow was grounded. Immediate coordination efforts were made with the Captain of the m/v 'Banton Pearl' and the fishing banca 'Orene' to assist in towing the vessel to deeper waters. Despite these efforts, the towing operation was unsuccessful. On the morning of Sep 16, CGSS Lubang personnel assisted a hired diver in conducting a hull inspection of the 'Felicity 8', which showed no leakage but revealed a flattened area on the opposite side of the port beam. The Captain was therefore advised to renew expired documents, including the Cargo Ship Safety Certificate and seaworthiness certification from MARINA. Additionally, CGSS Lubang personnel, along with the Marine Environmental Protection Response Team, informed local fisherfolks to avoid fishing in the vessel’s passage to ensure safety at sea.