Community Corner

Barge Aground in Old Greenwich May Be Removed Friday

The U.S. Coast Guard remains on the scene where a barge is stuck on a jetty near Shoreham Club Road in Old Greenwich.


Many things wash ashore during a storm, but Old Greenwich residents probably weren't expecting to see a barge wedged on a jetty during Wednesday's storm.

An unmanned barge that broke from its mooring off Stamford's coast during this week's rain and wind storm remains aground, atop a jetty at Rocky Point in Old Greenwich.

The empty and unmanned 100-foot long behemoth was reported to have broken loose from its mooring located inside the breakwater of Stamford Harbor about 10 a.m. April 30, according to Greenwich Police. The winds and tides pushed the barge — that's 40-feet wide — towards Greenwich, finally landing atop the jetty about 200 yards south of Shoreham Club Road, police said.

On Thursday afternoon, U.S. Coast Guard officials said, "The plan is to have the barge refloated at (Friday's) high tide at (2 p.m.) after all the repair work has been completed. Duty Marine Inspectors to be back on scene tomorrow morning before they commence." Officials also said, " Luckily no pollution/hazmat."

Original plans to float the barge off the jetty at high tide on Thursday were scuttled after an inspection revealed a crack in the hull. "Upon closer inspection (Wednesday) evening, a crack was discovered at the chine approximately amidships. It was determined that we would do a temporary repair prior to refloating," U.S. Coast Guard officials told Greenwich Police in an e-mail.

The Tug Eric Thorton of Thornton Towing & Transportation of Staten Island, NY, remains on standby and is expected to remove the barge during the May 2 high tide. 

The barge was moored off Stamford where it was scheduled to be brought to Rubino Brothers to be loaded with scrap metal, officials said. 

Coast Guard marine inspectors will continue to monitor wreck site, officials said. 


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