The US Coast Guard Sector North Carolina Captain of the Port (COTP) informed that it will enforce a temporary safety zone on the Cape Fear River for the motor vessel Zhen Hua 18, on March 29, 2018, as it will be carrying two ship-to-shore container cranes.
The 753-foot heavy-load carrier will be delivering two new ship-to-shore container cranes to the North Carolina State Port Authority (NCSPA) facility based on the Cape Fear River, Wilmington, North Carolina.
To ensure safe navigation in these waters, the COTP will implement a temporary safety zone for approximately five to seven hours to include all navigable waters for about 26 miles south of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge. The safety zone will be implemented until the ship is safely moored at the NCSPA facility.
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Because of the size of the cranes, their position during the transit to NCSPA, and the narrow width of the Cape Fear River, no vessel is authorized to moor, transit, or remain within the river while the safety zone is in effect.
USCG said:
Vessels moored at facilities south of Berth One at NCSPA must depart the safety zone area prior to 12:00 a.m., March 28, 2018.
A second safety zone will be enforced for approximately two to four hours on April 1 and April 3, 2018 for the offload of the Neo-Panamax cranes. The zone will include all of the waters within a 200-yard radius around the motor vessel Zhen Hua 18 while moored at Berth Eight.
Vessel traffic south of NCSPA will not be affected.
