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Vehicle carrier Golden Ray capsizes and blocks the Brunswick channel

Vehicle carrier Golden Ray capsizes and blocks the Brunswick channel. The disruption ran from 2019-09-08 (8 September 2019) to 2019-11-14 (14 November 2019), 68 days, affecting Brunswick. Brunswick averaged 1.2 calls per day during the event window against an expected 0.9 (+0.3).

World Freight Monitor permanent record. https://worldfreightmonitor.com/events/2019/golden-ray-capsize-brunswick-2019/. Record last updated 2026-09-16.

Key facts

Started
2019-09-08 (8 September 2019)
Ended
2019-11-14 (14 November 2019)
Status
ended
Severity
2 Moderate
Scope
port
Chokepoints
None
Lanes
None
Countries
United States
Confidence
medium: The casualty, the rescue and the cause are documented by the Coast Guard and the safety board, but the dates on which traffic resumed rest on press reporting of unified command decisions rather than an archived official notice.
First reported
2019-09-08 (8 September 2019)
Casualties (official)
0 deaths, 2 injuries, as of 2021-09-14 [s2]
  • Severity basis: Port wide stoppage of 24 hours to seven days; the Port of Brunswick was closed to commercial traffic from 2019-09-08 until transits resumed on a case by case basis on 2019-09-11, with one way transits until 2019-11-14.

What happened

On 2019-09-08 (8 September 2019) the vehicle carrier Golden Ray capsized in St. Simons Sound shortly after leaving the Port of Brunswick, Georgia, with a fire on board, closing the sound and the port to commercial traffic. The Coast Guard reported that all 24 people on board were rescued, four of them after being trapped in the hull, and set a safety zone half a mile around the wreck. Two cargo ships were allowed to leave under monitored transit late on 2019-09-11, and the port reopened on a case by case basis, with cargo that could be diverted sent to Savannah and Charleston. The channel stayed limited to one way traffic while salvage continued, and round the clock commercial transits resumed on 2019-11-14 (14 November 2019).

Measured effect

Port calls, Brunswick

Baseline (expected)
0.9 calls per day
Observed
1.2 calls per day
Change
+0.3 (percent omitted, baseline too small)
Standardised score
+0.3
Event window
2019-09-08 to 2019-11-14 (68 days)
Baseline window
2019-07-07 to 2019-08-31 (56 valid days)
Method
wfm-effect-1.0
Computed
2026-09-19 (19 September 2026), data revision 1:cf0cab396ff2
Port calls, BrunswickPort calls, Brunswick, 2019-06-30 (30 June 2019) to 2019-12-26 (26 December 2019): values ranged from 0 calls per day on 2019-06-30 to 5 calls per day on 2019-09-07, with a mean of 1.1 calls per day. The latest value, for 2019-12-26, was 1 calls per day. The shaded band marks the event window, 2019-09-08 to 2019-11-14.0123452019-06-302019-09-282019-12-26
Port calls, Brunswick, 2019-06-30 (30 June 2019) to 2019-12-26 (26 December 2019): values ranged from 0 calls per day on 2019-06-30 to 5 calls per day on 2019-09-07, with a mean of 1.1 calls per day. The latest value, for 2019-12-26, was 1 calls per day. The shaded band marks the event window, 2019-09-08 to 2019-11-14.

Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms. Retrieved 2026-11-10 (10 November 2026).

Port calls, Brunswick (calls per day).
Datecalls per day
2019-06-300
2019-07-012
2019-07-020
2019-07-030
2019-07-041
2019-07-052
2019-07-061
2019-07-071
2019-07-080
2019-07-091
2019-07-100
2019-07-110
2019-07-124
2019-07-130
2019-07-144
2019-07-150
2019-07-162
2019-07-171
2019-07-180
2019-07-191
2019-07-201
2019-07-214
2019-07-220
2019-07-230
2019-07-241
2019-07-251
2019-07-260
2019-07-271
2019-07-281
2019-07-294
2019-07-303
2019-07-311
2019-08-011
2019-08-021
2019-08-030
2019-08-042
2019-08-052
2019-08-061
2019-08-070
2019-08-081
2019-08-090
2019-08-100
2019-08-112
2019-08-120
2019-08-131
2019-08-140
2019-08-153
2019-08-161
2019-08-171
2019-08-180
2019-08-191
2019-08-203
2019-08-211
2019-08-220
2019-08-232
2019-08-242
2019-08-251
2019-08-260
2019-08-273
2019-08-280
2019-08-291
2019-08-301
2019-08-310
2019-09-010
2019-09-020
2019-09-030
2019-09-040
2019-09-050
2019-09-060
2019-09-075
2019-09-081
2019-09-090
2019-09-100
2019-09-110
2019-09-122
2019-09-131
2019-09-143
2019-09-153
2019-09-162
2019-09-172
2019-09-181
2019-09-191
2019-09-201
2019-09-211
2019-09-220
2019-09-230
2019-09-241
2019-09-251
2019-09-261
2019-09-272
2019-09-282
2019-09-290
2019-09-302
2019-10-012
2019-10-022
2019-10-032
2019-10-043
2019-10-052
2019-10-060
2019-10-072
2019-10-080
2019-10-091
2019-10-102
2019-10-110
2019-10-120
2019-10-131
2019-10-140
2019-10-152
2019-10-161
2019-10-170
2019-10-182
2019-10-190
2019-10-200
2019-10-211
2019-10-222
2019-10-231
2019-10-244
2019-10-250
2019-10-263
2019-10-270
2019-10-281
2019-10-290
2019-10-301
2019-10-311
2019-11-012
2019-11-020
2019-11-031
2019-11-042
2019-11-052
2019-11-060
2019-11-072
2019-11-083
2019-11-090
2019-11-100
2019-11-112
2019-11-122
2019-11-130
2019-11-141
2019-11-152
2019-11-161
2019-11-170
2019-11-181
2019-11-191
2019-11-202
2019-11-210
2019-11-223
2019-11-231
2019-11-241
2019-11-250
2019-11-261
2019-11-271
2019-11-281
2019-11-290
2019-11-300
2019-12-010
2019-12-022
2019-12-033
2019-12-043
2019-12-050
2019-12-061
2019-12-072
2019-12-080
2019-12-091
2019-12-101
2019-12-111
2019-12-121
2019-12-131
2019-12-140
2019-12-153
2019-12-161
2019-12-172
2019-12-182
2019-12-192
2019-12-201
2019-12-210
2019-12-220
2019-12-231
2019-12-242
2019-12-250
2019-12-261

This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.

Replay

Replay: Port calls, BrunswickPort calls, Brunswick, 2019-07-10 (10 July 2019) to 2019-11-14 (14 November 2019): values ranged from 0 calls per day on 2019-07-10 to 5 calls per day on 2019-09-07. The shaded band marks the event window, 2019-09-08 to 2019-11-14.0123452019-07-102019-11-14
Port calls, Brunswick, 2019-07-10 (10 July 2019) to 2019-11-14 (14 November 2019): values ranged from 0 calls per day on 2019-07-10 to 5 calls per day on 2019-09-07. The shaded band marks the event window, 2019-09-08 to 2019-11-14.

Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms. Retrieved 2026-11-10 (10 November 2026).

Port calls, Brunswick (calls per day), daily values shown in the replay.
Datecalls per day
2019-07-100
2019-07-110
2019-07-124
2019-07-130
2019-07-144
2019-07-150
2019-07-162
2019-07-171
2019-07-180
2019-07-191
2019-07-201
2019-07-214
2019-07-220
2019-07-230
2019-07-241
2019-07-251
2019-07-260
2019-07-271
2019-07-281
2019-07-294
2019-07-303
2019-07-311
2019-08-011
2019-08-021
2019-08-030
2019-08-042
2019-08-052
2019-08-061
2019-08-070
2019-08-081
2019-08-090
2019-08-100
2019-08-112
2019-08-120
2019-08-131
2019-08-140
2019-08-153
2019-08-161
2019-08-171
2019-08-180
2019-08-191
2019-08-203
2019-08-211
2019-08-220
2019-08-232
2019-08-242
2019-08-251
2019-08-260
2019-08-273
2019-08-280
2019-08-291
2019-08-301
2019-08-310
2019-09-010
2019-09-020
2019-09-030
2019-09-040
2019-09-050
2019-09-060
2019-09-075
2019-09-081
2019-09-090
2019-09-100
2019-09-110
2019-09-122
2019-09-131
2019-09-143
2019-09-153
2019-09-162
2019-09-172
2019-09-181
2019-09-191
2019-09-201
2019-09-211
2019-09-220
2019-09-230
2019-09-241
2019-09-251
2019-09-261
2019-09-272
2019-09-282
2019-09-290
2019-09-302
2019-10-012
2019-10-022
2019-10-032
2019-10-043
2019-10-052
2019-10-060
2019-10-072
2019-10-080
2019-10-091
2019-10-102
2019-10-110
2019-10-120
2019-10-131
2019-10-140
2019-10-152
2019-10-161
2019-10-170
2019-10-182
2019-10-190
2019-10-200
2019-10-211
2019-10-222
2019-10-231
2019-10-244
2019-10-250
2019-10-263
2019-10-270
2019-10-281
2019-10-290
2019-10-301
2019-10-311
2019-11-012
2019-11-020
2019-11-031
2019-11-042
2019-11-052
2019-11-060
2019-11-072
2019-11-083
2019-11-090
2019-11-100
2019-11-112
2019-11-122
2019-11-130
2019-11-141

This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.

Timeline

  1. The 656 foot vehicle carrier capsizes in St. Simons Sound at about 02:00 with a fire on board. The Coast Guard rescues 20 people, four crew members remain trapped, and the Captain of the Port sets a safety zone half a mile around the vessel. [s1]
  2. The four trapped crew members are rescued after nearly 40 hours in the hull, according to the safety board, bringing all 24 people on board to safety. [s2]
  3. Two cargo vessels leave the port under monitored transit past the wreck, the first movements since the capsizing. [s4]
  4. The port reopens on a case by case basis, with priority for perishable cargo and other vessels diverted to Savannah and Charleston while the unified command studies how passing ships affect the wreck. [s3] [s4]
  5. The unified command and the Georgia Ports Authority restore round the clock commercial transits, with vessels still passing the wreck one at a time. [s5] [s6]
  6. The safety board publishes its report, finding that an error in entering ballast quantities into the stability program left the ship with too little righting arm during an outbound turn. [s2]

Cause

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause was an officer's error in entering ballast quantities into the ship's stability calculation program, which led to an incorrect stability assessment and left the vessel without enough righting arm during a turn outbound from Brunswick. The operator's failure to verify stability calculations contributed. Attributed by: National Transportation Safety Board. [s2]

Resolution

2019-11-14 (14 November 2019): Transits past the wreck resumed on a case by case basis from 2019-09-11 and the Port of Brunswick returned to round the clock commercial traffic on 2019-11-14, with vessels passing one at a time while the Golden Ray was dismantled in place. [s5] [s6]

Corrections

No corrections to this record as of 2026-09-16 (16 September 2026).

Sources

  1. [s1] U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard, port partners conducting rescue operation for 4 aboard disabled, on fire vessel in St. Simons Sound, published 2019-09-08 (8 September 2019), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (official)
  2. [s2] National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB Determines Inaccurate Stability Calculations Caused Capsizing of Vehicle Carrier Golden Ray, published 2021-09-14 (14 September 2021), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (official)
  3. [s3] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, NEW DETAILS: Brunswick port reopens days after ship capsizes, published 2019-09-12 (12 September 2019), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)
  4. [s4] News4Jax, 1st ships allowed to pass capsized car carrier near Port of Brunswick, published 2019-09-12 (12 September 2019), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)
  5. [s5] FreightWaves, Port of Brunswick open 24 hours to commercial vessels, published 2019-11-18 (18 November 2019), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)
  6. [s6] WorkBoat, Traffic expanded around capsized Golden Ray in Georgia, published 2019-11-19 (19 November 2019), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)

Cite this record

The address of this record is permanent and a correction is always logged on this page, so a citation names the version you read. Add the date you accessed it.

Plain text

World Freight Monitor. "Vehicle carrier Golden Ray capsizes and blocks the Brunswick channel." Last updated 2026-09-16 (16 September 2026). https://worldfreightmonitor.com/events/2019/golden-ray-capsize-brunswick-2019/

APA

World Freight Monitor. (2026). Vehicle carrier Golden Ray capsizes and blocks the Brunswick channel. World Freight Monitor. https://worldfreightmonitor.com/events/2019/golden-ray-capsize-brunswick-2019/

BibTeX

@misc{wfm_golden_ray_capsize_brunswick_2019,
  author = {{World Freight Monitor}},
  title = {Vehicle carrier Golden Ray capsizes and blocks the Brunswick channel},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Last updated 2026-09-16},
  url = {https://worldfreightmonitor.com/events/2019/golden-ray-capsize-brunswick-2019/}
}