Just north of Jekyl Island in the St Simons Inlet separating Jekyl from St Simons Island is the site of the capsized car carrier MV Golden Ray. The ship capsized back in October 2019 and removal efforts are still underway with a little over half of the ship removed. The two large yellow circular structures are the mechanisms that hold the "chain-saws" that are used to cut the hull into sections that can be removed onto barges and taken away.
As a certified US Coast Guard Master and experienced sailor, I wondered how a ship under the guidance of a qualified port captain could run aground and capsize in the wide and well marked channel. I read the accident report and learned the sequence of bad luck that resulted in the disaster. Turns out the ship had a fire onboard which caused it to lose propulsion. The onboard harbor pilot decided that the best course of action was to ground the ship outside the channel so that the busy channel would not be blocked. Unfortunately, the ship went aground onto a very steep edge of the channel and in so doing it heeled excessively to port - the onboard load of cars shifted to the low side causing a further heel to port and the ship ultimately capsized onto its port side, fortunately, out of the main channel, which was the Pilot's objective. Salvage operations continue 18 months later.
