STX to PR Shipping Halted Due to USCG Order

   STX to PR Shipping 

Halted Due to USCG Order

M.A. Dworkin

     San Juan, PR - Coast Guard Sector San Juan announced Saturday, May 9, 2026, that Captain of the Port Orders were issued to two Togo-flagged multipurpose offshore vessels for obstructing the navigable San Antonio Channel of San Juan Harbor, Puerto Rico, while moored at Pier 10, May 1, 2026. 

     Until further notice, vessels Water Spirit 2 and Admiral Pride will not be cleared to re-enter San Juan Harbor unless they demonstrate to the Coast Guard their ability to moor in accordance with well-established industry standards without impacting the safe navigation of vessels within the harbor’s finite waterways. 

     Under Title 46 USC 70036, any person in violation of these orders is subject to a maximum civil penalty of $117,608 for each day of a continuing violation.

     “The Coast Guard is committed to ensuring the safe flow of maritime traffic within San Juan Harbor and other federal channels in our area of responsibility,” said Capt. Luis J. Rodriquez, Commander of Coast guard Sector San Juan and COTP San Juan. “It is critical for commercial, military, and recreational traffic to have equitable and safe access to the federal navigable waterways in the bay. While urban development has displaced some cargo operations, facilities still exist to accommodate these vital supply vessels. Laying anchor in the channel and reducing navigable capacity is unlawful, endangers navigation, affects the local economy and puts the safety of our maritime facilities and vessels at risk.”

     Mediterranean mooring is only permitted when no part of the vessel or its anchors encroaches upon navigable channels. 

     The Captain of the Port advises all waterway users that anchoring or tying up vessels in navigable channels in such a manner as to prevent or obstruct the passage of other vessels is prohibited under 33 USC 409. Navigable channels are established by law primarily through the Army Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard oversees compliance with no discretion to waive or permit such violations. To raise broader awareness of these and other hazardous conditions in San Juan Bay, Sector San Juan has issued a Marine Information Bulletin to the maritime industry. 

     The San Antonio Channel, one of the busiest in the Eastern Caribbean, is approximately 1.2 miles long and measures just 300 to 500 feet wide, classifying it as a narrow channel under navigation rules. Some of the world’s largest cruise ships, measuring over 1,100 feet long and 150 feet wide, make regular port calls to San Juan. These vessels frequently moor just across from where the Water Spirit 2 and Admiral Pride used the med-mooring technique while obstructing the navigable channel. 

     The VIPA has no authority in the Port of San Juan and therefore is unable to offer any assistance in the matter which causes a good deal of problems for businesses and residents trying to bring goods over from the St. Croix/St. Thomas docks into San Juan. 

     Water Spirit Freight services is a family run cargo company founded in 2005.

     “We are waiting until the problem gets cleared up,” a spokesperson for the company said. “We have families to support. We are still in the office here in Puerto Rico but we cannot use the dock. We are waiting to hear when ii will clear up.”

     Since the Norma H went out of business in October 2023, Water Spirit 2 has been the only low-cost cargo service making the STX/STT to PR run. They carry a host of dry goods, refrigerated items, vehicles, boats, heavy equipment, appliances, furniture and construction materials on its twice a week sailing. 

     Rumors indicate there may be more to the shutdowns than is officially being detailed out by official sources. Apparently, a private operator has come into the Water Spirit docking spaces and taken them over while Water Spirit 2 and Admiral Pride are awaiting a new space from the PR Ports Authority. The fact is, the ultra-busy dock desperately needs more facilities to reduce congestion and protect the flow of traffic so it can continue on an even keel. 

     Water Spirit customers with pending cargo deliveries are urged to contact Water Spirit directly for booking and shipment status. The main office in Puerto Rico can be reached at: 340-773-0441.