Coast Guard Arrests Intoxicated MSC Containership Captain After Ship Docks
The US Coast Guard arrested the master of a containership this week after the pilot guiding the ship to port reported the captain was exhibiting signs of intoxication. A field sobriety and breathalyzer test administered by the USC after the vessel docked found the captain was impaired more than six times the legal limit for commercial mariners.
The vessel, the MSC Jubilee IX, is a 108,770 dwt containership with a capacity of 8,800 TEU. The ship had arrived in the anchorage near Everett, Washington, coming from Busan, South Korea, with a stop in Vancouver, Canada. Built in 2008, the vessel, which is registered in Liberia, appears to have joined the MSC fleet in March 2025.
A Puget Sound pilot boarded the MSC Jubilee IX on August 20 to guide the ship to port in Seattle and reported to the US Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound that the vessel’s captain was exhibiting signs of intoxication. The pilot and first mate operated the vessel during the transit from an anchorage to Terminal 5 at the Port of Seattle without incident.
After the vessel docked, a Coast Guard boarding team and the Coast Guard Investigative Service boarded the ship and commenced a port state control examination. During the investigation, they administer the sobriety test.
The captain was arrested and transported to the King County Jail, where charges were referred to the King County Prosecutor for boating under the influence.
The vessel was detained by the Coast Guard until a relief captain was identified and confirmed. The vessel was later cleared to resume operations and departed Seattle on August 22 for Prince Rupert, Canada, and a return trip to Yantian, China.
The incident is similar to a January 2024 arrest when the captain of another MSC containership, a Polish national commanding MSC Roshney V, was also detained after the pilot in Felixstowe in the UK also suspected the master was intoxicated. Tests revealed his blood alcohol level was nearly four times over the limit. The master pleaded guilty in a UK court and was given a suspended sentence and a small fine. He told the court he was sorry for his actions and that his career at sea was over.