Cruise Ship Silver Spirit Damages Dock at Key West

The luxury cruise ship Silver Spirit struck a mooring dolphin at Key West, Florida on November 27, rendering a pier unusable until repairs can be completed.

The Spirit attempted to depart Mallory Square, Key West on the evening of the 27th, but decided to return to her pier shortly after she left the dock. Upon her return approach, strong winds pushed her into the dolphin. The mooring was damaged in the allision and will have to be replaced at a cost estimated in the range of $500,000. The work is expected to take three months. 

“[The vessel] got part way out then drifted back in and hit one of the pilings and torqued it. It lefts some marks on the ship after hitting and then scrapping [sic] against them,” wrote bystander Liz Acar in a Facebook post after the accident. 

No personnel were injured and the vessel did not experience significant hull damage, according to city manager Jim Scholl. No pollution has been reported. 

The Coast Guard cleared the 600-passenger Silver Spirit to continue on her commercial voyage, and as of December 6 she was anchored off St. Barts.