High tide releases SVG’s main coast guard vessel, ship safely in Kingstown 

By Admin. Updated 1:42 p.m., Saturday, July 5, 2025, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4). 

The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) said Saturday that the country’s main coast guard vessel, the Captain Hugh Mulzac, which ran aground on a reef in Union Island on July 3, has returned safely to Kingstown. 

In a July 5 statement, the RSVGPF said:

“On Friday 4th July 2025, at 2155 hours, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ship Captain Hugh Mulzac (SVGS CHM) came off the reef at Clifton Harbour, Union Island, under her own power during high tide. SVGS CHM is secured alongside the Coast Guard Base, Calliaqua, and an underwater inspection of the hull is to be conducted to assess the impact of the grounding.”

“The crew members are in good spirits, and the Coast Guard Service wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who reached out, including its regional and international counterparts, during this unfortunate incident,” police said. 

The incident 

“On Thursday 3rd July 2025, at 2305 hours, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ship – Captain Hugh Mulzac ran aground on a reef at Clifton Harbour, Union Island. The vessel was approaching a jetty when the incident occurred,” police said. 

Local media house Radio Grenadines reported on Friday that, “An attempt was made by the MV Bequia Express to tow the vessel, but the effort was unsuccessful, apparently due to the low tide.”

“An experienced water taxi operator, with years of salvaging reefed vessels (locally known as reefers), noted that the next best opportunity to refloat the Captain Hugh Mulzac will be around 10 PM, when the tide rises again. He also said that this ship is far too heavy for the local water taxis to assist,” Radio Grenadines reported. 

Radio Grenadines further reported that, “The ship was scheduled to transport the Guyana Defence Force contingent from Union Island this morning. Recently the vessel assisted in transporting students and teachers between Mainland and Union Island.”

The Captain Hugh Mulzac vessel was named after Hugh Nathaniel Mulzac who was the first African American ship commander, was born on March 26th, 1886, on Union Island, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Government of SVG’s website states that, “The Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard service, within the Ministry of National Security, commissioned the ‘SVGS CAPT. HUGH MULZAC’ on January 21st, 2019, at the Kingstown cruise ship terminal.”

“The SVGS CAPT. HUGH MULZAC was built by Damen Shipyards in Gorichem, Netherlands and delivered to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ Coast Guard Service on December 15th, 2018. She is commanded by Lieutenant Enos Hamlette”.

“The ship’s name is SVGS CAPT. HUGH MULZAC. It has a length of 42.8 metres with a beam of 7.1 metres. The ship has a capacity of 19 members and an endurance of fourteen days,” the website further states. 

END