With a mishap sure to recall horror stories of drunken ship captains around the world, the 77′ scallop boat Nanami ran aground on it’s latest voyage.

Heading south from New Jersey to Cherry Point, NC, the Nanami first became disabled off Cape Hatteras and was towed to port by two Coast Guard cutters.

Then, rough seas off SC broke it free of it’s anchor chain and it ran aground on Kiawah Island.

With 400 gallons of diesel fuel onboard, the Coast Guard is working hard to refloat it.

With luck like that, it may be time to call it a trip!

Updates
* Tuesday 11/18: Charleston Marine Services has successfully removed approximately 900 gallons of fuel, with approximately 250 gallons of fuel and oils remaining.

* Wednesday 11/19: $100,000 may not be enough for a full recovery – who’s gonna pay for it?

* Saturday 11/22: On the way down from N.J., the Coast Guard ordered the Namami to dock at Lewes, Del. and cleanup some environmental concerns they noticed. After crashing through a piling and leaving town, the Namani has refused to pay for the piling or the dock fees, a bad karma move obviously still haunting them.

* Wednesday 11/26: Coast Guard oversees successful removal of vessel on Kiawah Island.

_{Photos courtesy of USCG and The Post & Courier.}

Last week I watched a documentary focused on the worldwide practice of flash-freezing fish performed by commercial fishermen.Even with the recent article on this blog about mercury levels in South Carolina’s seafood still in the back of my mind, I was thinking more about the possibility of tuna’s extinction due to overfishing for the hungry sushi market than the idea that there may be mercury in all of them.

The subject of mercury levels in seafood came up again this morning while watching an episode on the Today Show. The guest was a doctor specializing in food & health. She mentioned that predator-type fish (shark, tuna, swordfish, etc.) are the ones that contain the highest levels of mercury. She also said that eating seafood in moderation is key.

The inspiration for their story was published by the NYT two days ago: High Mercury Levels Are Found in Tuna Sushi, one that immediately caught flak from the National Fisheries Institute.