Charleston harbor reopens after vessel is refloated

Charleston harbor reopens after vessel is refloated    The harbor in Charleston, S.C., is open again to shipping after salvors refloated the 615-foot bulk freighter 'Bahama Spirit,' which ran aground Tuesday morning.
   The incident occurred near harbor marker #29 at the Fort Sumter Range, seven miles offshore in 26 feet of water.
   The U.S. Coast Guard established a 500-yard safety zone around the vessel, which blocked the harbor. The stranded Vanuatu-flag vessel was carrying crushed granite from Canada.
   A Coast Guard spokesman told Shippers' News Wire the 'Bahama Spirit' had been 'successfully refloated under Coast Guard supervision around midnight on Sept. 28. The harbor opened again shortly afterwards.'
   The vessel did not appear to be damaged, and there was no leak of fuel or ballast water, the Coast Guard said. The 'Bahama Spirit' has proceeded to a mooring in the port, and an investigation is continuing as to why the ship ran aground.