Ship stories and other stuff
Distant shot of the ship that was lying on it’s side in Antwerp taken through a lens of a binoculars. She is in dock in Antwerp being repaired after her capsizing IMC has a detailed report. http://www.imcbrokers.com/blog/2007/11/19/repubblica-di-genova-towed-to-drydock/
I was tempted to get closer but that would have meant breaking and entering, trespassing and ISPS infringement, so cowardice being the better part of valour, I decided to stay on my bridge and use binoculars.
The Scandinavian Shipping Gazette reports that the AHT Bourbon Dolphin will not be salvaged because of the extreme depth at which she lies and due to the fact that the area can be subject to heavy seas and weather further restricting any salvage attempt. It also points out that the deepest ship salvage ever done was at a depth of 600 metres, Bourbon Dolphin lies at over 1000 metres.
The website Maritime Digital Portal talks about goods salvaged from a depth of 10,000 feet, which is 3000 metres , not quite the same thing but camera and robot technology is available.
The MAIB Marine Accident Investigation Branch of the UK Department for Transport has no mention of the accident on its investigation page. I would have thought that it would come under its jurisdiction.
Bourbon will be conducting it’s own investigation into the tragic accident, to find out why Bourbon Dolphin had the specific tasks she had that day.
Transocean Rathers owners are not making any statements but are waiting for the Norwegian Police and Ministry of Justice investigation. The same goes for Highland Valour.
After browsing the Norwegian newspaper sites I have made a brief account of the court hearing in Ålesund Norway 25th April about the capsize of the Bourbon Dolphin.
The court heard from several witnesses including the off duty Master and one of the Officers who was rescued from the scene. Geir Syversen (32) described how the sequence of events started when another vessel the Highland Valour failed to retrieve the heavy anchor cable from the Bourbon Dolphin which was apparently too small for the job. The Highland Valour during seven attempts to take the chain caught it twice but dropped it both times, increasing the strain on the Bourbon Dolphin.
There was also a near collision between the two vessels which meant that the Bourbon Dolphin had to go full ahead on her engines to avoid a collision, calling into question the seamanship and shiphandling of the Highland Valour.
Then the Valour pushed the Dolphin in the wrong direction and the Dolphin was pushed out of position which meant that her bow thruster got overheated and the Chief Engineer asked him to reduce the load on the thruster.
The Domino effect was in full swing and problems stared mounting for the Bourbon Dolphin, when the Master decided that emergency measures were required, he asked the Chief Officer to use the quick release system to get rid of the anchor chain, but it was not so quick and by then the Chief Engineer called up to say that the engines had stopped.
By this stage hope was out for the ship and it had listed over on its side 90 degrees port side down.
Some of the crew managed to get off before she turned completely around. Then the survivors managed to climb into a raft and others were plucked out of the water.
The Master and his 14 year old son were among 8 crew lost in the accident.
The Norwegian Goverment has set up a Committee to investigate further into the accident.
The anchor handler that capsized last week in which 8 sailors lost their lives sank in 1100m of water off the Shetland Islands earlier today. It takes with it the remains of 5 missing and a lot of unanswered questions.
I feel sorry for the families who have lost fathers, brothers, husbands and sons, who will be in shock still and asking how it could happen to such a new ship.
The answers will take longer to come now.
image from bergenships.com
Watching the news earlier, I found out that a Norwgian supply vessel / anchor handler Bourbon Dolphin capsized north of Scotland. I went on the net to see if I could find out more and the BBC gave a report that 10 of the 15 crew had been airlifted, 5 crew were missing.
I went further to the NRK (Norwegian TV) site, and found out that 2 of the 10 crew found had died. A tradgedy for the families of the crew who have died and for the families of the 5 crew still missing.
The ship was delivered from the builders yard in October 2006. Ulstein Verft AS.
Some links with more info and maps etc.
Dagbladet in Norwegian
International Marine & Subsea Contractors
Update 13/4/07 The number of crew dead is now 3, and the 5 are still missing, with navy divers searching for them.
Update14/4/07 The search and rescue operation for the missing crew including a 15 year old boy has been called off.
There are plenty of theories about how the accident happened, including that an anchor chain caused the ship to capsize. Time will tell when a full investigation has been carried out.
Smit are conducting a salvage operation on the capsized vessel.
Update The following link has a description of the enquiry held at Ã…lesund in Norway on the 25th April http://www.ruttledge.se/2007/04/26/bourbon-dolphin-court-hearing/
Update Summary of news to date on this blog from 3rd May 2007
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