We are still debating whether this guy was using a flashlight, LED or his cell phone to check the level of this tank but we are certain it wasn’t Intrinsically Safe!
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Bravo on My Watch - By The Artful Blogger
Bravo on My Watch
By The Artful Blogger
I review shipboard incidents every day. It’s what I write about. Unfortunately, there’s plenty of material out there. The other day, something came across my desk. At first, I thought it someone’s idea of a joke. “Artful,” I said to myself, “There is no way that this really happened.” It was then I came to the realization that this paper was no joke . . . this actually happened . . . and , well I’ll just share this little tidbit with you and you can blog for yourself. Of course, I left out the names to protect the guilty. I’m just going to reflect on the high points of the story (mainly because it’s the most interesting part!).
Once upon a time, there was this cruise ship that went out for a three hour tour. The weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was . . . (Oops. Sorry, wrong story). Read the rest of this entry »
Windoc Incident - Story Behind YouTube’s Most Chilling Video
The Windoc blocks the canal. Alex Howard
In August 2001 the Bulk Carrier Windoc was lined up on the Welland Canal’s Bridge 11 in Ontario Canada. After recieving the flashing amber approach light indicating that the bridge operator was aware of the vessel the captain lined up on the centerline and maintained a speed of 5 knots. Minutes later while the vessel was half way through the bridge started descending.
The Bridge Team’s Story
When the vessel was approximately halfway under the bridge, the third officer observed that the bridge signal lights were solid red and the lift span was descending. At 2053, the master sounded a few blasts on the ship’s whistle. The master, without identifying himself or the bridge in question, called the TCC on VHF channel 14 about the lowering of the bridge. The master quickly stopped the engines and ordered an evacuation of the wheelhouse.The master and third officer left the wheelhouse by the starboard navigation bridge wing. As they proceeded down the external bridge access ladder, the span of the bridge struck the vessel in way of the wheelhouse front windows, subsequently destroying the vessel’s wheelhouse and funnel. The wheelsman remained at his station in the wheelhouse and lay down on the deck as the bridge span passed overhead. He freed himself from the debris and descended by the deckhouse stairwell alive.
Miraculously no one was killed in the event.
For detailed information on the incident visit:
- Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada’s Report
- The TSB’s brief synopsis
- TSB Photos of the incident.
- Huge list of Windoc Related Photos
- Photos of the bridge before incident.
Damage To The Wheelhouse
Remains of the Ship’s Radar
The Windoc During Better Days:
Incident Photo Of The Week - M/V Hanjin Pennsylvania
After a brief hiatus we return to a popular gCaptain feature “Incident Photo Of The Week“. This weeks photo is the aftermath of a 2002 fire aboard the M/V Hanjin Pennsylvania. The reason for the damage? A container filled with fireworks! CargoLAw.com tells us;
Hanjin Pennsylvania fire “has gutted accommodation & engine room” At least 6 rows of containers on deck & under deck have been effected by the blaze, which is understood to have started in a container carrying fireworks & spread to engulf the area immediately forward of the superstructure. But as the ship continues to burn, and salvage crews are still hampered in their attempts to board the vessel to carry out firefighting operations, experts are already suggesting the likely cause of the explosion was not a container full of fireworks.
CLICK HERE for the dramatic photo of the actual explosion then visit the newly redesigned CargoLaw website for the details; Page 1, Page 2, Page 3
gCaptain Tip Line - PEMEX Oil Rig Fire
gCaptain received the above photo via our gCaptain Tip Line. Here is the official news on the incident from PEMEX;
MEXICO: PEMEX confirmed that a fire occurred on the Kab 101 platform on Nov. 13. The fire was caused by a spark generated during repair work to control the natural gas leak that began on Oct. 23. No one was injured. The fire later was extinguished in the Kab 121 well.
Meanwhile, work continues to clean the oil spilled during the original incident on Oct. 23. An overflight revealed that the oil has traveled about 125 kilometers (78 miles). Another overflight will take place next week to monitor the progress of the clean-up. Click to continue…
Our tipster also suggested that fatalities occurred despite PEMEX’s denial of any injuries. We have not confirmed any of the above comments and have already made one mistake related to this incident so if you have information or links this please write a comment below.
Incident Photo of the Week - Pemex Oil Rig Disaster
Cargo Law brings us photos of the deadliest Gulf of Mexico offshore accident in the last 43 years; last week’s Collision of the Usumacinta MODU and the Kab 101 Light-Production rig. Bloomberg News tells us;
The collision of a Petroleos Mexicanos oil rig and a floating platform in a storm this week was the deadliest offshore accident in the Gulf of Mexico in 43 years, killing at least 19 workers and leaving four missing. The death toll is the second-worst in the Gulf, where Mexico produces most of its oil and the U.S. receives about 27 percent of its output. In 1964, an explosion on a C.P. Baker drilling barge killed 22, said Simon Marquis, a U.K.-based offshore rig researcher.
Continue reading the article by clicking HERE then head over to CargoLaw.com to see the Photos HERE.
Ok… looks like we fowled up this post (thanks CargoLaw ;).
The error was caught by Simon who runs the excellent and previously featured website Oil Rig Disasters. Head over there for all our rig photo needs and we will try to stay with what we know (drillSHIPS) next time.
Ebba Maersk - World Largest Sistership
“Ship of the Week” brings us the fifth in the Maersk E-Class Container Ships and Sister Ship to the Emma Maersk:
The Ebba Maersk (IMO: 9321524, Port of Registry: Copenhagen, Denmark) is already the fifth in line of Maersk’s PS-class. Together with her sisters (amongst which are the ‘Emma Maersk‘ and ‘Evelyn Maersk‘) she is the largest containership ever with a total teu capacity 11,000 teu (of which 1,000 forty foot reefer containers) according to the A.P. Moller - Maersk Group. Rumours are that a total capacity of 13,500 teu is also possible. This capacity is possible by stacking the containers in 22 rows wide. The vessel is 397 meters long, 56 meters wide, has a depth of 30 meters and a deadweight of 156,907 tons. Amazingly, all this size and capacity requires a crew of only 13.
Read the complete Eba Maersk profile HERE and check back with Ship of the Day… well… daily.
Sistership Emma Maersk links;
Assets and Deficits - Fighting Class B Fires, 1 of 4
One of the worst things that can happen on board any vessel at sea is a main space Bravo fire. If you’re in charge of your Damage Control organization, you may have asked yourself if your organization have what it takes to combat such a casualty. Do they realize what coordinated efforts have to happen in order to give this story a happy ending, or is it simple irony that we end each scenario with an Abandon Ship exercise?
As a damage control leader, you should be constantly on the lookout for better ways to train your fire parties. This training should be as realistic as possible (in other words, just short of setting an actual fire). Your organization should be in constant critique and review, asking yourself a simple question: “Is it good enough, or can I make it better?” The best way to do this is called “Assets and Deficits.” Using this process, we’ll take a step-by-step look at a main space Bravo fire.
You have a fuel leak in the engine room. The leak increases, causing an atomized spray pattern onto an extremely hot engine manifold. The fuel smokes and becomes a combustible mixture in the atmosphere. The leak increases more. Excess fuel has pooled onto the deck and is running down into the bilge. Finally, the fire triangle has balanced enough to start sustained combustion. You now have a fire with an extremely large source feeding it.
Think how you would fight this fire aboard your ship. Think about your assets and deficits, then tune in tomorrow for Part 2 of this story: “Discovery.”
This series was written by Timothy Ciciora, Command Master Chief USN, Retired, Atlantic Beach, Florida, author of short stories, including “The Homecoming,” the opening selection in the Marlo Thomas best selling collection, The Right Words at the Right Time - Volume 2
Emma Maersk - From Shipyard Fire to the World Records
The Emma Maersk is a true Modern Marvel. The world largest container ship, longest ship currently in service and is propelled by the largest diesel engine ever manufactured. By mid-year 2006 the construction project was going well when on June 9th the accommodation block was devastated by fire.
The Emma Mærsk was about six–seven weeks delayed. The delay caused by a devastating fire in the accommodation quarters in the early days of June. A welding job on the main deck, close to the end of working hours, led to a fire that totally destroyed the almost finished accommodation quarters and all the equipment in the wheelhouse.
The fire was large and devastating. Here are the photos and video taken by the local fire brigade: Read the rest of this entry »
Emma Maersk Shipyard Fire - Largest Containership in the world [1:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
