| the stability letter - loss of the tug Valour |
| Interviewing - Mates - Chief Engineers - Designated Duty Engineers - Interviews - Deckhands Able Bodied Seamen - Tankermen - Dispatchers - QMED - Interviewing |
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Sinking of Maritrans Tug Valour The stability letter is one of the
most important documents aboard any vessel. Addressed in the
Code of Federal Regulations, it directs the master as to what
may or may not be done in operating the vessel within safe
parameters for maintaining stability. It came into the public light
because the Coast Guard's investigation into the tragic loss
found that the stability letter had not been followed. The Valour
sank in the early morning hours of January 18, 2006 forty miles
off the coast of Wilmington, North Carolina with multiple loss of
life. One of the primary reasons for the sinking was attributed to
the crews pumping ballast to correct a list before trying to find out
the cause of the list. The report also cited the crossover valve
between port and starboard fuel tanks was left open, against
good practice. This enabled fuel to flow from the high tank to the
low tank if the vessel listed.
most important documents aboard any vessel. Addressed in the
Code of Federal Regulations, it directs the master as to what
may or may not be done in operating the vessel within safe
parameters for maintaining stability. It came into the public light
because the Coast Guard's investigation into the tragic loss
found that the stability letter had not been followed. The Valour
sank in the early morning hours of January 18, 2006 forty miles
off the coast of Wilmington, North Carolina with multiple loss of
life. One of the primary reasons for the sinking was attributed to
the crews pumping ballast to correct a list before trying to find out
the cause of the list. The report also cited the crossover valve
between port and starboard fuel tanks was left open, against
good practice. This enabled fuel to flow from the high tank to the
low tank if the vessel listed.
Source U.S. Coast Guard Final Report Investigating Loss
Source U.S. Coast Guard Final Report Investigating Loss
Source: National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
One can only imagine the poor crew's thoughts on being aboard a
sinking tug in 20 foot seas and 40 to 50 knot winds gusting to 70. The
Coast Guard report on the loss is exhaustive. It reserves liability issues
for further legal analysis, but is exhaustive in its detailed coverage of
everything from crew qualifications to transverse stability. Read Final
Coast Guard Report on Accident Investigation. The document is in
PDF format and is going to take a while to load its 35 pages so you may
need to be patient waiting for it to appear.
sinking tug in 20 foot seas and 40 to 50 knot winds gusting to 70. The
Coast Guard report on the loss is exhaustive. It reserves liability issues
for further legal analysis, but is exhaustive in its detailed coverage of
everything from crew qualifications to transverse stability. Read Final
Coast Guard Report on Accident Investigation. The document is in
PDF format and is going to take a while to load its 35 pages so you may
need to be patient waiting for it to appear.