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Accident Investigation of the Sinking of the Bourbon Dolphin
On April 12, 2007 the tug Bourbon Dolphin capsized off Shetland Island with a tragic
loss of life while engaged in laying out anchor chain for an oil rig. During the operation,
the chain shifted away from the centerline and pulled the tug’s port quarter down. She
initially righted herself, but then rolled over to port and capsized shortly after 5:00 pm.
The 75 meter vessel was built for Bourbon Offshore Norway by the Ulstein Group. She
was designated as an anchor handling tug supply vessel (AHTS), and at 2,974 tons,
was designed for deep water service.
The Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Police conducted an investigation which
determined that a number of factors contributed to the loss of the vessel, one of which
was the fact that the captain had been given only about an hour to familiarize himself
with a vessel that was extremely complex. Additionally, the vessel had stability issues
that the yard had not adequately conveyed to the owners.
Click accident investigation report to read the investigation report of the Norwegian
Ministry of Justice and Police.
On April 12, 2007 the tug Bourbon Dolphin capsized off Shetland Island with a tragic
loss of life while engaged in laying out anchor chain for an oil rig. During the operation,
the chain shifted away from the centerline and pulled the tug’s port quarter down. She
initially righted herself, but then rolled over to port and capsized shortly after 5:00 pm.
The 75 meter vessel was built for Bourbon Offshore Norway by the Ulstein Group. She
was designated as an anchor handling tug supply vessel (AHTS), and at 2,974 tons,
was designed for deep water service.
The Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Police conducted an investigation which
determined that a number of factors contributed to the loss of the vessel, one of which
was the fact that the captain had been given only about an hour to familiarize himself
with a vessel that was extremely complex. Additionally, the vessel had stability issues
that the yard had not adequately conveyed to the owners.
Click accident investigation report to read the investigation report of the Norwegian
Ministry of Justice and Police.
As cited in the report, you can see in the animation how the chain comes off the
inner starboard pin and snags on the outer port pin. It's terrible to realize that by
being further from center on an outer pin, the tilting force of the chain increased.
inner starboard pin and snags on the outer port pin. It's terrible to realize that by
being further from center on an outer pin, the tilting force of the chain increased.