MARCH 25, 2015
QUÉBEC, QUEBEC
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) today
released its investigation report (M13L0185) into the
15 December 2013 loss of tow and subsequent grounding of the service
vessels I.V. NO. 9, and I.V. NO. 10. The two service vessels broke
free from Tug Andre H which was also towing barge I.V. NO. 8. No injuries
or pollution were reported.
The investigation revealed that the master had
underestimated the risk posed by the forecast northeasterly winds for the area
and chose to continue the voyage after a 7-hour delay. Furthermore, the towing
arrangement was inadequate for the environmental and operational conditions.
The synthetic rope couplers employed in the towing arrangement were in a
degraded condition and parted during the voyage, causing the service vessels to
break from the tow.
The crew of the Andre H. was unable to recover the service
vessels that broke free, due to reduced visibility and weather.
The investigation also found that there are risks when
towing vessel operators do not have procedures and do not adopt standards to
ensure the adequacy of the towing arrangement and the condition of the towing
equipment.
Furthermore, there is a risk of collision when operators and masters
do not ensure that the prescribed navigation lights and shapes are exhibited.