28 Feb

Bulker breaks loose from its mooring

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News
One of the most dramatic stories to emerge from the chaotic events surrounding Hurricane Katrina involved the efforts of the 107-foot tug Mariam Walmsley Cooper to bring under control the handysize bulk carrier Chios Beauty, which had broken loose from its mooring on the east bank of the Mississippi River in New Orleans. The Greek-owned, Panamanian-flagged ship of 34,291 deadweight…
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28 Feb

Hull crack in bulker suggests wider problem with brittle grade-A steel, TSB report warns

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News
The hull crack that nearly sank a bulk carrier in the Gulf of St. Lawrence could represent a wider problem posing the threat of catastrophic failure in other vessels, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada has concluded. Lake Carling. Investigators believe the crack was the result of steel that became brittle in ice-cold water.    Image Credit: Courtesy Transportation Safety…
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28 Feb

Currents, tow configuration, lack of power called factors in bridge accident

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News
Coast Guard headquarters in Washington has concluded that several factors, including strong currents, lack of horsepower and poor tow configuration, contributed to the fatal allision between the towboat Brown Water V and the Queen Isabella Causeway in Texas in September 2001. The accident resulted in the deaths of eight people whose vehicles tumbled into the water after the bridge collapsed…
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