The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has issued investigation report on the sinking of tug Suringa off Sechelt, British Columbia on March 2015. Two crew members swam ashore and were later evacuated by the Canadian Coast Guard. No injuries were reported. A small quantity of diesel fuel was released from the tug after it sank, and the adrift barge was recovered by another tug.
Damage to the tug
There was significant saltwater contamination of the machinery, fuel and hydraulic piping systems, navigation equipment, electrical systems, and accommodation fittings. The vessel was declared a constructive total loss by the insurers
Environmental conditions
The weather at the time of the occurrence was overcast. The visibility was approximately 6 nm, and the wind was southeasterly at 17 knots. There was a southeast swell of approximately 1 m, and the water temperature was 9.1°C.
Regulatory oversight
In Canada, tugs less than 15 GT are not required to be certificated or inspected by Transport Canada (TC) under the current Hull Inspection Regulations or Vessel Certificates Regulations. Consequently, these tugs are not issued any voyage limitations, nor are they provided guidance with respect to manning levels in the form of a minimum safe manning document.8 TC Marine Safety inspectors have the authority to conduct random monitoring inspections to verify compliance with the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (CSA 2001).
There are no records to indicate whether the Syringa had ever been subject to a random monitoring inspection by TC. There are approximately 821 steel-hulled tugs less than 15 GT registered in British Columbia. These tugs are not part of a structured inspection cycle, though TC has inspected a few of them following reported occurrences/incidents.
In comparison, there are approximately 228 tugs greater than 15 GT registered in British Columbia. These tugs are required to be inspected prior to being certificated and then again periodically by TC under the current Hull Inspection Regulations or Vessel Certificates Regulations. As part of the inspection process, tugs in this class are issued voyage limitations and/or limitations with respect to the weather conditions and/or type of activity (e.g., towing) for which the vessel is used. Tugs greater than 15 GT are also provided guidance regarding manning levels in the form of a minimum safe manning document. The minimum safe manning document specifies the number of crew required to safely operate a vessel, as well as their qualifications.
Tug inspection requirements in the United States and the United Kingdom
The United States is in the process of making changes to their regulatory regime for towing vessels. In 2011, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) was published that includes the following amendments:
- add towing vessels as a class of inspected vessels ( ≥ 26 feet);
- establish a requirement for safety management systems on towing vessels;
- prescribe intervals for drydock and internal structural examination;
- prescribe maximum hours of service for individuals on towing vessels;
- prescribe qualifications for third-party auditors and related procedures; and
- prescribe procedures for vessel compliance and obtaining a certificate of inspection.
Further details may be found by reading the report
Source: Canada TSB
Also read a safety guide issued by the Shipowners P&I Club in response to the increasing numbers of claims and incidents from towage operations
