Failure to ensure watertight integrity during the vessel’s winter maintenance period
NTSB has published marine accident brief report on ‘ Spirit of Adventure’ ,a 99-gross ton catamaran small passenger vessel, flooded and partially sank while alongside its pier in Seward Boat Harbor, Alaska, before dawn on December 6, 2014.
The vessel was out of service for the winter, and no one was on board. No injuries or pollution occurred as a result of the sinking. Damage to the vessel and its pier was estimated at $2 million, and the vessel was declared a constructive total loss by its insurer. The Spirit of Adventure was one of eight vessels operated by Major Marine Tours on sightseeing tours from Seward to Kenai Fjords National Park and Prince William Sound, Alaska
Shortly after dawn on December 6, 2014, about 1000, the captain of another vessel in the harbor observed the Spirit of Adventure partially sunk at its pier with its bow projecting from the water at a high angle of trim. The captain reported his observation to an employee at the marina harbor masters office, who then notified Major Marine Tours. By about 1030, staff from the operator and a local salvage company responded to the reported sinking to stabilize the situation, check for indications of water pollution, and begin salvaging the vessel.
According to the responding staff from the operator, a bilge high-level alarm was sounding in the wheelhouse when they arrived at the scene; the vessel was not equipped with a bilge alarm system that could be monitored from shore. About 1600, refloating of the vessel began using two inflatable salvage air bags inserted between the hulls. By about 2030, the vessel was at an even keel supported by the air bags. Water was found in the machinery spaces, which were then dewatered using portable pumps.
After the machinery spaces were dewatered, the responders checked the areas to determine the waters point of ingress. They found water flowing from the 3/4-inch-diameter sea water supply line to the port main engine exhaust system piping that had been disconnected along with the removal of the exhaust piping elbows. Additionally, the responders found the 3/4-inch-diameter ball valve at the shaft sealing water connection partially opened and assumedthat this partial opening was the point of ingress of the water flowing from the sea water supply line.
| NTSB determines that the probable cause of the partial sinking of theSpirit of Adventure was the failure to ensure watertight integrity during the vessel’s winter maintenance period, which resulted from the operator’s lack of a formal safety system, including a lock-out/tag-out policy and a vessel winterization procedure. |
Source & Image Credit: NTSB
