The Bourban Dolphin capsizes- five missing...

[hansp77]

and believed to be inside the upturned hull- divers are going to attempt a difficult rescue.:(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/6550077.stm


not nice at all.

http://www.shippingtimes.co.uk/images/bourbondolphin.jpg

[Bruce Hooke]

Scary. I hope they find the missing crew...

[Oyvind Snibsoer]

The ship pictured above is not the Bourbon Dolphin, this one is:

http://nrk.no/contentfile/file/1.2221286!img2221245.jpg
Incidentally, this is the same ship that finally managed to pull the grounded German minesweeper off the reef in February.

Sending in divers to search an upturned wreck for survivors would be dangerous enough in sheltered waters with the wreck secured from any further sinking. Undertaking such an operation in a drifting wreck in the North Sea at night is akin to a suicide mission. Unless they are absolutely certain that there are survivors inside, and they have pinpointed the location of these, divers should not be sent into the wreck IMHO.

[JimD]

How on Earth does such a vessel capsize? :(

[rbgarr]

A new book called 'Trawler' details how vicious the conditions can get between the Shetland and Faroe Islands.

[paladin]

Somewhere on the forum I posted a photo taken from the deck of my 38 footer, in August, from that same general area....it will show what the sea state is like at that location for that time of year. Less than a half mile from me was a German auto ferry travelling in the opposite direction and as we rode the crests and valleys, the ferry would totally disappear from sight and the bridge officer on the ferry told me via radio that they could not see the top of my mast in the troughs.......and it was damned cold and wet.......

[JimD]

The article doesn't mention sea state but does say this:

A statement from rig operators Transocean said: "At 5.20pm today, the Bourbon Dolphin, an anchor handling tug supply vessel owned by Bourbon Offshore, capsized while handling anchor two of the semi-submersible drilling rig Transocean Rather.

I wonder what the anchor she was handling looks like.

[paladin]

for a semisubmersible platform the anchors weigh upwards of 10 tons each plus the long steel cables used to anchor them......and baby it's cold down there.......

[Oyvind Snibsoer]

http://www.offshore-technology.com/contractor_images/maersk/maersk1.jpg
Those anchors are quite substantial. Anchor handling is regarded as one of the most dangerous and demanding offshore activities.

[brian.cunningham]

Best of luck to them :(

The ship looks topheavy, though I realise with the machinery, that it's probably not. At least not until the upper decks are filled with water.

[mister_moon]

and believed to be inside the upturned hull- divers are going to attempt a difficult rescue.:(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/6550077.stm

http://www.heroynytt.no/images/maritimt_nytt/Bourbon_Orca2_070406.jpg


not nice at all.

Maybe this is better for another thread, since the photo above is not the boat in question, but why the unusual shape for the bow on this boat?

And about the accident: could a slewed pull capsize one of these boats, or would a cable snap instead?

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

The bow on the Bourbon Orca is a new design from Ulstein called the Ax-bow; it is more fuel efficient in heavy seas when these boats pitch a lot.

Yes, any tug can capsize if she gets girted by a tow wire.

[Lucky Luke]

Unless they are absolutely certain that there are survivors inside, and they have pinpointed the location of these, divers should not be sent into the wreck IMHO.

Very dangerous: yes. Also a duty. Trouble is that the only way to know for sure is to get wet.
I would have rather written: unless they are absolutely certain that there are NO survivors....
I would have gone (in earlier days....).

Anyway: the boat has not sunk, and is drifting (in rather calm weather) with the semi-submersible rig (which has been de-manned) still attached to her . She was doing anchor handling for this rig).

For those who wonder how such accident can happen: 15,000 hp pulling one way and a 2 to 5 in. wire the other way (accidentally) capsizes such a vessel. It has happened and will happen again, with trawlers also. At the moment, the reasons for the accident are not understood from a new vessel doing normal work in good conditions.

A 15 years old boy is one of the missing :(

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/6551049.stm

Searches by a coastguard helicopter had been stood down until first light but Royal Navy divers continued to search throughout the night.

Rather a lot of people in the Royal Navy feel their service has something to prove at the moment. Those divers are proving it.

[Dave R]

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=45148&in_page_id=34

A 15 year old boy and his father are among the missing.

[Claudia]

This is the latest news I could find. How sad.
http://www.oilpubs.com/oso/article.asp?v1=6236

[hansp77]

The Bourban Dolphin has now sunk.:(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/6558439.stm

Apparantly two of the missing and presumed to be still in the boat are the captain and his 14 yr old son:(
http://www.shippingtimes.co.uk/item451_bourbon_sinks.htm

[Lucky Luke]

Yes, she has gone down, 3,500 deep.....

Eight have been lost:(