What Happened
What Happened
On March 26, 2023, about 0500 local time, the towing vessel Uncle Blue was towing one empty barge on the Lower Mississippi River in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, when the vessel began flooding. The six crewmembers aboard attempted to pump out the vessel but were unsuccessful, and they evacuated to the barge. A Good Samaritan vessel pushed the towboat and barge to the right descending bank, where the Uncle Blue partially sank. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. Damage to the vessel was estimated at $500,000.
What We Found
What We Found
We determined that the probable cause of the flooding and partial sinking of the towing vessel Uncle Blue was a lack of watertight integrity due to the poor condition of the hull, which allowed water to ingress through wastage holes into the lazarette. Contributing to the sinking were unsealed penetrations in transverse bulkheads, which allowed for progressive flooding forward into the engine room, and the lack of a high-water bilge sensor in the lazarette, which prevented early detection of flooding into the space.
What We Recommended
Inspecting and Repairing Steel Hulls
Steel hulls are susceptible to corrosion, erosion, and damage over time. To avoid flooding or weakening of the hull, it is good marine practice for owners to conduct regular oversight and maintenance of hulls, including between drydock periods. An effective maintenance and hull inspection program should proactively address potential steel wastage, identify hull and watertight integrity deficiencies, and ensure corrosion issues are repaired in a timely manner by permanent means.
Using Doubler Plates for Hull Repairs
Although doubler plating can be used as a temporary repair solution, it is not generally suitable as a permanent repair for a vessel’s hull. Vessel owners should crop out wasted steel on the hull and replace it by inserting new plating instead of covering it up with doubler plating.
