Tugboat - Shipwreck Log

On the morning of December 7, a fire broke out on the 85 foot long, 200 gt tugboat Lucinda Smith (IMO:8333166) moored on the Acushnet River in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Local fire fighters found the tug engulfed in flames with the engine room, staterooms and pilot house ablaze. Multiple fire fighting teams were able to extinguish the blaze with no injuries to the crew of the Lucinda Smith or fire fighters. Damage was extensive with multiple compartments completely gutted by the fire. Authorities placed booms around the tug to contain any pollution released.

The fire is under investigation by the New Bedford Fire Department. Reports state the Coast Guard and other authorities were notified of the incident. No reports if other authorities will conduct an investigation into the incident.

The Mighty Quinn / Arctic Dawn

November 21, 2024 Paul Hancock

On the morning of November 18, there was a report that the 240 foot long, 2338 gt barge Mighty Quinn ran aground on a sandbar on the Thames River near Gales Ferry, Connecticut. Reports stated there were no injuries and no pollution released, but there was a mistake. The vessel stranded was not the barge but the 35 meter long, 485 gt tugboat Arctic Dawn (IMO: 7404047). The Arctic Dawn had been pushing the empty barge Mighty Quinn from Ledyard when it struck the sandbar. The tugboat remained stuck for several hours until it could be freed. No reports of damage on the Arctic Dawn.

No further details were reported.

Maristela 2

November 3, 2024 Paul Hancock

On the morning of October 27, the tugboat Maristela 2 sank on the Iloilo River while berthed along Muelle Loney in Iloilo City, Philippines. The master was the sole person onboard the tug having his morning coffee when he felt the tugboat tilting over. He quickly disembarked onto the quay before the tugboat sank. Authorities were alerted and found an an oil sheen extending up to 250 meters around the site. The Philippine Coast Guard deployed an oil boom to contain the oil pollution while the tug owners, International Builders Corporation (IBC) of Iloilo brought a crane to the scene. The crane was able to recover the vessel on the early morning of October 28. No reports of injuries.

The Philippine Coast Guard released an initial report on the incident. They state the owners and the master of the tugboat may be held liable for the incident. The report states the Maristela 2 had been improperly moored. The mooring lines were set to tight which caused the tugboat to tilt on the ebb tide. The tugboat lost stability allowing water ingress resulting in its sinking. At the time of the incident, the Maristela 2 had some 200 litres of diesel fuel on board.