Click for Mag Bay Click for Walker Click for Mulder Click for Furuno Click for Nordhavn

Yacht Delivery Ship Topples Over

Discussion in 'Yacht Transport Ships' started by Fishtigua, Jun 8, 2020.

  1. Fishtigua

    Fishtigua Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2007
    Messages:
    2,937
    Location:
    Guernsey/Antigua
    The SuperServant delivery ship has toppled over in Palma de Mallorca.

    More news as it comes out.

  2. Ken Bracewell

    Ken Bracewell Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2006
    Messages:
    1,721
    Location:
    Somewhere Sunny
    Another angle. A captain on another forum said it was an electrical failure with the ballast pumps.

    Attached Files:

  3. Fishtigua

    Fishtigua Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2007
    Messages:
    2,937
    Location:
    Guernsey/Antigua
    The yachts were loaded in FLD.

    [​IMG]
  4. Ken Bracewell

    Ken Bracewell Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2006
    Messages:
    1,721
    Location:
    Somewhere Sunny
    Yeah, I have a couple of friends aboard. No injuries.
  5. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 29, 2008
    Messages:
    8,118
    Location:
    Miami, FL
    Has to be a ballast issue but surprised they don’t have shut off valves in case one the pumps has an issue.
  6. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    Messages:
    7,132
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    FLD as in Fond Du Lac?
  7. Fishtigua

    Fishtigua Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2007
    Messages:
    2,937
    Location:
    Guernsey/Antigua
    Fort Lauderdale.
  8. DOCKMASTER

    DOCKMASTER Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2012
    Messages:
    1,396
    Location:
    Ketchikan, Alaska
    The valves have manual override. But depends on when it happens and how quick the crew is to get there. The stability of a ship like this when it is ballasting down is just like a drydock. Stability is directly related to the width of the waterplane. Once the deck goes underwater the GM drops significantly as the width of the waterplane is greatly reduced. If the ballast is not correct for the load and the ship lists, you get what is called the multiplication effect of all the liquid loads shifting to one side. The most critical phase of stability is when the deck goes awash but the loads are all still 100% on the ship due to blocking heights of the yachts.
  9. d_meister

    d_meister Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2010
    Messages:
    468
    Location:
    La Conner, WA.
    I took the tour of engineering spaces on Super Servant 3 on a voyage from Nanaimo to Lauderdale. I was surprised to learn that the ballast spaces are evacuated with compressed air. There was a bank of 4-6 very large engines lined up in the forward house section that I took to be generators, but learned they were compressors. Didn't get a spec or close look, but the engines were on the order of 12-71's, or larger. There are motor driven valves for both the lower ballast discharge and upper vent valves for each ballast tank that are remotely operated from a ballast and trim control console.
    Just like in our favorite WW II submarine movies' they close the vent valves and "Blow the Ballast tanks" out the bottom
    There was a plaque on the ship that stated that it was built to submarine vessel standards in 1972 in Japan. That plaque was welded on to the bulkhead in a tunnel-like corridor that ran most of the length of the ship on the keel back to the two main engine rooms.
    While underway, they removed a hatch on one of the tanks and sent a crew inside for maintenance. No idea what they did, in there.
    Although this incident involves a different vessel, the configuration may be similar.
  10. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2002
    Messages:
    20,353
    Location:
    South Florida
  11. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2005
    Messages:
    14,432
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    Supposedly, they lost power when sinking the ship and couldn't get to or reach the manual valves to close them, causing the one side to fill with ballast water and now the entire cargo has shifted. They have tugs pushing it and are afraid it will roll over without the tugs.
  12. DOCKMASTER

    DOCKMASTER Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2012
    Messages:
    1,396
    Location:
    Ketchikan, Alaska
    Hard to imagine tugs have enough force to keep it upright if it really wants to go all the way over. But I guess if it is just at zero GM or a little negative it is theoretically possible.
  13. maldwin

    maldwin Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2009
    Messages:
    332
    Location:
    Dark Harbor Me/ Hobe Sound Fl
    How much damage to the boats being shipped?
  14. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2005
    Messages:
    14,432
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    Quite a bit, the yachts are all leaning on top of each other. It's too early to know and the ship isn't stabilized yet as far as anyone knows. It's quite possible that it could roll over, yachts and all.
  15. rtrafford

    rtrafford Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2019
    Messages:
    1,579
    Location:
    Vero Beach
    I mean, call me crazy, but start adding water to the high side, even if by hose from the surface?
  16. d_meister

    d_meister Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2010
    Messages:
    468
    Location:
    La Conner, WA.
    It could be ugly. At that stage of operations, all of the sea lashings have been removed, and the hull stands are still welded to the deck. Yachts shifting and floating around could hit sharp corners or edges of the stands, not to mention the boat to boat topside contact.
  17. DOCKMASTER

    DOCKMASTER Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2012
    Messages:
    1,396
    Location:
    Ketchikan, Alaska

    Unfortunately, not that simple. First of all, just getting to the tanks can be an issue. The tank lids are likely underwater or not safely accessed. Recovering this vessel safely requires a highly experienced salvage team which will include many stability scenarios and modeling by qualified Naval Architects. Otherwise you run the risk of completeley sinking the ship and having a much larger disaster.
  18. Ken Bracewell

    Ken Bracewell Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2006
    Messages:
    1,721
    Location:
    Somewhere Sunny
    I have a friend who is captain on one of the boats. He figured his damage wasn't terrible, and said there was only one boat that looked to be damaged more than his.
  19. C4ENG

    C4ENG Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 19, 2006
    Messages:
    581
    Location:
    Ft Lauderdale
    Does this mean they got the Servant ship back under control? Leveled back out properly?
  20. Ken Bracewell

    Ken Bracewell Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2006
    Messages:
    1,721
    Location:
    Somewhere Sunny
    I don't know. I spoke to him just after it happened yesterday.