KALEEN MCALLISTER

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Misjudgement of mate caused tug sinking

The National Transportation Safety Board found that the "Kaleen McAllister" sank off Locust Point after a mate misjudged the location of a collapsed pier, according to a report released on Nov 25, 2014. The mate operating the harbor assist tug first knew something was wrong on the evening of May 4, 2013, when he felt a rumble under the hull as he pulled away from the boat's berth at Pier 1. The sunken pier — which collapsed in the late 1990s, leaving its pilings behind — was a known and charted hazard, but one the mate mistakenly thought he had cleared. He called the master to the wheelhouse and then went to the engine room with the deckhand, where they discovered rapid flooding. By the time the master had maneuvered the tug back to the pier, the flooding was outpacing pumping and the tug began to list. Emergency personnel, including the Coast Guard and Baltimore Fire Department, responded with more pumps. As the vessel continued to sink deeper and list, it became clear the pumping would fail. The crew then worked to cover the diesel fuel tank vents with plastic and tape to minimize oil pollution. Those efforts were hampered as the tug rapidly took on water, creating an electrocution risk. About 40 minutes after the first sign of trouble, the tug had sunk and an oil sheen was observed. An oil spill response team arrived and placed booms around the boat, which was entirely submerged but for the top of its wheelhouse. A total of 2,400 gallons of diesel fuel leaked into the harbor. The tug remained submerged for three weeks before being refloated on May 25, 2013. Divers found a 3-foot-by-1-inch hole in the tug's hull plating. The master, mate and deckhand were all tested negative for drugs and alcohol following the sinking. The NTSB did not include any recommendations with its brief. The tug remains in the company's repair yard in New York. The company estimated damages at $1.5 million When the mate first felt the rumble, the report says, Environmental groups recently called for a broad review of tug and barge transport of crude oil through Baltimore's waters — expressing concerns about leaks hurting the Chesapeake Bay's sensitive ecosystem — but declined to comment on the Kaleen's release of diesel fuel.

Tug sank in Locust Pt

The "Kaleen McAllister" sank off Pier 3 in Locust Point, Baltimore, on in the evening of May 4, 2013, short before 10 p.m. No one was injured in the incident. Everyone had left the tug, one of three Macallister has operating in the port, by the time it sank. The tug had struck a submerged object, leaving it damaged and taking on water. The Coast Guard got a report that they were taking on water sometime before midnight. Nearby tugs, including the "Robert E. McAllister" and Dann Marine Towing's "Treasure Coast" and "Sun Coast", tried to assist the vessel but were unsuccessful. Efforts to pump water out of the tug faster than it was coming in failed. The vessel began to sink about 7:30 p.m. and was submerged before 10 p.m. The ship had 22,900 gallons of fuel and 710 gallons of oil on board. There was a report of a small leak of diesel fuel and lube oil after the tug sank,. The sinking site was boomed off to prevent any further spread of the leaking oil. McAllister notified the environmental cleanup firm Miller Environmental Group. McAllister plans to raise the tug, perhaps by using inflated air bags, and take it to a shipyard for repairs.