AMOCO CADIZ tanker

[aukepalmhof]

Built as a tanker under yard No 95 by Astilleros Espanoles S.A. at Cadiz, Spain for Amoco Transport Co.
24 November 1973 launched as the AMOCO CADIZ.
Tonnage 109,700 grt, 91,989 nrt, 233,690 dwt. dim. 334,02 x 51.06 x 26,19m., length bpp. 313,01m.
Powered by one B&W 8-cyl. diesel engine, 30,400 bhp., one shaft speed 15 knots.
May 1975 completed with homeport Monrovia, Liberia.

07 February 1978 she sailed from Kharg Island, Persian Gulf to Rotterdam with on board 219,797 tons of crude oil belonging to the Royal Dutch Shell Group with a call at Lyme Bay, U.K. for lightening. She was steaming via Cape of Good Hope to her destination, passing Table Bay on 23 February.
Made a call on 11 March at Las Palmas for stores and bunkers.
She did have a uneventful voyage till she was in a position about 8 miles north off Ushant, France when she lost all control of her steering gear on 16 March 1978 at 09.46 during stormy weather
The crew did try to repair the steering gear but it was not possible.
The captain according the rapport did not immediately ask for assistance even that he did know that the vessel was very near to the coast and drifting towards it. At 11.00 the AMOCO CADIZ had drifted about a half mile in south easterly direction. Then at least Captain Badari did ask for tug assistance.
The PACIFIC a West German tug was in a position 15 eastward of the AMOCO CADIZ and turned around and sending a message to the tanker offering assistance on the terms of “Lloyds Open Form”.
At 14.25 a towline was connected between the PACIFIC and the AMOCO CADIZ and the Pacific started towing full speed to get the bow of the tanker in the wind, at 17.19 in appealing weather the towline parted, and again the AMOCO CADIZ drifted to the coast.
When the towline was connected again at 20.04 the AMOCO CADIZ was 1.3 miles west of Roche de Postal, but the PACIFIC did not have sufficient power to pull the fully loaded tanker from the coast into deeper water. The only thing she could do was to slow down the drift to the coast of the tanker, but she had to wait for assistance of the tug SIMSON.
21.04 The AMOCO CADIZ struck the ground heavily, which caused bottom damage that resulted in a considerable leakage of her crude oil.
30 Minutes later the ship came to a standstill on the rocks of Portsall and was lost, the SIMSON delayed by the bad weather arrived 1½ later.
The AMOCO CADEZ grounded in position 48 36 12N and 04 4554W on Men Goulven Rocks about 15.2 miles from Ushant Stiff Light.
42 of a crew of 44 were safely airlifted by helicopter from the wreck. The Captain and one other man stayed behind till the next morning 05.00 when it was not more possible to stay longer and they were also airlifted from the wreck.
17 March at 10.00 the wreck broke in two parts releasing its entire cargo of crude oil, which caused a large pollution which covered a large parts of the Brittany coast.
28 March the wreck broke in three after being pounded by heavy seas, then the French Navy dropped by helicopters depth charges in an attempt to release the remaining oil in the ship, and on 31 March a other load of dept charges were dropped to smash the AMOCO CADIZ to pieces.
January 1988 a US Federal judge in Chicago where the owners were based ruled that the owners were liable for the damages of the wreck and ordered to pay by the owners US$85 million in damages.
All the claims lodged by many French interests were altogether US$660 million.

Malagasy 1998 1350fmg sg?, scott1385h

Source: Lloyds Register. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amoco_Cadiz Modern Shipping Disasters 1963 – 1987 by Norman Hooke.

[tugdoc]

It may be of interest to note that it was this casualty that caused the French Government to station government-financed salvage tugs along the Atlantic coast of France. For this purpose two of the world's biggest tugs were acquired from Swedish operator Broström (parent company of Neptun Salvage) which entered service as Abeile Languedoc and Abeille Flandre.