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Maritime Accident Archive

A comprehensive database spanning nearly 100 years of maritime incidents — compiled to reveal patterns, prevent future accidents, and save lives.

Why This Database Exists

Many of these incidents involve loss of control, capsizing, or girting. The CARROUSEL RAVE TUG was engineered to improve vessel control and cannot capsize under transverse towline load.

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About this Database

About this database

"Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others."

— Otto von Bismarck

One of the reasons NovaTug created the CARROUSEL RAVE TUG is for crew safety and accident prevention. Too often, accidents are viewed as a single occurrence instead of part of a bigger pattern.

This searchable list covers nearly 100 years of incidents involving tugboats, container ships, tankers and other vessels. Many incidents start with loss of control — girting, girding, tripping, downstreaming, or hydrodynamic interaction. In 10-15 seconds a tug can capsize or sink.

NovaTug curates this list. We...

  1. Add/Edit accident information
  2. Add accidents involving loss of control of large vessels
  3. Respond to your input...

Contact us to...

  1. Add/Edit accident information
  2. Discuss accident patterns
  3. Obtain data in machine-readable format

Email: info@novatug.nl

Citation Format

APA: Provoost, R., Rodenburg, R., & Mante, E. (2021). Tugboat and maritime vessel accidents list. https://novatug.nl/accidents/.

MLA: Provoost, Robbert et al. "Tugboat and maritime vessel accidents list." https://novatug.nl/accidents/. (2021).

Continue the investigation

From records to context

Search individual incidents here, then use the related tools to examine wider patterns or the maritime context around a record.

Worked example

Two groundings, one port-control question

Compare the CSCL Indian Ocean and CSCL Jupiter groundings and examine what they show about controlling very large vessels in confined waterways.