Classification
- Incident Type: Hydrodynamic Interaction
- Severity: High
- Region: North Sea
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | Tancred |
| Vessel Type | Ro-Ro / Car Carrier |
| Flag State | Norway [NO] |
| IMO Number | 8605167 |
| Gross Tonnage | 48676 |
| LOA (m) | 190 |
| Other vessel | Holland, tug |
| Holland particulars | Twin screw; 29.00 x 8.60 x 4.00 m; 33 tons bollard pull; built 1992 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 2000-04-21 |
| Location | |
| Region | North Sea |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | |
| Physical consequence | Holland capsized, righted after coming free, and suffered substantial damage |
Key facts
- Holland was a twin-screw tug measuring 29.00 x 8.60 x 4.00 m, with 33 tons bollard pull, built in 1992.
- The tug was attempting to make a towline connection with the car carrier Tancred.
- Holland's stern touched Tancred's bow, the tug swung to port across the bow, and Tancred overran it.
- Holland capsized, quickly righted after coming free, and suffered substantial damage; the report records no fatalities.
Narrative
The Report on Safe Tug Procedures describes a casualty involving the tug Holland and the car carrier Tancred during the night of 21-22 April 2000. Holland was attempting to make a towline connection when its stern touched Tancred's bow. The tug did not get clear, swung to port across the bow, and was overrun by the ship. Holland capsized during the interaction and quickly righted after coming free. The report states that the tug suffered a lot of damage and that there were no fatalities.
The report presents the case in a broader safety study based on questionnaires from pilots, tug masters, and ship captains. It documents the manoeuvring sequence and outcome but does not provide the precise location, injury outcome, pollution assessment, damage valuation, or a dedicated case-specific causal analysis. The fuller event record is maintained on the related Holland / Tancred page.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|
| Night of 2000-04-21 to 2000-04-22 | Holland attempted to make a towline connection with Tancred. |
| During the manoeuvre | Holland's stern touched Tancred's bow; the tug did not get free and swung to port across the bow. |
| During the manoeuvre | Tancred overran Holland, which capsized. |
| Later in the manoeuvre | Holland came free, quickly righted, and suffered substantial damage. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|
| Hydrodynamic interaction at the bow | Reported | The report describes Holland being unable to clear Tancred's bow after contact, swinging across it, and being overrun. It does not provide a case-specific assessment of speed, communication, or handling. |
Investigation
No dedicated casualty investigation body or investigation report has been identified. The Report on Safe Tug Procedures, dated April 2013 and prepared by an International Tugmasters Association and Nautical Institute working group, records the casualty as a tug-safety example rather than issuing a formal case-specific causal conclusion.
References
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