Skip to main content

Accidents

Tancred (2000)

During the night of 21 to 22 April 2000, the twin-screw tug Holland approached the car carrier Tancred to make a towline connection. Holland's stern touched Tancred's bow. The tug could not get clear, swung to port across the bow and was overrun by the ship. Holland capsized before coming free, then quickly righted. The ITA/NI working group's April 2013 safety report describes substantial damage to the tug and records no fatalities. ITA/NI, Safe Tug Procedures, p. 3

Classification

  • Incident Type: Hydrodynamic Interaction
  • Severity: High

Vessel Details

FieldValue
Vessel NameTancred
Vessel TypeRo-Ro / Car Carrier
Flag State
IMO Number8605167
Gross Tonnage
LOA (m)190
Other vesselHolland, tug

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date
Occurrence windowNight of 21 to 22 April 2000
Location
Region
Fatalities0
Injuries
Missing
Direct damage
Physical consequenceSubstantial damage to Holland

Key facts

Narrative

During the night of 21 to 22 April 2000, the twin-screw tug Holland approached the car carrier Tancred to make a towline connection. Holland's stern touched Tancred's bow. The tug could not get clear, swung to port across the bow and was overrun by the ship. Holland capsized before coming free, then quickly righted. The ITA/NI working group's April 2013 safety report describes substantial damage to the tug and records no fatalities. ITA/NI, Safe Tug Procedures, p. 3

The report illustrates the casualty in its cover-photo caption. It does not establish the precise location, which calendar day within the overnight window the capsize occurred, injuries, pollution or repair costs. No case-specific finding establishes vessel speed, towline status, machinery performance or the manoeuvre that released Holland.

Sequence of events

Date/timeEvent
Night of 21 to 22 April 2000Holland attempted a towline connection with Tancred. ITA/NI, Safe Tug Procedures, p. 3
During the approachHolland's stern touched the ship's bow; the tug could not get clear and swung to port across it. ITA/NI, Safe Tug Procedures, p. 3
Before releaseHolland was overrun and capsized. ITA/NI, Safe Tug Procedures, p. 3
After coming freeHolland quickly righted. ITA/NI, Safe Tug Procedures, p. 3

Contributing factors

FactorEvidence statusDescription
Contact and inability to clear the bowReportedThe caption records stern-to-bow contact followed by Holland swinging across Tancred's bow. It provides no formal hydrodynamic or handling analysis. ITA/NI, Safe Tug Procedures, p. 3

Investigation

The International Tugmasters Association and Nautical Institute working group's Safe Tug Procedures, dated April 2013, uses this casualty as a safety example. Its NTSB docket hosting does not make it an NTSB investigation of Holland and Tancred. The report provides the short accident sequence on page 3 but no dedicated casualty findings. No dedicated investigation report has been identified.

References

Similar incidents