Classification
- Incident Type: Capsize girding
- Severity: High
- Region: Canada
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Seaspan Rustler |
| Vessel Type | Tug |
| Flag State | Canada [CA] |
| IMO Number | |
| Official Number | 327104 |
| Gross Tonnage | 39.96 |
| LOA (m) | 13.14 |
| Breadth (m) | 5.03 |
| Year Built | 1967 |
Nauticapedia identifies Seaspan Rustler as the vessel later named Jervis Titan and supplies the particulars above. Vessel record.
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 1991-06-20 |
| Location | Fraser River, British Columbia |
| Region | Canada |
| Fatalities | |
| Injuries | |
| Missing |
Key facts
- Seaspan Rustler capsized on 20 June 1991, under occurrence M91W1035. TSB M18P0230, Appendix B, p. 34
- The tug was attempting to regain control of its tow in the Fraser River. TSB M18P0230, Appendix B, p. 34
- The TSB issued Recommendation M93-15 following the accident. TSB M18P0230, Appendix B, p. 34
Narrative
On 20 June 1991, Seaspan Rustler was attempting to regain control of its tow in the Fraser River, British Columbia. The tug girded and capsized. The TSB identifies the accident as occurrence M91W1035 and states that Recommendation M93-15 followed the investigation. TSB M18P0230, Appendix B, p. 34
In its later review of the accident, the TSB records that awareness of girding hazards was inadequate. Recommendation M93-15 called for Transport Canada to promote awareness across the Canadian towing industry, particularly concerning short towlines and tight turns. Canadian Coast Guard consultations in April 1994 led to an industry proposal for regular safety bulletins; Transport Canada issued Ship Safety Bulletin 13/94 on girding in October 1994. The TSB subsequently assessed the response as fully satisfactory. These were safety actions following Seaspan Rustler’s accident, rather than findings about the later George H. Ledcor casualty. TSB M18P0230, section 1.18, pp. 23–24
The historical account does not give the immediate casualty sequence, emergency response, casualty counts, damage or final vessel condition. Those outcomes remain unknown.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 1991-06-20 | Seaspan Rustler girded and capsized while attempting to regain control of its tow in the Fraser River. TSB M18P0230, Appendix B, p. 34 |
| April 1994 | Canadian Coast Guard industry consultations discussed the TSB recommendation and proposed regular girding bulletins. TSB, section 1.18 |
| October 1994 | Transport Canada issued Ship Safety Bulletin 13/94 on girding. TSB, section 1.18 |
Investigation
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigated the accident under M91W1035, cited in section 1.18 and Appendix B of M18P0230. The earlier standalone report was not recovered in the TSB or Canadian government publication searches. The later report documents the associated awareness deficiency and recommendation, but does not reproduce the complete 1991 findings. TSB M18P0230, Appendix B, p. 34
References
- TSB M18P0230, Appendix B: previous occurrences
- Government of Canada archived M18P0230 report PDF
- Nauticapedia vessel record for Jervis Titan
Related
- Canada
- TSB
- Girding
- Seaspan Rustler
- Capsize Girding
- Tug Incident Classification