Classification
- Incident Type: Capsize unknown mechanism
- Severity: High
- Investigation Body: JTSB
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Meiyu No. 18 |
| Vessel Names | Meiyu No. 18 / SK-106 |
| Vessel Type | Tug |
| Flag State | Japan [JP] |
| Gross Tonnage | 19 |
| LOA (m) | 16.0 |
| Breadth (m) | 5.4 |
| Power (kW) | 1250 |
| Crew and persons aboard | Master, two deckhands and one training instructor |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2015-03-27 |
| Location | Off Obana Misaki, Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan |
| Coordinates | 41.7100, 140.7167 |
| Region | Japan |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Missing | 1 |
| Vessels Lost | 1 |
| Direct Damage | Meiyu No. 18 became a total loss. |
| Outcome | Meiyu No. 18 capsized and became a total loss; two people died, one deckhand remained missing, and another deckhand was injured. |
Key facts
- Meiyu No. 18 capsized at about 14:26 while towing SK-106 south to south-southwest off Obana Misaki.
- The JTSB report records two deaths, one missing deckhand and one injured deckhand among the four people aboard the tug.
- The tug was 19 gross tons, 16.00 m long, 5.40 m in breadth and fitted with two diesel engines producing 1,250 kW in total.
- The report assessed that the tug may have become side-on under combined wave action, towline tension associated with the barge’s yawing and wind pressure.
- Meiyu No. 18 was later treated as a total loss.
Narrative
On 27 March 2015, Meiyu No. 18 departed Hakodate while towing the barge SK-106 toward Ishinomaki. The tug had a master, two deckhands and a training instructor aboard. It formed a tow approximately 300 m long using about 200 m of towing rope and carried 11 hull blocks weighing about 140 tonnes on the barge.
The JTSB report states that a strong-wind warning was in force for the Tsugaru Strait and strong-wind and wave advisories were in force for Hakodate. The tug and barge proceeded south to south-southwest off Obana Misaki. At about 14:26, the tug capsized. The report records that the master and training instructor died, one deckhand remained missing and another deckhand was injured. The tug’s hull was damaged beyond economical repair and became a total loss.
The investigation assessed the capsize as a probable mechanism rather than a definitive girding classification. It concluded that the tug may have been pulled broadside as waves, wind pressure and towline tension acted on the tug while the barge yawed. The resulting port list exceeded the angle at which maximum righting force occurred. As the port bulwark entered the water, its resistance reduced the tug’s ability to recover, and continuing waves led to the capsize.
The report also considered the decision to depart in the prevailing weather. The operator had orally instructed that a 19-ton class tug should not depart above stated wind and wave thresholds, but the JTSB assessed that communication of the criteria and the crew’s understanding of them may have contributed to the occurrence. The report does not provide a confirmed IMO number, bollard-pull figure or normalized economic-loss amount.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2015-03-27 morning | Meiyu No. 18 loaded 11 hull blocks, weighing about 140 tonnes, onto SK-106 at Hakodate. |
| 2015-03-27 about 12:30 local | The operator received notice that the tug had departed Hakodate. |
| 2015-03-27 after departure | The tug paid out about 200 m of towing rope, formed an approximately 300 m tow and began proceeding southward. |
| 2015-03-27 14:26 local | Meiyu No. 18 capsized off Obana Misaki while towing SK-106. |
| 2015-03-27 15:15 local | The Japan Coast Guard began a search-and-rescue operation after the capsized tug and drifting barge were reported. |
| 2015-03-27 15:21 local | The Japan Coast Guard located the capsized tug and drifting barge east of Sumiyoshi Fishing Port. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Strong wind and waves | Reported | The JTSB report states that strong-wind and wave warnings or advisories were in force when the tow departed. |
| Side-on towing load | Reported | The report assessed that wave action, wind pressure and towline tension associated with the barge’s yawing may have pulled the tug broadside. |
| Reduced righting ability | Reported | The port list exceeded the angle of maximum righting force, and immersion of the bulwark increased resistance to recovery. |
| Departure-criteria communication | Suspected | The JTSB assessed that insufficient communication of the operator’s departure criteria and crew recognition of them may have contributed. |
Investigation
The Japan Transport Safety Board investigated the casualty and published Marine Accident Investigation Report MA2016-7-2 on 30 June 2016. The report concluded that the tug probably capsized after becoming side-on under combined wave, wind and towline loading while towing SK-106. It treated the mechanism as probabilistic and did not establish a definitive girding event.
References
- Japan Transport Safety Board Marine Accident Investigation Report MA2016-7-2
- Public copy of JTSB report MA2016-7-2
Related
- Japan
- Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB)
- Capsize Unknown Mechanism
- Tug Incident Classification
- Meiyu No. 18