Classification
- Incident Type: Capsize unknown mechanism
- Severity: High
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Antwerpen |
| Vessel Type | Tug |
| Flag State | Belgium [BE] |
| IMO Number | 8111348 |
| Gross Tonnage | 244 |
| LOA (m) | 29.49 |
| Breadth (m) | 9.05 |
| Bollard Pull (t) | 33 |
| Power (kW) | 1640 |
| Owner/Operator | Unie van Redding & Sleepdienst NV, Antwerp |
| TEU | |
| Year Built | 1983 |
| Crew Size |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 1986-07-11 |
| Location | Zandvlietsluis, Antwerp, Belgium |
| Coordinates | 51.3462, 4.2862 |
| Region | Belgium |
| Fatalities | 3 |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | |
| Cargo Loss | |
| Direct Damage | Tug sank and remained out of service until early 1987. |
| Economic Damage | |
| Insured Loss | |
| Salvage/Cleanup Cost |
Key facts
- Antwerpen was working as the rear tug for the 16,883-GRT car carrier Tosca near Zandvlietsluis when it pulled over, capsized, and sank in the night of 10–11 July 1986.
- Three people drowned in the casualty.
- The tug was refloated on 13 July 1986 and did not return to service until early 1987.
- The vessel profile identifies Antwerpen as a 1983-built tug, IMO 8111348, of 244 GT, operated by Unie van Redding & Sleepdienst in Antwerp.
Narrative
According to a later vessel-history profile, Antwerpen was a Belgian shiphandling tug built in 1983 and operated by Unie van Redding & Sleepdienst in Antwerp. During the night of 10–11 July 1986, it was working as the rear tug for the 16,883-GRT car carrier Tosca near the approach to Zandvlietsluis. The profile states that Antwerpen pulled over in front of the lock, capsized and sank, and that three people drowned.
The available account does not describe the towline arrangement, vessel motions, weather, tide, communications, or mechanical and stability circumstances that preceded the capsize. The incident is therefore retained as a capsize with unknown mechanism rather than assigned to girding, towline failure, hydrodynamic interaction, or another causal category.
The same profile records that the tug was refloated on 13 July, two days after the casualty, and did not return to service until early 1987. This establishes a temporary sinking and prolonged outage, but not the extent of structural damage, pollution, or repair cost. The source gives no injury or missing-person total beyond the statement that three people drowned. No official investigation report, coast guard account, port-authority incident record, or court decision for this 1986 casualty has been identified.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 1986-07-11 | During the night of 10–11 July, Antwerpen, the rear tug assisting Tosca, pulled over in front of Zandvlietsluis, capsized, and sank. |
| 1986-07-11 | Three people drowned. |
| 1986-07-13 | Antwerpen was refloated. |
Investigation
No official investigation report or finding for this casualty has been identified. The available incident account is a later historical vessel profile and does not establish the cause of the capsize.
References
- Shipspotting: ANTWERPEN – IMO 8111348, incident and vessel history
- Shipspotting: ANTWERPEN – IMO 8111348, vessel particulars
- Port of Antwerp-Bruges: history of the Port of Antwerp
Related
- Belgium
- Capsize Unknown Mechanism
- Tug Incident Classification
- Antwerpen