Classification
- Incident Type: Capsize unknown mechanism
- Severity: High
- Evidence status: The capsize and casualty outcome are documented, but no public official final causal finding was located.
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Burcht |
| Other Vessel | MSC Noa |
| Vessel Type | Tug |
| Flag State | Belgium [BE] |
| IMO Number | 8602995 |
| Gross Tonnage | 322 |
| LOA (m) | 33.13 |
| Breadth (m) | 9.64 |
| Bollard Pull (t) | 40.0 |
| Power (kW) | |
| Owner/Operator | Unie van Redding- en Sleepdienst (URS) |
| TEU | |
| Year Built | 1987 |
| Crew Size | 4 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2003-08-01 |
| Location | Westerschelde near the Berendrecht/Zandvliet lock approach, Antwerp, Belgium |
| Coordinates | 51.2211, 4.3997 |
| Region | Belgium |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | 0 after recovery of the trapped crew member |
| Cargo Loss | |
| Direct Damage | Port propeller damage was reported; the tug was later declared a total loss and scrapped. |
| Economic Damage | |
| Insured Loss | |
| Salvage/Cleanup Cost |
Key facts
- On 1 August 2003, Burcht was making fast to or assisting the container ship MSC Noa near the Berendrecht/Zandvliet lock approach when the tug capsized at approximately 11:35 to 11:40.
- Four people were aboard. Three were rescued and taken for hospital observation; a 44-year-old technician trapped in the engine room died, and his body was recovered during salvage.
- Salvage crews used the barge Cormorant to right and lift the tug. Later records report that Burcht was declared a total loss and sent for scrapping.
- Reports proposed contact with Noa's bow bulb and close-quarters hydrodynamic interaction as possible mechanisms, but neither was established as an official finding.
Narrative
On 1 August 2003, Burcht was operating with the container ship MSC Noa near the Antwerp lock approach on the Westerschelde. Contemporary reports place the capsize at approximately 11:35 to 11:40, but differ between the Berendrechtsluis and Zandvlietsluis approaches. Burcht was making fast to or assisting Noa when the tug overturned.
Three of the four people aboard were rescued by a second tug and taken for hospital observation. A fourth crew member, identified in the public reports as a 44-year-old Antwerp technician, remained trapped in the overturned tug's engine room. Rescue workers heard knocking signals, but the response was overtaken by the tide. The technician's body was found when salvage crews later lifted the tug.
The salvage operation used the barge Cormorant to right and recover Burcht. Reports state that the tug's port propeller had been damaged and that the vessel was later moved to Antwerp, declared a total loss, and sent for scrapping. One report gave an insured value of EUR 3 million, but this is not treated as a confirmed repair or economic-loss estimate.
The cause was not established in the contemporary investigation. A possible impact with Noa's bow bulb was reported, while later tug-operations material described Burcht as an example of the dangers of close-quarters hydrodynamic interaction near a container ship's bow. These remain reported or suspected mechanisms, not a public official causal conclusion. No confirmed pollution quantity, cargo loss, injury count, or final investigation report was located.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2003-08-01 11:35-11:40 | Burcht capsized near the Antwerp lock approach while assisting or making fast to MSC Noa. |
| 2003-08-01 | Three crew members were rescued; one technician remained trapped in the overturned tug. |
| 2003-08-04 | Salvage crews recovered the trapped crew member's body while lifting Burcht. |
| 2003-08-06 | Salvage and righting work was reported as delayed while precautions were taken to limit possible pollution. |
| 2003 onward | Burcht was treated as a total loss and later sent for scrapping. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Close-quarters operation near a container ship's bow | Suspected | Later tug-operations analysis states that Burcht came under the bow and that strong hydrodynamic interaction forces can make a tug unable to escape. No official Burcht finding was located. |
| Possible contact with MSC Noa's bow bulb | Reported | A URS representative cited possible contact with the protruding bow bulb; the report also noted damage to Burcht's port propeller. |
Investigation
A nautical committee began investigating shortly after the casualty and questioned Noa's crew and Burcht's three rescued crew members. Public reports said at the time that the cause remained uncertain. No official final investigation report or public causal determination was located. Later industry material discusses hydrodynamic interaction in connection with Burcht, but does not establish it as the official cause.
References
- Nieuwsblad: Berging Burcht dagje uitgesteld
- ANP/RD via Digibron: Slachtoffer sleepbootongeval gevonden
- Reformatorisch Dagblad: Antwerpse sleepboot omgeslagen
- The Pilot: Safe tug operation
- VLIZ vessel table
- Shipspotting: Burcht