Classification
- Incident Type: Capsize unknown mechanism
- Severity: High
- Region: Netherlands
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | En Avant 5 |
| Vessel Type | Tug |
| Flag State | Netherlands [NL] |
| IMO Number | 9192313 |
| MMSI | 246106000 |
| Gross Tonnage | 122 |
| LOA (m) | 21 |
| Breadth (m) | 7 |
| Owner/Operator | T. Muller Rederij BV, Dordrecht |
| Propulsion | Cummins 2 x 510 hp |
| Other tug | En Avant 7 |
| Tow | Two connected pontoons, including 6615-1 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2011-06-03 |
| Location | Oude Maas near Dordrecht |
| Region | Netherlands |
| Coordinates | 51.8144, 4.6692 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | |
| Vessel outcome | En Avant 5 capsized and sank; it was raised on 2011-06-04 |
| Physical damage | Significant wheelhouse damage |
Key facts
- En Avant 5 was assisting En Avant 7 with a tow of two connected pontoons, including the 66 m barge 6615-1.
- En Avant 5 capsized on the Outer Maas near Dordrecht on the evening of 3 June 2011; the available contemporary reports give no cause.
- The four-person crew reached a harbour ferry and was rescued; no fatalities are reported.
- A Mammoet floating crane righted the tug at about 13:30 on 4 June, after which significant wheelhouse damage was observed and Smit Waalhaven 4 assisted with pumping out the hull.
Narrative
On 3 June 2011, En Avant 5 was working with the tug En Avant 7 on a tow of two connected pontoons, including the 66 m barge 6615-1. The contemporary casualty report states that En Avant 5 capsized suddenly on the Outer Maas near Dordrecht during the evening. It describes the cause as unknown. The vessel record likewise records a capsize and sinking on the Oude Maas in Dordrecht but does not establish a mechanism.
The four-person crew reached a harbour ferry and was rescued. The incident temporarily interrupted vessel traffic, while the wreck was monitored. On 4 June at about 13:30, a Mammoet floating crane righted En Avant 5. Significant damage to the wheelhouse was then observed, and Smit Waalhaven 4 assisted with pumping out the hull before the tug was moved from the Nieuwe Haven. Later vessel records show En Avant 5 operating under the name PM 1 after salvage and repair.
No official accident-investigation report or finding that the capsize was caused by girding has been identified. The page therefore records the mechanism as unknown and leaves injuries, pollution, damage valuation, and any formal causal conclusion unresolved.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2011-06-03 | En Avant 5 and En Avant 7 were handling a tow of two connected pontoons, including 6615-1. |
| 2011-06-03 evening | En Avant 5 capsized and sank on the Outer Maas near Dordrecht for an unknown cause. |
| 2011-06-03 | The four-person crew reached a harbour ferry and was rescued; traffic was temporarily interrupted. |
| 2011-06-04 13:30 | A Mammoet floating crane righted En Avant 5; Smit Waalhaven 4 assisted with pumping out the hull. |
Investigation
The available sources identify no official investigation body or final causal finding. The contemporary report describes the capsize as unexplained, while the vessel record confirms the sinking and later salvage history. No public source reviewed for this page establishes girding, injuries, pollution, or a monetary damage estimate.