Classification
- Incident Type: Other
- Severity: Medium
- Classification basis: The contemporaneous report establishes a loss of towed equipment and a navigation obstruction, but does not provide a formal casualty classification.
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | RT Leader |
| Vessel Type | Tug |
| Flag State | Malta [MT] |
| IMO Number | 9489962 |
| MMSI | 248187000 |
| Call Sign | 9HA2235 |
| Gross Tonnage | 462 |
| LOA (m) | 31.63 |
| Breadth (m) | 12.00 |
| Bollard Pull (t) | |
| Power (kW) | |
| Owner/Operator | Elisabeth Ltd / Kotug |
| TEU | |
| Year Built | 2011 |
| Crew Size |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2011-12-19 |
| Location | North Sea, approximately 35 km southwest of IJmuiden, Netherlands |
| Coordinates | 52.1500, 4.3500 |
| Region | North Sea |
| Fatalities | |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | |
| Cargo Loss | |
| Direct Damage | One 300-ton crane lost from the towed pontoon; monetary damage was not reported. |
| Economic Damage | |
| Insured Loss | |
| Salvage/Cleanup Cost | |
| Environmental Damage |
Key facts
- RT Leader had departed Amsterdam for Rotterdam with a pontoon carrying three large cranes.
- One crane, reported as approximately 52 m high, 33 m wide, and 300 tonnes, was lost early on 19 December.
- The crane was reported about 35 km southwest of IJmuiden in the southwest traffic route, where the water was 19 m deep.
- The Netherlands Coast Guard warned shipping because the crane was an obstruction.
- RT Leader reached Rotterdam without the lost crane, which still needed to be recovered.
Narrative
On 19 December 2011, RT Leader was travelling from Amsterdam toward Rotterdam with a pontoon carrying three large container cranes. A contemporaneous Rijnmond report, citing the Netherlands Coast Guard, states that one crane was lost early that morning in the North Sea, approximately 35 km southwest of IJmuiden. The crane was described as 52 m high, 33 m wide, and 300 tonnes, and the water at the reported location was 19 m deep.
The lost crane was in the southwest traffic route and was treated as an obstruction. The Coast Guard warned shipping, while RT Leader continued toward Rotterdam and reached the Waalhaven without the crane. The report says the cause of the loss was unknown and that the crane still needed to be recovered. The available public sources do not establish fatalities, injuries, pollution, or a monetary loss estimate.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2011-12-18 | RT Leader departed Amsterdam for Rotterdam with a pontoon carrying three cranes. |
| 2011-12-19, early morning | One crane was lost in the North Sea about 35 km southwest of IJmuiden. |
| 2011-12-19 | The Netherlands Coast Guard warned shipping because the crane was an obstruction in the southwest traffic route. |
| 2011-12-19 | RT Leader reached Rotterdam without the lost crane. |
Investigation
No formal investigation report is cited by the available public sources. The contemporaneous Rijnmond report attributes the navigation warning to the Netherlands Coast Guard and states that the cause of the crane loss was unknown. It does not provide a finding on casualties, pollution, or economic loss.
References
- Rijnmond report on the lost crane
- ITU List V maritime mobile station compilation
- De Binnenvaart vessel particulars for RT Leader