NTSB has published an investigation report into an incident where the towing vessel Baylor J. Tregre capsized and sank while towing the barge MARMAC 27 during severe weather in the Gulf of America.
Unattended Helm Leads to Grounding of Towing Vessel on Mississippi River
​WASHINGTON Violent weather caused an overwhelming towline force and unrecoverable heeling that led to the capsizing and sinking of a towing vessel near Galveston, Texas, last year, the National Transportation Safety Board NTSB said MIR2521
Baylor J. Tregre capsized and sank
On May 13, 2024, while towing the barge MARMAC 27 astern on an 800 foot long wire, the towing vessel Baylor J. Tregre​ encountered severe weather, listed to port, capsized and sank.
The four-person crew abandoned
The four-person crew abandoned the vessel into a liferaft and were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. One crewmember sustained minor injuries. There was no pollution reported. Damage to the towing vessel was estimated at $2 million.
Unable to avoid the storm
According to the mate, the wind intensified suddenly as the vessel transited at 4 knots. Unable to avoid the storm, the mate attempted to steer the Baylor J. Tregre so that the tow would be downwind.
The vessel continued to heel and capsize.
However, the force of the wind on the tow rapidly pushed the barge to the south of the Baylor J. Tregre, causing the towline connected to the stern of the tugboat to essentially halt the tugboat’s forward motion and the vessel to begin to heel to port. With the crew unable to change the tug’s heading or release the tow, the vessel continued to heel and capsize.
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The crew had to climb out of the wheelhouse through the starboard door because the port wheelhouse door was almost in the water. The sea state worsened, with 6- to 7-foot seas, and the vessel continued to sink by the stern with a heavy port list. After a wave blew the wheelhouse windows out, the vessel sank.
On May 15, the tow wire connecting the MARMAC 27 to the sunken Baylor J. Tregre was cut, and the MARMAC 27 was towed to Freeport, Texas. During salvage operations, the Baylor J. Tregre was found in an inverted position on the ocean floor. The vessel was successfully raised and transported to a salvage dock in Galveston, Texas.
Grounding of Towing Vessel on Mississippi River
It is noteworthy NTSB had previously monitored Unattended Helm Leads to Grounding of Towing Vessel on Mississippi River who is a pilot of a towing vessel on the Mississippi River left the helm unattended for several minutes, leading to a grounding near Thebes, Illinois,
While the towing vessel City of Louisville was upbound on the Mississippi River pushing 11 barges on July 29, 2023, it ran aground in a charted shallow and rocky area. The grounding caused fractures to the vessel’s bottom plating underneath the engine room, leading to water flooding into the engine room, machinery, and aft accommodation spaces. An estimated 30 gallons of gear oil were released into the river. No injuries were reported. Damage to the vessel was estimated at $2 million
​The pilot was alone on watch in the wheelhouse when the grounding occurred. The pilot told investigators that he had left the helm and went to the port side of the wheelhouse. He estimated he was away for about 5 minutes.Marine Investigation Report 25-19Â
During the time the pilot said he was away from the helm, he missed a course change to starboard along the recommended route. The pilot said that, before he left the helm, he checked the swing meter, fathometer, and the electronic chart system, or ECS, which would have displayed the upcoming change in course. The pilot also did not realize the tow had begun to progress closer to the right descending bank while he was away from the helm. According to investigators, this should have been apparent from his reported position on the port side of the wheelhouse.
Source Press Release NTSB
