NTSB Report on Northern Marine Capsize

Discussion in 'Stability' started by ABoatGuy, Aug 10, 2015.

  1. NavalSArtichoke
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    NavalSArtichoke Senior Member

    There is a video taken of the actual launch. You can find one copy here, which has so-so quality:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6TYQZd0HPs

    There were no cranes lifting the vessel as it was backed into the water. There was a wheeled crane which was being used to back the wheeled dollies on which the vessel was cradled into the water.

    The video shows the rear door is closed as the vessel rolls over.

    According to the NTSB report, water came in thru the engine air intakes.
     
  2. Rurudyne
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    Rurudyne Senior Member

    I wonder if the coin-operated throttle I've been joking about (for those with throttle happy relatives burning through your gas like there's no tomorrow) would cross that line?
     
  3. NavalSArtichoke
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    NavalSArtichoke Senior Member

    I won't say anything to the Coast Guard if you don't.
     
  4. AndySGray
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    AndySGray Senior Member

    You could have a very small 'day tank' and when it runs out, sell them a refill - they're not paying passengers;- you're just an onboard gas station ;)
     
  5. Rurudyne
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    Rurudyne Senior Member

    Heh, in a round about way that reminds me of stories about JP Morgan inviting guests on his boat and not letting them off until they agreed to sell him their businesses.

    "What, you want to go BACK to shore? ... Restroom? Sure! It takes quarters...." :p
     
  6. Petros
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    Petros Senior Member

    so what caused it was that a single employee had mis-recorded the weight on one of the scales, which resulted in an 8000 lb weight imbalance.

    One would think as the build progressed they would make several records of each of the scales (load cells), and if that large of a difference suddenly appeared, someone should have investigated. But it appears that there was a constant change in personnel, including key people, during the build, which added to the problems. The guy that made the error did not even work for them when the launch was made. It would seem to me for something this critical it should be double checked, or have a supervisor or someone verify the recordings before it goes in the log book.

    Usually when there is a lot of change over of personnel, particularly key people, it is a bad sign. It means there is something wrong in the company and at least some of the employees know it.

    Adding to this was the careless way that "movable ballast" was handled, carelessly loaded and not even secured. It added to the imbalance, and once it listed all of it slide over to the port side, making the capsize inevitable once it floated.

    This could have been avoided if they were more careful with their weight and balance. I hope everyone in this kind of business reads this report so they know how critical it is that this information is accurate.

    I bet that navel architect that was contracted to do the weight and balance was sweating this one out. But it was the build crew that gave him bad information, and than mishandled the loading of the boat for launch.
     
  7. Squidly-Diddly
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    Squidly-Diddly Senior Member

    Dang, I'd have thought ANY boat except totally homemade/home-designed boats built in the USA in the last 100+ years would be plenty stable regardless, and certainly vary stable in calm waters...and able to handle a very healthy amount of plain old bad seamanship and bad judgement.

    For a floating condo like that you think it would be able handle 100+ fat drunken guests rushing to one side in perfect safety without any crew action, guaranteed.

    Any info on who was buying this boat?
     

  8. NavalSArtichoke
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    NavalSArtichoke Senior Member

    The Baaden may have been perfectly stable once it got into the water, but I think the manner in which it was launched is what precipitated this casualty.

    Using dollies equipped with pneumatic tires is asking for trouble, especially with their narrow track width. Mobile cranes never operate while supported on tires; they deploy outriggers which lift all the weight of the crane off the tires, in order to provide a firm footing while the crane is operating. Tires are used strictly for getting the crane from point A to point B.

    It seems the vessel had a very pronounced transverse offset in the c.g., which, coupled with unsecured weights on board that shifted, increased the heel of the boat once it became waterborne.

    As to the question of the owner for whom this vessel was being built, I found this article, which was published about a month ago:

    http://www.businessrecord.com/Conte...M-man-s-10-million-yacht-sinks/191/1013/69401

    Earlier in this thread, someone asked why the builder quickly went out of business after the accident. I think this article, and the suit which was filed over the loss, gives a few clues.
     
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