On January 6, 2001 at about 1225 the 113-meter, 8,915 deadweight-ton chemical tanker, ARAL suffered a main engine turbocharger failure and went adrift approximately one mile west of Lime Kiln Point, San Juan Island, Washington. The turbocharger exploded, throwing parts around the engine room and breaking the engine control room window. The ship’s engineers escaped injury.

The ARAL was bound for Vancouver, British Columbia, in-ballast with a pilot on board. The ship was to load a cargo of tallow. The weather was clear with good visibility. The winds were out of the north-northeast at 10 to 15 knots, and the predicted current was flooding (flowing north-northwest) at 0.6 knots.

At 1225, the turbocharger rotor and compressor blades, rotating at high speed, fractured violently, sending pieces of metal through its casing and into the engine room. Two engineers located in the engine room and two in the engine control room escaped injury. There was no fire, but the ship lost propulsion power and was left adrift.

The ship drifted to the south-southwest at about 1.3 knots. Deployment of the ship’s anchors was not an option for stopping the ship’s drift, because the waters of Haro Strait are too deep.

The ship’s pilot reported the incident to Vancouver Vessel Traffic Service and the Canadian Coast Guard, who relayed news of the casualty to the U.S. Coast Guard. The ship’s Master initiated arrangements for tug assistance. The SEASPAN DISCOVERY was hired and expected to arrive on scene at 1600.

At 1235 Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Service (PSVTS) called Foss Maritime to request tug assistance. The nearest available tug, JEFFREY FOSS, was waiting off Dungeness Spit, Washington (about 19 miles to the south), in anticipation of a tanker escort. The JEFFREY FOSS was dispatched by the U.S. Coast Guard to assist the ARAL, getting underway at 1250 with an estimated time of arrival of 1420. There were no other vessels in the area available to assist.

The U.S. Coast Guard, determining that the ship "posed an imminent and substantial risk to the marine environment," advised the ship’s Master that he would be required to hire the tug upon its arrival.

The JEFFREY FOSS arrived on scene at about 1425, as the ship drifted to within about 2.5 miles of the nearest navigational hazard. The ARAL was under tow by 1436. The ship anchored safely at Victoria North Anchorage at 1737.

Ship repairs and testing required about a week, with the ship resuming its voyage to Vancouver, BC at 2300 on January 13th.

Transport Canada (link updated 12/02/05) and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigated the casualty. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will relay safety action concerning the turbocharger to the maritime industry.

Links to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada's recommendations to the ship's operator and the International Association of Classification Societies.

Date Page Last Edited - May 09, 2006      Email: Webmaster