Crew Reviews, Ratings & Info for Petroil-Ii

An investigation into the grounding incident involving the 'Arca 1' has unveiled a series of serious operational deficiencies, including insufficient maintenance, lack of foresight in voyage planning, and an inadequately trained crew. The Transportation Safety Board released its comprehensive report on March 19, 2018, detailing the findings 14 months after the incident occurred. The bunkering tanker, which was operating about 10 kilometers from Sydney, experienced no injuries among its six crew members, and fortunately, no pollutants were released into the environment. On January 8, 2017, while en route to Mexico from Sorel, Quebec, the 'Arca 1' became stranded in challenging weather conditions. At the time of the grounding, the vessel was operating under reduced propulsion due to a failure of the port propulsion clutch. Alarmingly, the vessel's main propulsion clutch had not undergone necessary checks or adjustments either prior to or during the voyage, as recommended by safety protocols. As a consequence of these oversights, the ship suffered significant damage to its hull and propulsion systems. Following an initial unsuccessful attempt to refloat the vessel, it was successfully towed back to Sydney several days later. The report emphasized that the reduced propulsion and poor weather conditions limited the vessel's ability to navigate effectively, leading it to drift towards the shore and ultimately grounding. Notably, some crew members performed functions beyond their qualifications, leading to incomplete or ineffective task execution. The report critiqued the voyage planning process, which failed to comply with industry best practices. While the ship's master estimated a transit time of 12 hours to Sydney, the reality was that 15 hours would be necessary, thereby compromising their timeline as weather conditions worsened. The deterioration in propulsion power, due to the clutch failure, halved the 'Arca 1's speed and extended the duration of the voyage, drastically heightening the risk of the weather turning unfavorable. Attempts to drop anchor were futile, as it failed to hold, causing the vessel to run aground after drifting westward towards the shoreline. Further, the master of the vessel, who was unqualified for that position, made critical decisions—including the decision to set sail despite existing limitations on the vessel. Since he was not serving in the capacity of chief engineer, oversight of mechanical systems fell to the motorman, who lacked the qualifications of a chief engineer. Compounding these issues, the crew had no knowledge of prior maintenance activities on the vessel, which had not been in service for two years leading up to the grounding incident.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is set to investigate the grounding incident involving the bunker tanker 'Arca 1'. This occurred after the vessel was successfully towed to Sydney, Nova Scotia, by the robust tugboat 'Tim McKeil', which is operated by McKeil Marine, based in Hamilton, Ontario, a company that has interests in Cape Breton. After the 'Arca 1' was safely docked at the Sydport Industrial Park with the assistance of the esteemed Heddle Marine NL, an affiliate of Heddle Marine Services Inc., the TSB's investigative team returned to Cape Breton. On January 9, an initial team was dispatched to assess the situation but was soon called back due to the complexity of safely freeing the vessel from the beach where it was stranded. With at least one investigator traveling from Ottawa, the reassembly of the team could take some time. Experts aim to examine the technical failures that caused the 'Arca 1' to lose propulsion, which led to its grounding amidst severe winter storm conditions on January 8. Industry analysts have raised concerns regarding the hull design and the adequacy of the outboard propulsion system in challenging maritime conditions, especially in the turbulent waters of the Cabot Strait. For more information and visuals related to this incident, visit: http://www.capebretonpost.com/news/local/2017/1/16/tsb-to-probe-incident-that-saw-tanker-stranded-off-cape-breton.html

The 'Arca 1', an oil tanker that ran aground, was refloated on January 15 at 10 a.m. thanks to the high tide after an extensive operation that involved pumping out 300 tons of ballast water from the vessel. Following its refloating, the tanker was transported to Sydney port, where it docked in the afternoon. The salvage operation lasted about a week and required the dedication of over 100 personnel, including various government agencies, port authorities, and the salvage experts from McKeil Marine. For detailed coverage and images of the operation, visit the full report: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/arca-1-vessel-removed-tanker-cape-breton-1.3936654