Marine Casualty Report: M/V CHESTER A. Poling; Sinking in the Atlantic Ocean on 10 January 1977 With Loss of Life

摘要

During the morning of 10 January 1977, the hull of the coastal tanker CHESTER A. POLING fractured just aft of the pilothouse along the bottom and side shell plating while in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter, the vessel broke in two and both the bow and stern sections eventually sank. Six of the vessel's seven crew members were rescued by Coast Guard air and sea units while the remaining crew member was lost at sea. This report contains the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation report and the Action taken by the Commandant to determine the proximate cause of the casualty and the recommendations to prevent recurrence. The Commandant has determined that the proximate cause of the casualty was the total structural failure of the hull girder in way of number 3 cargo tank due to; (a) adverse ballast configuration, (b) the combination of ship's speed versus sea conditions encountered, and (c) a reduced sectional modulus of the hull midship structure due to deterioration. (Author)