Watertight integrity at issue in sinking of Jacqueline A towboat

Jacqueline A following salvage after the sinking. (Source: NTSB)

The sinking last year of a towing vessel in the Atlantic Ocean was due to a lack of watertight integrity, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday.

The vessel, the Jacqueline A, was transiting the Atlantic Ocean from Virginia to a Louisiana shipyard, where it was to be brought into compliance with Subchapter M regulations. It began taking on water on August 8, 2023, while off the coast of South Carolina. The three crewmembers, hired for the voyage, abandoned the vessel and were rescued by local emergency responders.

Thirteen days later, on August 21, the vessel was raised by salvors and towed to a shipyard.

It was subsequently declared a total loss, valued at $660,000.

The 60-foot-long towing vessel was built in 1981 by Mikron Shipyard Inc, in Galliano, La., as the Eric Paul, and was renamed the Jacqueline A following a change in ownership in the 2000s. Its final owner, Jackson Creek Marine LLC, located in Weems, Va., acquired the vessel in 2012 and used it to tow barges in the Chesapeake Bay.

NTSB investigators found that the Jacqueline A sank stern-first. The bow remained above the water for a period of time, indicating the flooding originated in the aft portion of the vessel. NTSB investigators found several large wastage holes in the main deck plating above the lazarette. The wastage holes were located within the voids formed by the enclosed bulwark framing on the main deck.

“Inaccessible voids or difficult to reach pockets or crevices that are poorly ventilated and provide no access for maintenance pose a risk to vessels due to the potential for severe rusting/corrosion,” investigators said. “Because these spaces are inaccessible, corrosion can grow undetected. Operators and manufacturers should keep these risks in mind when designing, constructing, or modifying a vessel.”

The crew told investigators the bilge high-water alarm never sounded. Investigators found the alarm system was ineffective as there was no sensor in the lazarette, which prevented early detection of flooding into the space. Sensors should be installed in all spaces where flooding may have a significant effect on the vessel’s stability and buoyancy, says NTSB.

Investigators also found electrical wire runs connecting the lazarette to the engine room on the Jacqueline A were not sealed. Once the lazarette filled with water, it poured into the engine room.

“For the safety of a vessel and all on board, the integrity of the hull and watertight bulkheads must be maintained, and any deficiencies must be appropriately addressed,” the report said. “Known issues with watertight integrity, including unsealed watertight bulkhead and deck penetrations and deck and hull plate wastage, need to be addressed by permanent means.”

As always, there’s far more in the full NTSB report.

• Download the full report HERE