The sinking last year of a towing vessel in the Atlantic Ocean was due to a lack of watertight integrity, the NTSB reported.

During a company audit it was noticed that the deck tanks used for ammonia storage had been loaded up to 98% at a loading temperature of -22°C. . The expected ambient temperature later in the voyage was 20°C.

In daylight and good weather conditions, a loaded tanker was being conned into port by a pilot. Also on the bridge were the Master, helmsman and OOW.

A tanker was underway and normal maintenance activities were being accomplished. An engine room crewmember was tasked with opening the steam valve that leads to the deck in order to recirculate excess steam.

A bulk vessel was underway when the main engine’s alarm panel sounded; the exhaust gas temperature on one cylinder was not normal.

A multi-purpose cargo vessel was transporting six azimuth thrusters in its hold, each thruster weighing 60 tonnes. Stowage calculations based on the voyage instructions and stowage plan were made by an officer and checked by the Master before loading.

One crew member’s chemical suit was somewhat short and there was insufficient overlap with the boots. During the cleaning process, spray droplets on the chemical suit trickled down..

A passenger vessel was inbound for a port in daylight conditions. Visibility was moderate, but still in excess of one nm. Under the effect of the tidal stream, the vessel was travelling at 12 knots.

In daylight and good visibility, cargo vessel A was making about 12 knots with a lone OOW on the bridge. Auto-pilot was being used for helm control and the OOW was occupied with administrative tasks.