A Voyage Fraught with Challenges: Learning from the grounding of the MODU Kulluk

The mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) Kulluk grounded on the rocky, remote shores of Ocean Bay, Alaska, in late December 2012, despite rescue attempts by four separate vessels. The Coast Guard helicopter crews did successfully evacuate the Kulluk’s crew under hazardous conditions. A year later, the Coast Guard completed its investigation of the grounding. One of the safety recommendations stemming from the incident directed the towing industry to examine the Kulluk’s official Coast Guard Report of Investigation and recommend to the Coast Guard their suggested best practices for similar towing operations. For high-risk voyages similar to the one in which the Kulluk was grounded, a Towing Safety Advisory Committee workgroup recommended the following best practices: develop standardized terminology for towing equipment; give special attention to the main shackle, as it is a specific point of vulnerability; shackles should be double-nutted and peened; and every reasonable precaution should be taken to ensure the longevity and performance of shackles used in critical ocean tow configurations. Taken holistically, these best practices—including competent towing operators, proper equipment, well-constructed towing plans, and attention to critical details like anticipating weather severity—will reduce the likelihood of another grounding like the Kulluk.

• Record URL:
  • https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/Proceedings%20Magazine/Archive/2018/Vol75_No3_Wint2018.pdf
• Authors:
  • Fawcett, Keith
• Publication Date: 2018

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Photos; References;
• Pagination: pp 48-53
• Serial:
  • Coast Guard Journal of Safety & Security at Sea, Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council
  • Volume: 75
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: U.S. Coast Guard
  • Serial URL: http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Best practices; Crash investigation; Failure analysis; Groundings (Maritime crashes); Maritime safety; Offshore drilling platforms; Risk assessment; Towing devices
• Identifier Terms: United States Coast Guard
• Uncontrolled Terms: Mobile offshore drilling units
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01705415
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 23 2019 10:23AM