Spills > Response > Nancy Jo Broken Tow Wire Incident

Tank Barge Nancy Jo Broken Tow Wire Incident

(Information on this site is considered to be accurate at the time of posting, but is subject to change as new information becomes available.)

Approximate position of the tug James T Quigg and tank barge Nancy Jo when the tow wire between them broke.

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Summary

Department of Ecology vessel inspectors are working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard to continue to investigate why the towline parted between the tug James T. Quigg and the tank barge Nancy Jo on Wednesday, Dec. 27.

The Nancy Jo, a 25-year-old, 334-foot double hull tank barge, was bound for the Columbia River when the towline broke. The barge was carrying about 1.47 million gallons of heavy fuel oil.

The James T. Quigg is a “twin screw” tug operated by the Seattle-based Olympic Tug & Barge Company. Twin screw tugs have two engines and propellers that provide redundancy and enable it to maneuver quickly on the water.

Initial reports are that the Nancy Jo was adrift for about two hours (2-4 p.m.), moving slowly toward Washington’s coast. At the time, winds were blowing on shore at about 30 knots and there were 15-foot ocean swells.

In a demonstration of good seamanship under difficult conditions, the crew on the James T. Quigg was able to reconnect to the Nancy Jo by using a specialized recovery device called an Orville Hook. The device was placed into the water and towed by the tug to snag the towing chain bridle on the front of the barge.

A larger Olympic Tug & Barge tractor tug, the Millennium Star, also was dispatched to assist the James T. Quigg. Fortunately, the Millennium Star was in the vicinity making its way to Los Angeles and was not transporting cargo at the time. It is relatively rare that unloaded, highly capable tugs transit the outer coast.

No oil was spilled and the barge probably never got closer than 22-24 miles to the Washington coast before it was reconnected. Under an agreement between the Pacific States/B.C. Task Force, the Coast Guard and the shipping industry, it is a common safety practice for oil barges to be towed 25 miles off state and provincial coastlines.

Ecology was not notified of the incident until about 90 minutes after the James T. Quigg reconnected to the Nancy Jo – so the on-call rescue tug at Neah Bay was not dispatched. A 2000 U.S. Supreme Court decision (United States v. Locke), invalidated Washington’s tank vessel notification requirements. Oil tankers and barges are no longer required to notify the state of Washington when incidents pose potential environmental threats outside of state’s 3-mile jurisdiction. Under an agreement between Washington State and the USCG, Ecology now receives notification of these events from the Coast Guard.

Since Wednesday evening, Ecology has been working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard-Sector Portland. As part of the coordinated effort, the department requested that the private, non-profit spill response firm Marine Spill Response Corp. put response vessels on standby to help while the barge was being towed in the Columbia River.

The Olympic Tug & Barge Co. is an operating company of Harley Marine Services. Harley Marine holds an approved oil spill contingency plan and emergency towing procedures are part of the firm’s contingency plan with Ecology.

The Coast Guard consulted with Ecology before making final arrangements with the tug captain. The tug James T. Quigg then waited until tide conditions were favorable before crossing the Columbia River bar. Late Thursday, December 28, the barge was towed safely across the bar and into the port of Astoria, Oregon.

After the crew re-rigged the towing arrangement, the Nancy Jo was pushed up the Columbia River by the James T. Quigg. It is expected to arrive in Portland, Oregon the evening of Friday, December 29. When it does, Ecology and Coast Guard vessel inspectors will continue their investigation.

In coming months Ecology, as directed by Gov. Chris Gregoire, will be working with the Coast Guard to convene a summit on oil spill program priorities. Ecology hopes that safe marine operating practices on our outer coast will be part of those discussions. This summit will include representatives from the shipping industry, tribes, environmental community and other interested parties.

Chronology

Friday, 12/29/2006 2:00 pm

The Nancy Jo pushed by the James T Quigg was nearing its destination of Portland, Oregon. Ecology and Coast Guard personnel were coordinating to further investigate circumstances of the incident.

Thursday, 12/28/2006

The Nancy Jo under tow by the James T Quigg and accompanied by the tug Millennium Star arrived at the entrance to the Columbia River.  After awaiting favorable tidal conditions, the vessels safely crossed the Columbia River Bar at about 6 p.m.

Wednesday, 12/27/06

At about 2 p.m. on Wednesday, December 27, 2006, the 25 year old, 334-foot tank barge, Nancy Jo, loaded with about 35,000 barrels of heavy fuel oil went adrift about 25 miles west of Ocean Shores, Washington.  The tank barge, bound for the Columbia River, was being towed by the tug James T Quigg when the tow wire parted at a point on the deck of the barge.  The winds at 2 p.m. based on a weather station at Destruction Island were north-northwest  at about 30 knots.  Seas were reported by Olympic Tug & Barge (the operator of the tug and barge) to be 15 feet.  Buoy data from the Strait of Juan de Fuca entrance, further to the north, indicated the swell was out to of the west.

Olympic Tug & Barge dispatched another of their tugs, the Millennium Star, that was conducting operations about 50 miles north, to assist.  Neither Foss Maritime nor Ecology were contacted to put the dedicated Rescue Tug at Neah Bay on standby.

At about 4 p.m. the James T Quigg was able to reconnect to the Nancy Jo through the use of a specialized recovery device called an Orville Hook.  The device was towed by the tug and snagged the chain towing bridle on the front of the barge.

Ecology was notified that the incident had occurred by Olympic Tug & Barge via the Washington Emergency Management Division at about 5:05 p.m.