Tug Atlantic Salvor (center) stands by as her recent charge, Ex-USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), is docked in Philadelphia. |
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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Atlantic Salvor, ex-Mister Darby |
| Builder: | Halter Marine Inc. |
| Yard number: | 496 |
| Launched: | 1 Feb 1977[1] |
| Identification: | IMO number: 7719624 Callsign: WCX9569 MMSI no.: 366744010[2] |
| Status: | In service as of 2010[2] |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 852 GT[1] 255 NT[1] |
| Length: | LOA 42.8762 m[1] |
| Beam: | 12.192 m molded breadth[1] |
| Depth: | 6.7574 m molded depth[1] |
| Installed power: | 2 150 kW aux. generators[1] |
| Propulsion: | 2 ALCO 25 F 16 MS&MR engines with 16 228.6 mm cylinders and maximum continuous rating 2312.6 kW each[1] |
| Capacity: | 896 cu m of fuel capacity[1] |
| Notes: | Two cast steel propellers[1] |
The Tug Atlantic Salvor is a U.S.-flagged ocean-going tugboat owned and operated by Donjon Marine of Hillside, New Jersey.[1] Sailing under its original name Mister Darby until 1998, the boat was built by Halter Marine Inc. and launched on 1 February 1977. It was involved in the salvage operation following the wreck of the New Carissa, and also towed the decommissioned ex- USS John F. Kennedy from Norfolk to Philadelphia in March 2008.
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Then named Mister Darby, the boat's construction was completed and it was delivered to Jackson Marine Corporation on 1 February 1977.[1] Its hull, constructed from ordinary strength steel, has an overall length of 42.9 metres (141 ft), a molded breadth of 6.8 metres (22 ft), and a moulded depth of 6.8 metres (22 ft).[1] The boat has a total of 29 tanks: 12 for fuel oil, 5 for ballast water, 5 for lubricating oil, 2 apiece for fresh- and waste-water, a hydraulic oil tank, a slop tank, and an anchor chain locker. The tug can carry up to 896 cubic meters of fuel, has a gross tonnage of 852 GT and a net tonnage of 255 NT.[1]
The boat's propulsion is powered by two Alco Engine Inc. Model 25 F 16 MS&MR engines with a maximum continuous power rating of 2,312.6 kilowatts (3,101.2 hp) apiece.[1] Each engine has 16 228.6-millimetre (9.00 in) cylinders with a piston stroke of 266.7-millimetre (10.50 in).[1] Each engine powers a single cast steel propeller.[1] Electrical power is generated by two 150-kilowatt (200 hp) auxiliary generators.[1]
In 1998, the tugboat was purchased by Donjon and renamed Atlantic Salvor.[3]
The M/V New Carissa was a Japanese-owned bulk carrier flying the Panamanian flag of convenience that ran aground on a beach near Coos Bay, Oregon, United States, during a storm in February 1999, and subsequently broke apart. An attempt to tow the bow section of the ship out to sea failed when the tow line broke, and the bow was grounded again. Eventually, the bow was successfully towed out to sea and sunk. The stern section remained on the beach near Coos Bay. Fuel on board the ship was burned off in situ, but a significant amount was also spilled from the wreckage, causing ecological damage to the coastline.
Attempts to move the New Carissa under her own power failed, and tugboat assistance was not available immediately after the grounding. Only one tugboat was available locally, but it was unable to cross the Coos Bay bar because of safety concerns. It was also uncertain whether or not the locally available tugboat could have successfully rescued the New Carissa. The nearest salvage tugboat capable of towing a large ship off a beach, the Salvage Chief, was moored at its home port of Astoria, Oregon, 200 statute miles (320 km) to the north, a 24-hour journey away. The Salvage Chief had not sailed in over a year, and it took 18 hours to fuel, provision, and find a crew for the ship. Once mobilized, poor weather in the Astoria area prevented the tugboat from crossing the treacherous Columbia River bar for an additional two days. The Salvage Chief did not arrive in the area until February 8, four days after the grounding occurred.[4]
When it finally arrived, Salvage Chief, was unable to reach the New Carissa with its tow gear. On February 10, the New Carissa suffered major structural failure when the hull breached near the engine room, flooding the engines with seawater (and thus disabling them). The ship's insurers declared the vessel to be a total loss. As a result, the New Carissa was no longer a salvageable vessel; instead, it had effectively become a shipwreck.[4]
Attempts to refloat and tow the stern section were unsuccessful. An on-site dismantling of the wreck was considered, but was rejected at the time over environmental concerns.[5] The stern section remained aground for over nine years until it was dismantled and removed from the beach in 2008.
She was recently hired by the United States Navy to tow the decommissioned ex-John F. Kennedy from Norfolk to Philadelphia in March 2008.