Seaspan 177

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada reports that "On the evening of 29 January 1997, the unmanned barge "Seaspan 177" carrying a full deck cargo of iron scrap, under tow from Victoria, B.C. to Tacoma, Washington, capsized and lost its cargo. At the time of the occurrence, the barge was approximately 500m astern of the tug "Seaspan Valiant". Neither the exact time of capsizing nor the sequence of events was recorded by the crew of the tug. No pollution and no injuries were reported as a result of this occurrence." "The "Seaspan 177" is a deck cargo-carrying barge of all-welded steel construction with a cargo deadweight of 3,225 short tons (2,926 tonnes) at 1 ft. 6 ins. (45.7 centimetres) of freeboard. The hull is subdivided into 12 watertight compartments by one longitudinal and five transverse bulkheads. Steel bulwarks of 5 ft. 5 ins. (1.67m) height, set-in from the port and starboard sides of the barge, form a cargo box on the main deck. The cargo box is open at the forward and aft ends and fitted with freeing ports at the bottom of each side wall."