On August 14, the obsolete oil rig Pentagon 5000, being towed for scrapping in India, was abandoned by its tug, the MV Indus - believed to be because the tow had parted in the rough seas on that day.
And, with the tug only having a basic sea-going crew, it would be a near-impossible task to re-attach the tow line.
As the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) said in one of its reports: “Low manning, with so-called operational crews, makes it extremely difficult to fit an emergency towing connection without a pre-arranged system, in particular if auxiliary power on the vessel in distress is not available.”
To read the full FTW article, click here.
FTW pick: Giant oil rig left drifting as tow parts in rough seas
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