Don’t know anything about what happened yet other than it is an AML barge and that it is flooding in the stern. [Screenshot_20251118-161501_Facebook (1)]

It is quite possible the crew on the tug was unaware that the barge was taking on water and possibly a passing vessel warned them that the stern of the barge was almost awash. Being southbound the place with most dangers of a barge dragging the bottom near to Bella Bella is Perry Patch in Tolmie Ch…

And yet you won’t quit. The USCG will not cease issuing COIs nor will insurance underwriters going to stop writing cover for these vessels due to their age alone and with that operators are not going to change to self-propelled ships to replace their tugs and barges. Only Canada and/or BC can deman…

Apart from working in the offshore oil industry my only previous experience was as a 15 year old on a small tug and barge carrying sand. The coastal passage was about 180 miles and there were plenty of places to shelter if the weather cut up rough. A schedule was never mentioned and the only sense o…

The worst sinking on the BC IP in memory was with a ‘fully-manned’, three-watch system BC ferry in excellent condition. The Canadian officers and crew were all seasoned veterans of navigating the IP. MV Queen of the North MV Queen of the North was a roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ferry built …

In my experience, the freight company (in this case AML,) maintains the barge and all its gear. Of course, if something happens mid voyage that needs attention, the tug crew will take care of it. Reefer containers are powered by portable gen sets on the barge, and are inspected daily whenever it’s…

Neither of these vessels would work. The large one couldn’t get into Bethel, Saint Paul, or any number of other Western Alaska ports because of size. The smaller ship might fit, but couldn’t carry enough containers to make it worthwhile. Barges have a relatively shallow draft, are readily loaded …

I wonder what the draft on the barge was? If the barge was holed it’s reasonable to believe the tug had already passed over the same spot unless the barge was getting dragged off to one side or the other. I have no idea of west coast conditions but the Columbia Coastal barges usually stayed behind …

My understanding is that the mate of the watch and the AB/Quartermaster had been married previously and were engaged in severely berating each other as the needed turn was missed. (either that or the QM was giving the mate a BJ out on the bridgewing) Who the fuck knows?

[image] Old_school: Just because of the fact that your vaunted Norwegians do it differently doesn’t make it the only way it can be done. Not only Norwegians, the rest of the world use feeder vessels, not tug and barges to distribute containers from hub ports to secondary ports. This is espec…

Alaska to Seattle AML barge in trouble near Bella Bella BC

Maritime News

KemalPamouk November 21, 2025, 7:12pm 42

A sad loss of life there. How old was that ship that famously wound up in some poor guys back yard a year or so ago? Did they have a “fully manned” wheelhouse?

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Alaska to Seattle AML barge in trouble near Bella Bella BC

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