SSTorrey Canyonwas an LR2Suezmaxclassoil tankerwith a cargo capacity of 118,285 long tons (120,183 t) ofcrude oil.She ran aground off the western coast ofCornwall,United Kingdom, on 18 March 1967, causing anenvironmental disaster.At that time she was the largest vessel ever to be wrecked.
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | SSTorrey Canyon |
| Owner | Barracuda Tanker Corporation |
| Operator | BP |
| Port of registry |  Liberia |
| Builder | Newport News Shipbuilding |
| Yard number | 532 |
| Launched | 28 October 1958 |
| Completed | January 1959 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Sank after running aground on 18 March 1967 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Supertanker |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 974.4 ft (297.0 m) |
| Beam | 125.4 ft (38.2 m) |
| Draught | 68.7 ft (20.9 m) |
| Propulsion | Single shaft;steam turbine |
| Speed | 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) |
Design and history
editWhen built byNewport News Shipbuildingin the United States in 1959, she had adeadweight tonnagecapacity of 65,920 long tons (66,980 t). However, the ship was later enlarged by Sasebo Heavy Industries inJapanto 118,285 long tons (120,183 t) capacity.[1]
At the time of the shipwreck she was owned byBarracuda Tanker Corporation,a subsidiary of theUnion Oil CompanyofCalifornia,and registered inLiberia[2]but chartered toBP.She was 974.4 feet (297.0 m) long, 125.4 feet (38.2 m)beamand had 68.7 feet (20.9 m) ofdraught.[citation needed].
Accident and oil spill
editOn 19 February 1967,Torrey Canyonleft theKuwait National PetroleumCompany refinery, atMina, Kuwait(later Al Ahmadi) on her final voyage with a full cargo of crude oil. The ship reached theCanary Islandson 14 March. From there the planned route was toMilford Havenin Wales.[citation needed]
Torrey Canyonstruck Pollard's Rock onSeven Stones reef,between the Cornish mainland and theIsles of Scilly,on 18 March. She becamegroundedand, several days later, began to break up.
In an effort to reduce the size of the oil spill, the British government decided to set the wreck on fire, by means ofair strikesfrom theFleet Air Arm(FAA) andRoyal Air Force(RAF). On 28 March 1967, FAABlackburn BuccaneersfromRNAS Lossiemouthdropped 1,000-pound bombs on the ship. Afterwards RAFHawker HunterfromRAF Chivenordropped cans ofjet fuel(kerosene), to fuel the blaze.[3]However, the fire was put out by high tides,[clarification needed]and further strikes were needed to re-ignite the oil, by FAAde Havilland Sea VixensfromRNAS Yeoviltonand Buccaneers from theRNAS Brawdy,as well as Hunters of No 1(F) Squadron RAF fromRAF West Raynhamwithnapalm.Bombing continued into the next day, untilTorrey Canyonfinally sank.[4]A total of 161 bombs, 16 rockets, 1,500 long tons (1,500 t) of napalm and 44,500 litres (9,800 imp gal) of kerosene were used.[5]
Attempts to contain the oil using foam-filledcontainment boomswere largely unsuccessful, due to the booms' fragility in high seas. Soldiers from9 Independent Parachute Squadron REwere tasked to clear several Cornish beaches affected by the spill.[6]
Guernsey
editWhen the oil reachedGuernseyseven days after the grounding, authorities scooped up the oil into sewage tankers and siphoned it off into a disused quarry in the northeast of the island. Some time later, micro-organisms were introduced to see if they could break the oil down intocarbon dioxideand water.[7]This was a limited success, so in 2010, a bio-remediation process was initiated to speed up the process.[8]
Aftermath
editAn inquiry inLiberia,where the ship was registered, foundShipmasterPastrengo Rugiati was to blame, because he took a shortcut to save time to get to Milford Haven. Additionally a design fault meant that the helmsman was unaware that the steering selector switch had been accidentally left on autopilot and hence was unable to carry out a timely turn to go through the shipping channel.[9]
The wreck lies at a depth of 30 metres (98 ft).[citation needed]
In popular culture
edit- Serge Gainsbourgcomposed and recorded the song "Torrey Canyon" about the incident.[10]
- The UK seriesHeartbeatran an episode entitled "The Holiday's Over"in which one of the characters, Vernon Scripps, lost his fortune by becoming a" name "(underwriter) for theTorrey Canyon.[11]
References
edit
- ^"Torrey Canyon(5536535) ".Miramar Ship Index.Retrieved15 February2022.
- ^"The Torrey Canyon's last voyage".Loughborough University.Archived fromthe originalon 5 July 2009.Retrieved13 November2013.
- ^Mounter, Julian (29 March 1967). "Night Strafe on Blazing Tanker Tide puts out fire".The Times.No. 56901. p. 1.
- ^"On This Day 29 March 1967: Bombs rain down on Torrey Canyon".BBC News.2008.Retrieved13 November2013.
- ^Look & Learn,no.858, 24 June 1978, p. 2
- ^*Mackintosh, Col. H. W. B. (1993).History of the Corps of Royal Engineers.Vol. XI: 1960-1980: The Years of Contraction - Withdrawal, Reduction and Reorganization.Chatham, Kent:Institution of Royal Engineers. p. 100.ISBN0-903530-22-8.
- ^Bell, Bethan; Cacciottolo, Mario (17 March 2017)."Torrey Canyon oil spill: The day the sea turned black".BBC News.Retrieved17 March2017.
- ^"Torrey Canyon oil in Guernsey quarry 'nearly' removed".BBC News.17 November 2010.Retrieved17 March2017.
- ^Rothbloom, A.Human Error and Marine Safety(PDF).
- ^Simmons, Sylvie (2 February 2001)."The eyes have it".The Guardian.London.Retrieved13 November2013.
- ^The Holiday's Over,retrieved3 February2020