Enbridge Line 5 Anchor Strike

[Jon Paul]

The Unified Command Post was finished and disbanded on 5/8 and the salvage operations by T & T Marine in conjunction with Durocher/Kokoksing completed on 5/9. The ATC line was repaired and is still in a out of service mode and the Consumers Energy lines were not in service but checked to make sure there wasn't any serious damage to them. Enbridge Line 5 was also checked and was certified as undamaged and capable of functioning.
As to the causes of the damage, I am sure a CG report will be forthcoming.
As I mentioned before, I can assure you first hand that all parties involved took the matter very seriously and every effort was made to insure the integrity of the pipelines and cable-lines. They were well aware of how theirs actions and responses to this situation would be scrutinized.

[Guest]

Any updates on this story?

[Guest]

Many many years ago I was on a small coaster running across the North Sea, before all the oil rigs were there.
On one passage in very bad weather we were going much slower than I though even accounting to the weather. Spoke to the C/E and he was concerned about the high exhaust temperatures and assured me the engine was running at full speed. Hove too and had the mate check up for'd and he came back and told me the port anchor was not in its pocket and the cable had run out. Stopped and went to see for myself.
The power was put on the windlass and we heaved the cable in. It was polished like a nickle as was the anchor. All that dragging along a sandy bottom had done a wonderful job. We were fortunate it had not caught on anything as there is all sorts littering the bottom in the North Sea and cables as well.

Thank you for sharing your experience with us Lakercapt!

[Bookworm]

Detroit PBS will broadcast a documentary on the pipeline tonight (Wednesday) and is advertising live-streaming on this link: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/

[Guest]

I have a question regarding the lines. My mind leads me to believe that after so many years on the bottom that the currents would make it settle in the bed of the straits or they would have a build up of sand, silt, sediment that would be covering them. If so wouldn't that mound covering them help protect them? At least a little? Thanks for any info.

Currents in the Straits may have deposited sediment on the pipeline in some areas, but in other areas, the sediment has been removed by the current, leaving the pipe unsupported. Steel supports have been installed to hold the pipelines up off the bottom.

[guest]

I have a question regarding the lines. My mind leads me to believe that after so many years on the bottom that the currents would make it settle in the bed of the straits or they would have a build up of sand, silt, sediment that would be covering them. If so wouldn't that mound covering them help protect them? At least a little? Thanks for any info.

[Lakercapt]

Many many years ago I was on a small coaster running across the North Sea, before all the oil rigs were there.
On one passage in very bad weather we were going much slower than I though even accounting to the weather. Spoke to the C/E and he was concerned about the high exhaust temperatures and assured me the engine was running at full speed. Hove too and had the mate check up for'd and he came back and told me the port anchor was not in its pocket and the cable had run out. Stopped and went to see for myself.
The power was put on the windlass and we heaved the cable in. It was polished like a nickle as was the anchor. All that dragging along a sandy bottom had done a wonderful job. We were fortunate it had not caught on anything as there is all sorts littering the bottom in the North Sea and cables as well.

[Diver Dan]

I wonder, knowing Bill Schuette, if the dragging-anchor thing is real, but assuming it is:

An anchor, if dragged at speed, will bounce along the bottom, and will not dig in much unless there is sufficient (more than normal) scope. This would be the case if they only had a few shots of chain out. In this manner, I can see the anchor banging into the electrical cable and cutting a gash, just as I can see in bumping into the Embridge Pipelines without leaving more than a mark. The pipelines are larger diameter, too, making it harder for the flukes to get hung up.

One of my arguments that the pipeline was safe from damage was the idea that the most likely way for them to be damaged was a dragging anchor - and how likely is that to happen? Now, if the claim is true, then I guess I go along with the idea of digging an expensive tunnel for the pipeline.... Pipelines are still the safest and most economical method for moving fluids, you just have to make them idiot-proof... but we keep finding more-inventive idiots!

[hayhugh3]

while the anchor does not actually do the holding, its the weight of the anchor and chain together that does it,

Scope - length of cable from hawse pipe to anchor - usually 5 times depth of water is determining factor.

[Shirtofgreen]

Being a sailor myself for several years on the lakes, this theory of a ship dragging anchor much less anchoring in an area that every ship master on the great lakes knows is a restricted area just sounds fishy. The type of anchors used on lakers including the Clyde/Barge are of the navy standard stockless anchor. The flukes dig into the bottom and catch helping to hold the ship in place, while the anchor does not actually do the holding, its the weight of the anchor and chain together that does it, but if a ship was dragging a stockless anchor through the area there will be deep gouges and a trail. Plus, the flukes being buried in the sediment/sand/bottom would not cause light dents and scratching of the pipeline and transmission cables, they would hook the cables and pipeline like a grappling hook and tear them right off the bottom, the cables especially. Not just scrape it up and dent it, it would cause major damage, not just breach the shielding and casing of the transmission cables releasing a small amount of oil. As I stated they would almost certainly be torn from the bottom and the cables broken and severed. As there are ALWAYS exceptions to common sense and sometimes in very rare situations things can behave differently. But I personally believe with my experience in sailing for a long time that with captains knowing you don't anchor in the straights unless an extreme emergency, knowing how anchors work especially when being dragged, and hearing what the damage is, I think they are looking for some one to blame and they actually have no clue what caused the damage. The Clyde I think was just in the wrong place at the right time. in my experienced opinion there is no way an anchor was down in that area without the ship knowing it was down, or that an anchor dragging on the bottom could cause such minimal damage without tearing the pipeline and cables apart and not causing severe damage to both..

That's a good point.

Let's carry on that theory: it's not too outworldly to have a shot or 2 on the bottom and that have dragged or dropped on those lines. That'd explain the dent and not being torn apart. Given there's an air of negligence somewhere, it's not too crazy they could have let out that much.

[guest]

Being a sailor myself for several years on the lakes, this theory of a ship dragging anchor much less anchoring in an area that every ship master on the great lakes knows is a restricted area just sounds fishy. The type of anchors used on lakers including the Clyde/Barge are of the navy standard stockless anchor. The flukes dig into the bottom and catch helping to hold the ship in place, while the anchor does not actually do the holding, its the weight of the anchor and chain together that does it, but if a ship was dragging a stockless anchor through the area there will be deep gouges and a trail. Plus, the flukes being buried in the sediment/sand/bottom would not cause light dents and scratching of the pipeline and transmission cables, they would hook the cables and pipeline like a grappling hook and tear them right off the bottom, the cables especially. Not just scrape it up and dent it, it would cause major damage, not just breach the shielding and casing of the transmission cables releasing a small amount of oil. As I stated they would almost certainly be torn from the bottom and the cables broken and severed. As there are ALWAYS exceptions to common sense and sometimes in very rare situations things can behave differently. But I personally believe with my experience in sailing for a long time that with captains knowing you don't anchor in the straights unless an extreme emergency, knowing how anchors work especially when being dragged, and hearing what the damage is, I think they are looking for some one to blame and they actually have no clue what caused the damage. The Clyde I think was just in the wrong place at the right time. in my experienced opinion there is no way an anchor was down in that area without the ship knowing it was down, or that an anchor dragging on the bottom could cause such minimal damage without tearing the pipeline and cables apart and not causing severe damage to both.....

[Dwrozeboom]

In addition, how could it be that both the winch/band brake and locking mechanism for the anchor chain failed. Then the deckhands made rounds for days without noticing anything? It is very implausible.

[Jon Paul]

I agree and if it was found earlier then the obvious question is what did they know and when did the know it.
On a tradional laker with an AB watchmen standing watches, the wind less room and anchor are checked at least every watch. I'm not sure on the ATB's with reduced crew exactly is done or not done.
Yesterday (Wednesday) more side scannng was conducted and the ROV is still to bE deployed.. This is going to continue on for at least 10 more days as I was informed to expect next Monday more USCG personal along with more T & T Marine salvage crew members.

[Guest]

Dragging three shots of ancho chain and anchor to the S end of Lake Michigan seems unrealistic. The passage from White Shoal Light all the way to Garden island Shoal buoy is very shallow around 60' deep in some places. Don't you think someone would have noticed a reduction in speed and maneuverability dragging 270' of anchor and chain through shallow waters?

[Guest]

The tug “Clyde S. Vanenkevort” doesn’t have an anchor, except for one bolted to th after deck!

The barge it is connected to has two of them,

[Jon Paul]

The areas effected of both the ATC utility line and Enbridge Line 5 were in excess of 250'' of water.
The USCG will not confirm as yet which vessel was involved due to their ongoing investigation but the Michigan AG was the one to release that info.
I heard from an unrelated source that the wayward anchor was not discovered till they were approaching their unloading port at the South end of Lake Michigan.
If true then they were dragging over 3 shots of anchor chain and thats a long way to drag it without it hanging up on something and stopping the Clyde and Erie Trader.
Today T & T Marine along with Durocher Marine out of Cheboygan using their tug General put down a side scan sonar over the area. Tomorrow if the wind and weather holds they plan on deploying an ROV.

[Cleveland guest]

The tug “Clyde S. Vanenkevort” doesn’t have an anchor, except for one bolted to th after deck!

[hayhugh3]

No body intentionally drops an anchor in 100 feet of water.

[RCRVRP]

Clyde S. Vanenkevort blamed.

http://www.leadertelegram.com/News/Dail ... lines.html

[SSM-Sailor]

Someone with knowledge, please enlighten me. Why would a vessel drag their anchor as they pass through miles of ice-choked water? I'm not making sense of the scenario as reported.

My guess would be that it was somehow unintentional and the anchor was drug assuming it had been picked up, or it unknowingly deployed while underway and wasn't immediately noticed.