| This vessel had an aluminum superstructure. This vessel was employed in construction of artificial islands in the Beaufort Sea for Imperial Oil Ltd. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada reports that "On 18 December 2000 in darkness, while under tow of the tug Miller Richmond, the second of two loaded barges, the Miller 201, struck the Pitt River Highway Bridge which spans the Pitt River between Douglas Island and Chatham Reach in British Columbia. The couplers between the two barges broke after the barge struck the protection pier causing the Miller 201 to break free from the tow. The striking caused extensive damage to the protection pier. There was no major disruption to either highway bridge traffic, or to marine traffic. No one was injured and there was no pollution as a result of this occurrence." "The Miller Richmond is a shallow draft steel tug with the superstructure located forward. The vessel is equipped with a hydraulically operated towing winch on the after deck with 670 metres (m) of 28 millimetre (mm) diameter steel wire towing cable, and a 25 mm diameter steel wire towing bridle approximately 17 m in length. Two 100 mm diameter polypropylene couplers, each approximately 10 m in length and fitted with eyes at both ends, are used to connect barges. The tug is powered by two diesel engines driving twin fixed-pitch propellers, with twin rudders for each propeller. The wheel-house is well laid out, with propulsion controls arranged on the main console amidships. A second control console is located at the after end of the boat deck abaft the funnels. Both control stations are fitted with pneumatic abort systems to allow the cable to run freely off the towing winch drum in the event of an emergency." |
