JAKOB MAERSK
By Luis Mota (SUBMANIA)
Danish oil tanker built in
1966 and owned by Maerskline Navigation Company.
On January 29th, 1975, around
1pm, when on manoeuvres to moor on tanker's terminal A at Leixões harbour, she
suffers a huge explosion following with an intense fire and other explosions.
She
was 261.81m long and displaced 48.262 tons. Her crew was made up of 32 persons,
both men and women. 26 were saved, of which 4 were severe burned, 5 were missing
and 1 drowned. The 5 missing crew members were machine engineers.
The tug "Monte da Luz" sailed
close to the burning tanker and saved 17 crew members and the two port pilots.
The ship carried 88.000 tons
of oil from Gulf Persic to Leixões, most consumed by fire. The fire last 3 days,
with flames higher than 50m and the smoke reaching 750m.
Until 1996 this accident was
on 12th place in the list of the biggest oil leaks worldwide.
The cause was, as always,
human error. The ship broke in two. The stern sunk near the entrance of the
harbour and the bow was thronged by the sea to shore where she stays, near
Castelo do Queijo, for a few years.
The higher and biggest part of
stern section that sunk was later removed because she was a danger to other
vessels that enter and leave Leixões harbour. Nowadays divers can find some
burned metal sheets and oil tubes on a sandy seabed between 12 and 15m deep.
It's possible to find loosing lines and fishing nets near the wreck.
Minimum diving certification
required to dive this wreck:
CMAS one star or equivalent.
[ Batelao ] [ Bezerros ] [ Brenha ] [ Charneca ] [ Jakob Maersk ] [ Kassamba ] [ Navio Do Norte ] [ Olo ] [ Pelo Negro ] [ Prego ] [ Rodelha ] [ Ruy Barbosa ] [ Veronese ] [ Vila do Porto ] [ U1277 ]
THE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS DIVE SITE
WAS PROVIDED BY:
Matosinhos - Portugal
web:
www.submania.pt
email:
info@submania.pt
© Luis Mota
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