History, Politics And Current Affairs

RV Petrel somehow slipped off the block while in dry dock. The yard blamed high winds at one point. Whatever the cause the ship is now resting at a 45 degree angle. Dozens of workers were injured and rushed to hospitals

She was owned by the late Paul Allen of Microsoft and has done incredible work in discovering and surveying World War 2 wrecks. Wrecks like USS Hornet, USS Wasp, USS Indianapolis, and many other had been laid up due to covid. It was getting maintenance in a drydock at Imperial Dock, Leith UK. The yard blames high winds

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-65038617

Apparently was 'Very Windy'. No actual gust-speed data available...

Also it appears she is now owned by the US Navy.
At least according to this guy and Wikipedia.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg8nZy7 ... hipping%3F

Paul

She is reported to have been having work done to convert her to a seabed warfare role.

Micael wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2023 5:58 pm She is reported to have been having work done to convert her to a seabed warfare role.

That's a pity. I was hoping she would be reactivated to go wreck hunting again. So many out there....

Micael wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2023 5:58 pm She is reported to have been having work done to convert her to a seabed warfare role.

Was it being done for the Royal Navy? If it was the USN, why do the work overseas?

US Navy. I guess it was done there because that's where she had been laid up after Paul Allen died.

Paul

Bummer. Could have sold her to Clive Cussler!

Belushi TD

Belushi TD wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 2:21 pm Bummer. Could have sold her to Clive Cussler!

Belushi TD

He’s also dead.

Well.... Shit.

The odds are that he's unlikely to have done more damage than it being in drydock did.

Belushi TD

U.S. Navy Officials Heading to Scotland to Investigate R/V Petrel Dry Dock Incident
By: Heather Mongilio
March 27, 2023

The Navy has launched its own investigation into what led a service-owned research vessel to topple over while in dry dock in Scotland.

R/V Petrel violently slipped off its supports in the dry dock and ended up on a 45 degrees list while in dry dock at Imperial Dock in Leith, Edinburgh, injuring at least 33 people, USNI News previously reported. The ship, now owned by the Navy, was used in several shipwreck research missions when it was owned by late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center is leading the investigation for the Navy, spokesperson James Stossel told USNI News.

The Navy bought the ship in September for $12.4 million, which was considered under market value, commercial shipping experts have told USNI News. The ship had previously been owned and operated by the parent company Vulcan, the oceanography research group founded by Allen, until 2020. The ship was laid up in Scotland since it was owned by Vulcan.

Petrel was in the dry dock to undergo maintenance and inspections after being purchased by the service, Stossel said.

The 250-foot ship was originally built in Norway to inspect deepwater oil infrastructure before Paul Allen bought the vessel and outfitted for its ocean exploration role.

The Navy would not outline its mission for the service when USNI News asked last year shortly after the service acquired Petrel. However, the U.K. Royal Navy is in the process of converting a similar commercial vessel into a Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance ship that will use remotely operated undersea vehicles to survey sensitive underwater cables and infrastructure. The ship is in the process of being converted to enter the Royal Fleet Auxuilry as RFA Proteus.

“Proteus will be dedicated to safeguarding critical seabed infrastructure and will act as a ‘mother ship’, operating remote and autonomous off-board systems for underwater surveillance and seabed warfare,” wrote U.K. defense site Navy Lookout.

The U.K. Ministry of Defense accelerated the acquisition due to the increased threat of Russian interference in undersea infrastructure, reported the news site.

Petrel is positioned to serve a similar role for the U.S. Navy in terms of undersea infrastructure inspection and survey.

“The Navy Facilities Command…does a lot of work below water. This vessel was earmarked to do cable protection because of dangers to underwater cables. You just saw what happened to the Nordstream pipeline and the Royal Navy just purchased some vessels for this purpose,” Sal Mercogliano, chair of Campbell University’s Department of History, Criminal Justice and Politics told U.K.’s Planet Radio.

Update.

Navy Research Vessel R/V Petrel Righted and Refloated
By: Sam LaGrone
May 4, 2023

The U.S. Navy research vessel that tipped over in a Scotland drydock, injuring 35, has been righted and refloated this week, according to local press reports.

Posts on social media show the drydock at Imperial Dock begin to flood on Sunday and R/V Petrel being positioned by tugs on Tuesday.

The 3,710-ton Petrel violently tipped over in a drydock in Edinburgh on March 22 while under repair after being laid up since 2020. The ship was left at a 45-degree angle in the drydock.
Local health officials said 23 were treated at a local hospital and 12 on the scene, according to the BBC.

The cause of Petrel slipping its supports in the drydock is under investigation from both U.S. and U.K. officials.

A message to the service on the status of the Navy’s investigation by USNI News was not immediately returned.

The Navy bought the ship last year for $12.4 million from the estate of the late Microsoft founder Paul Allen. The ship was part of the Allen-owned oceanography research group Vulcan.

Researchers on Petrel discovered several famous warships sunk during World War II, including the Japanese battleship Hiei, the first Japanese ship sunk by the U.S, destroyer USS Johnson and carrier USS Wasp. In 2017, Petrel found the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis.

The Navy hasn’t outlined what role Petrel will play for the service, but before the Allen team took charge of the ship and modified it for its research role, the ship was designed to monitor underwater infrastructure for oil and pipeline projects.

The U.K. Royal Navy purchased a similar vessel a Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance ship that will play host to a variety of underwater vehicles to survey sensitive underwater cables and infrastructure.

The future RFA Proteus is in the midst of its conversion.

“The Navy Facilities Command…does a lot of work below water. This vessel was earmarked to do cable protection because of dangers to underwater cables. You just saw what happened to the Nordstream pipeline and the Royal Navy just purchased some vessels for this purpose,” Sal Mercogliano, chair of Campbell University’s Department of History, Criminal Justice and Politics told U.K.’s Planet Radio in March.