THE LOSS OF THE NORMAND ROUGH

by Kenny Polson

In May 1982 I joined the LB 423 (ex Chotaw II). This was my first job offshore having taken voluntary redundancy from Ben Line Steamers. The LB 423 was a semi-submersible pipelay /derrick barge built 1976 by Blohm & Voss for Santa Fe. It was now owned and operated by Brown & Root. I along with four other Brits were the stability controllers responsible among others for ballasting the barge and the stinger.

The LB423 was engaged in pipelay operations in the Gorm, Tyra and Skold Fields in the Danish Sector for DUC-DONG. We had two anchor handling tugs to run the anchors, both were Norwegian, the Dag Viking and the Normand Rough. Additional infield vessels were the tug Natalie Letzer to handle the stinger and the OSA platform ship Linetor for supply. The pipe hauling was carried out by a number of West Indies RO/RO vessels all with names prefixed "Inagua" and the Salvesens PSV Highland Piper.

I was on the midnight to noon on the 9^th of June 1982 and soon after arriving on the Tower we were picking up anchors to move infield to start another pipe line. The weather was about a Force 6 and all anchors were recovered except the two bow anchors, these were recovered by the two anchor handlers, the anchors decked, and disconnected, the tow line attached to the anchor wires. The tow commenced.

The Normand Rough reported that the anchor on its deck, a 30,000 pound LWT, had broken its lashings and slid across the deck  due to the wooden sheathing being torn up. This caused the vessel to list. The crew then resecured the anchor.  After a time the vessel reported that they were taking in water, so it was decided to take it off the tow leaving the Dag Viking to tow the barge. The Normand Rough was pulled in towards the barge, it then released the anchor wire and manoeuvred towards the side of the barge to allow the crane to recover the anchor.

The Normand Rough manoeuvred in towards the crane and was almost in position when it suffered a complete engine failure and drifted astern, powerless. The Dag Viking was instructed to re-attach the anchor to the anchor wire and set the anchor. This was done and the Dag Viking went to the aid of the now sinking Normand Rough. It was now too deep to be successfully towed and so the Dag Viking took the crew off. The Normand Rough sank. It was over  in a little over two hours if my memory is correct. The loss of a fine vessel, but thankfully,  no loss of life. In a matter of weeks while still working in the area,  now with the Typhoon anchor handling in the place of the Normand Rough, we could see a Sheer Leg Crane over the spot recovering the vessel. The Normand Rough was salved and became the Lorna  B of Britannic Towing then International towing of Hull.

When I was carrying out some online research into this sinking I was fortunate to find this link, http://visekar.diskusjonsforum.no/visekar-about97.html     which documents the history of Solstad and its offshore fleet and a fascinating history it is, regarding the Normand Rough and her two sisters. All three vessels were constructed in Marystown Newfoundland, all were the same design,43 metres and 85 tonne bollard pull anchor handling tugs.

All three were lost and sank, the Normand Rough twice.

Normand Rough, launched 1979, lost June 1982 Danish Sector, refloated sold and renamed Lorna B, sank Cook Inlet Alaska in August 1989.

Normand Rock, launched 1978, sold 1981to Britannic Towing became the Anna B, foundered   on the Feb 1988 off the Haisboro light

Normand Ross, launched 1979, sold 1984 became the Scan Partner and went to operate in the Arabian Gulf during the Iran/Iraq war. Attacked and set on fire by Iraqi aircraft while assisting the tanker Barcelona ,she sank with the loss of nine crew in August 1986.

Kenny Polson

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