Click for Walker Click for Nordhavn Click for Westport Click for YF Listing Service Click for Burger

R/V Petrel (formerly Paul Allen's) toppled over in drydock

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by Kevin, Mar 28, 2023.

  1. Kevin, Mar 28, 2023
    #1
    Kevin

    Kevin YF Moderator

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2004
    Messages:
    3,090
    Location:
    Montreal, Qc, Canada
    How did we miss this?

    R/V Petrel - currently owned by the US navy, formerly Vulcan Inc./Paul Allen - was in drydock in Scotland when it literally fell over inside the basin, injuring close to 2 dozen workers and crew!

  2. Capt Ralph, Mar 28, 2023
    #2
    Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 8, 2004
    Messages:
    13,651
    Location:
    Satsuma, FL
    Some of us didn't miss it. Just didn't value the snews.
    Was on Gee Captain a week ago.
    Some wind supposed to have blown it over.
    Rite,,,
    Ho Hum.
    The good snews, All are still alive.
    LM Viking likes this.
  3. YachtForums, Mar 28, 2023
    #3
    YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2002
    Messages:
    20,661
    Location:
    South Florida
    Of course it fell over. It has no stabilizers. Easy fix, add a gyro and it will self-right.
    chesapeake46 and Capt Ralph like this.
  4. Kevin, Mar 28, 2023
    #4
    Kevin

    Kevin YF Moderator

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2004
    Messages:
    3,090
    Location:
    Montreal, Qc, Canada
    The video brings up the wind angle, and how unlikely it seems.

    I was always fascinated with the archeological work Mr. Allen did, first with Octopus and then Petrel. It's a shame the estate had to divest of it, returning the ship back to the more mundane work.
  5. Capt Ralph, Mar 28, 2023
    #5
    Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 8, 2004
    Messages:
    13,651
    Location:
    Satsuma, FL
    Like rolling over in dry-dock...
    I'm sorry my friend, I just had to type that.

    The devil made me type that...
    20171021_194129a.jpg
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2023
  6. DOCKMASTER, Mar 28, 2023
    #6
    DOCKMASTER

    DOCKMASTER Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2012
    Messages:
    1,541
    Location:
    Ketchikan, Alaska
    Hard to imagine this was wind. The minimum requirement for side blocks is based on applying a 100 mph wind broadside to the entire sail area of the vessel. This is the standard calculation in the industry. We also use .2g acceleration as a basis for seismic overturning moment. Blocks have to meet both these criteria, whichever requires the highest side block support. More likely a structural failure of the side block base material or wood caps from rot. Perhaps even issues with the dock floor. This is not a Navy combatant but if they followed typical Navy docking standards (known as standard item 1625) all the wood caps would have been new.
    Wonder if we will ever hear the real story of what happened here.
  7. Pascal, Mar 29, 2023
    #7
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 29, 2008
    Messages:
    8,651
    Location:
    Miami, FL
    12 minutes of blah blah blah to conclude “we don’t know what happened”. No - —- Sherlock.
    Capt Ralph and YachtForums like this.
  8. YachtForums, Mar 29, 2023
    #8
    YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2002
    Messages:
    20,661
    Location:
    South Florida
    It’s becoming the norm with so many YouTube videos. Lots of blabber, not a lot of content.
    lobo and Norseman like this.
  9. Yacht News, Mar 29, 2023
    #9
    Yacht News

    Yacht News YF News Editor

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2006
    Messages:
    27,815
    Location:
    Caribbean
    Won't be the first time a yacht tipped over in dry dock. Off the top of my head...the last major one was the 90-meter "Nero".

    Attached Files:

    • Nero.jpg
      Nero.jpg
      File size:
      174.8 KB
      Views:
      562
  10. Kevin, Mar 29, 2023
    #10
    Kevin

    Kevin YF Moderator

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2004
    Messages:
    3,090
    Location:
    Montreal, Qc, Canada
    Blame the algorithms... Youtube (ergo, Facebook) thinks that 10-12 mins is the optimal video length for engagement, ad view time, etc so content creators that are savvy ensure the bulk of their videos fall within certain parameters to optimize the chance of their videos being put in front of viewers eyes.
    LM Viking likes this.
  11. Norseman, Mar 29, 2023
    #11
    Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2005
    Messages:
    3,201
    Location:
    Ft. Lauderdale
    The more I read Yacht Forums the more I am thinking about ditching Facebook, but addicted because it makes it so easy to stay in touch with old friends and mates from previous countries, jobs, ships, etc:
    Everybody and his grandmother are on Facebook.
    How to cut the cord?:confused:
  12. Capt Ralph, Mar 29, 2023
    #12
    Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 8, 2004
    Messages:
    13,651
    Location:
    Satsuma, FL
    It may take a guillotine for you my friend.
    We never were on. Don't miss it a bit and have no problems keeping in touch with those I want to stay in touch with....
    nofacebook.jpg
    chesapeake46, lobo and Norseman like this.
  13. Norseman, Mar 29, 2023
    #13
    Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2005
    Messages:
    3,201
    Location:
    Ft. Lauderdale
    Aye, no guillotine for this cowboy but the French had the right idea back in the day.
    Now, before we get scrubbed and banned here on this thread, back on topic:
    A big boat fell over in a dry dock and 25 crew/workers got injured and then some:
    Unbelievable in 2023, this is low tech and old tech.
    Back in the day I worked on big steel ships and went dry docking twice:, Durban, South Africa and Sandefjord, Norway.
    My ships were pretty much flat bottomed but still had the wooden supports wedged in both sides, just in case, like 50-60 each side.
    We were secure enough sleeping onboard, knowing that a hurricane or an earthquake could not rock the boat.
    No idea how this explorer ship fell on it's ass, but guessing human error would be involved, or force majeure, aliens, whatever.:oops:
  14. Capt Ralph, Mar 29, 2023
    #14
    Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 8, 2004
    Messages:
    13,651
    Location:
    Satsuma, FL
    I do so agree.

    But what do they do in Scotland??
    Minimum casualties, do they care?
    The private sector shuns the yard?
    Heads roll?

    Naw, the boat gets fixed and everybody keeps doing what their doing...
    I'm sure the same outcome for Nero..
  15. Pascal, Mar 29, 2023
    #15
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 29, 2008
    Messages:
    8,651
    Location:
    Miami, FL
    Another question is WTH is the US navy doing getting its research vessels hauled out in Scotland… oh well.. at least it’s not china
  16. Kevin, Mar 29, 2023
    #16
    Kevin

    Kevin YF Moderator

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2004
    Messages:
    3,090
    Location:
    Montreal, Qc, Canada
    In 2020, the Petrel's Facebook page announced that the vessel was going to be moored indefinitely.

    The announcement read:
    After a drydocking in Florida, Petrel sailed for Leith, Scotland, on 16 August 2020 and arrived on 3 September to be laid up.

    The US Navy didn't purchase R/V Petrel until October 2022.
  17. Kevin, Mar 29, 2023
    #17
    Kevin

    Kevin YF Moderator

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2004
    Messages:
    3,090
    Location:
    Montreal, Qc, Canada
    If you think that run-time algorithm is strange, just wait until you start noticing the peculiarity of how many videos across a wide variety of genres have purple or blue backlighting.
  18. DOCKMASTER, Mar 30, 2023
    #18
    DOCKMASTER

    DOCKMASTER Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2012
    Messages:
    1,541
    Location:
    Ketchikan, Alaska
    Not uncommon. They even have full on combatants like Destroyers drydocked in Rota Spain, Yokuska Japan and other places as a matter of routine.
  19. Kevin, Apr 4, 2023
    #19
    Kevin

    Kevin YF Moderator

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2004
    Messages:
    3,090
    Location:
    Montreal, Qc, Canada
    Haven't seen any newer news than this:

    https://news.usni.org/2023/03/27/u-...d-to-investigate-r-v-petrel-dry-dock-incident