 SS Puerto Rican under tow October 31, 1984, approximately 15.5 miles southwest of Point Bonita. US Coast Guard Photo. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Puerto Rican[1] |
| Owner | Bankers Trust Company[1][2] |
| Operator | Keystone Shipping[2] |
| Port of registry | New York, NY[2] |
| Builder | Bethlehem Steel Company, Sparrows Point, Maryland[1] |
| Yard number | 4633[1] |
| Launched | March 19, 1971 |
| Completed | October 8, 1971 (delivery)[3] |
| Identification | Official number: 535000[1] |
| Notes | Ship chartered to PPG Industries, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA[2] |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | LPG Super tanker[1] |
| Tonnage | 20,295 GRT, 34,400 DWT[1] |
| Length | 632 ft (192.6 m)[2] |
| Beam | 90 ft (27.4 m)[2] |
| Depth | 48 ft (14.6 m)[2] |
| Installed power | Oil-fired steam[2] |
The SS Puerto Rican, was an American-flagged tanker disabled by an explosion on October 31, 1984. The 20,295 GRT, 632 ft (192.6 m), tanker was owned by Bankers Trust Company and operated by Keystone Shipping Co. of Philadelphia which burned in an explosion with the stern section sinking just hours after leaving San Francisco bound for New Orleans with a cargo of 91,984 barrels of lubricating oil and additives. In addition to the cargo the ship was fueled with 8,500 barrels of Heavy Fuel Oil (Bunker C) before departure.[2]
The ship had departed just after midnight and was in the process of disembarking the pilot at 3:24 a.m. when an explosion occurred near the No. 6 center-independent tank blowing the pilot Captain James S. Nolan and two crew members into the water. The pilot boat San Francisco rescued the pilot and one of the two crew members.[2]
- ^ a b c d e f g Maritime Administration. "Puerto Rican". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Screening Level Risk Assessment Package Puerto Rican (PDF) (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. March 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- ^ Colton, Tim (October 5, 2014). "Bethlehem Steel Company, Sparrows Point MD". ShipbuildingHistory. Retrieved 26 June 2019.