C7/​2002M Push Barge PUSKU & PÖLLI 7, Ground­ing in Savon­linna on 11.7.2002

04.05.2004

Tug boat PUSKU was pushing a combination of two barges connected to each other side by side, through the fairway of Kyrönsalmi in Savonlinna on 11.7.2002. The bigger barge called PÖLLI 7 carried mainly birch logs and the smaller barge a timber – handling machine. At the castle Olavinlinna when manoeuvring through the strait of Linnasalmi, the bow of the barge PÖLLI 7 hit the guide fitted on the shore rock of the isle of Linnasaari. As a consequence, the combination turned to the right and drifted into the shallows of the isle of Tallisaari and grounded. The barge PÖLLI 7 got a leakage and a list. A half of logs rolled in the stream and the timber handling machine was damaged. The tug managed to move the barges to the shore of a nearby isle. Floating logs endangered other traffic until they were collected with the help of additional forces. No persons were in danger during the accident.

The accident resulted from the steering of the too wide tug-barge combination having poor manoeuvring capabilities through a difficult navigable strait. Moreover, the crew had manoeuvred this type of combination on a few occasions only and the routine to do it had not accumulated.