Old Cargo Ship Sinks While Being Towed Because of Flooding in the Engine Room

The tug Capt. Beau set out to tow the aging and troubled Carib Trader II from Miami to Haiti, but encountered a series of problems that led to the cargo ship sinking off the coast of Cuba. The Carib Trader II had a history of inspection deficiencies and had previously been found carrying cocaine. Despite being detained in Miami for safety issues, the owner arranged to tow the vessel to Haiti for repairs in February 2022. The Coast Guard signed off on the tow plan, and the crew of the Capt. Beau set up a tow with a bridle of Spectra, chain and wire rope.

While under way off the coast of Cuba, the tow line parted, and the crew discovered that the Carib Trader II had taken on water and was listing to starboard. Despite efforts to pump out the water, the situation continued to deteriorate, and the vessel ultimately sank. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the likely cause of the sinking was an unidentified leak in the engine room below the waterline, as the freighter had not been drydocked in years, and the condition of the hull was unknown. The NTSB also assessed that the rough sea conditions and unexpected sources of drag contributed to the parting of the towline.

The sinking of the Carib Trader II highlighted the vessel’s troubled history and the challenges faced by the crew of the Capt. Beau during the towing operation. The NTSB’s investigation revealed the likely cause of the sinking and the factors that led to the parting of the towline, shedding light on the series of events that ultimately led to the cargo ship’s demise off the coast of Cuba.

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