MT Sidsel Knutsen
Encyclopedia
Design
The Sidsel Knutsen is 533 feet (162.5 m) long and is owned and operated by Knutsen O.A.S. Shipping. The Sidsel Knutsen is designed for the shipping of oil products, including gasoline, plain crude oil, and biodieselBiodiesel
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
. The Sidsel Knutsen also has a sistership, the Turid Knutsen, which is also a tanker, and was built in 1993. The home port of both ships is Haugesund
Haugesund
is a town and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.-Location:Haugesund was separated from Torvastad as a town and municipality of its own in 1855. The rural municipality of Skåre was merged with Haugesund on January 1, 1958. Haugesund is a small municipality, only 73 km²...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Both ships are capable of hauling 5,000 tons of cargo and are commonly loaded with over 1,000,000 gallons of various liquids. The Sidsel Knutsen makes frequent trips from Norway to the United States to pick up loads of biodiesel and deliver them to European ports. The company that the Sidsel Knutsen gets her biodiesel from is Lake Erie Biofuels, Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
. It is a major producer of biofuel in the United States.
2001
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
in October, 2001. A mail boat, J. W. Westcott II
J. W. Westcott II
The J.W. Westcott II is a boat that serves to deliver mail to other vessels, and also provides a pilot boat service to ferry pilots to and from other vessels. The ship operates out of Detroit, Michigan and is the only floating post office in the world, that delivers mail to other ships, as they are...
, capsized shortly after 0700 on an October morning as she was delivering a pilot
Maritime pilot
A pilot is a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours or river mouths. With the exception of the Panama Canal, the pilot is only an advisor, as the captain remains in legal, overriding command of the vessel....
to Sidsel Knutsen. Westcott’s captain, Catherine Nasiatka, 48, and deckhand David Lewis, 50, were killed in the accident. Two Canadian pilots who were aboard Westcott swam to safety in the fast-moving river that separates Detroit from Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
. The Sidsel Knutsen was unharmed by the incident because of her large size and steel hull.
2010
On August 3, 2010 the Sidesel Knusten lost engine power after sustaining an engine fire when traveling north along the St. Clair RiverSt. Clair River
The St. Clair River is a river in central North America which drains Lake Huron into Lake St Clair, forming part of the international boundary between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan...
. The ship hit a buoy and swung around and headed for the seawall, the ship dropped its anchor before making contact and was only 10 feet from the seawall. This occurred near The Voyageur restaurant during operational hours. No injuries were reported. The ship was repaired and was back in service on August 8, 2010.