Thai ship sinks in the Gulf off Prachuap - all aboard are safe but some media report injuries and missing

[mjakob007]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Sukhothai listed in stormy sea while patrolling about 20 miles off Bang Saphan district, Prachuap Khiri Khan.

Seawater entered its engine through its exhaust pipe. Its electricity generator and machines then stopped and the vessel broke down. Seawater then poured in the ship quickly and caused it to list.

Now that solves the need for a submarine for the Naval forces...

This one has an engine as well

 

Happy days are back again

[joecoolfrog]

5 hours ago, sandyf said:

Of course you are, it's like a disease on this forum. Those of us with some military experience will wait for the investigation.

There are families in Scotland still waiting for the US to name the pilot that attacked a Red Cross convoy in 1991. If you are intent on vilifying the military pick something worthwhile.

I agree with you that speculation is pointless , an in depth enquiry is required.

These things are usually fudged though , even in more democratic leaning societies , so I dont suppose any Thai naval mandarins need lose any sleep.

[whaleboneman]

5 hours ago, ourmanflint said:

Another BS story. The amount of water needed to displace a vessel of this size would have to be huge, a broken exhaust would have to have been flooding for hours on end without anyone noticing

The amount of water to cause any ship to list does not have to be that great due to “free surface effect”. And once the ship lists enough, down flooding can sink her in minutes.

[whaleboneman]

4 hours ago, poyai111 said:

Usually an S bend suffices in locking out an ingress of seawater - an airlock if you will. I'm guessing she sprung a leak and the bilge pumps were overwhelmed 

There is no s bend in exhaust. Are you a plumber or something?

[MrJ2U]

It's most likely deferred maintenance and the usual Corruption routed in the Thai military that has resulted in this catastrophe.

 

Not unlike there Russian brethren.

[billd766]

4 hours ago, bangon04 said:

obviously the ones "on deck" were easily saved. The ones below deck were more difficult to get at...

 

The news reports say that 106 crew were on board. Online sources for this class of corvette suggest that the normal crew is 15 officers and 72 enlisted .  

 

So the extra 19 "crew" were maybe extra generals/admirals along for the ride???

The extra crew are more likely have been under training to become part of the ships replacement crew.

[bangon04]

13 minutes ago, billd766 said:

The extra crew are more likely have been under training to become part of the ships replacement crew.

OR:  "The ship was on its way to attend a commemorative event to mark the 100th anniversary of the death of the force’s founder, Prince Abhakara Kiartivongse, in Chonburi province, Vice Adm. Pokkrong said."

[Thaifish]

10 hours ago, Peabody said:

Aren't the exhausts usually way up high? Did they just put a muffler sticking out the transom, like an automobile?

Marine exhausts are not always up high especially on smaller vessels. They are called wet exhausts. Salt water is used to cool the engine through heat exchangers and then discharged overboard via the exhaust.  There's many advantages like less noise/smoke/fumes/cost etc. A disadvantage is if the exhaust breaks/fails internally back flooding can happen. Wet exhausts are usually close to the waterline and yes they can stick out of the transom. I'm not saying this is what happened in this case.

[spidermike007]

That is a large ship to go down in the Gulf. We are not talking about a huge body of very deep water. How does a ship of that size go down? What were the factors? Was the likely lack of maintenance an issue? 

[geisha]

Or, it could have been a moment of absence / concentration from the captain ? That sank the Titanic,  and that Italian cruise ship not long ago ? 

[KhunLA]

There were reports of 4 meter waves, and from the vid, sailors in the rear, since Thai, doubt if they are 2 meter tall.  Compare their height, down to the water line, then 4 meter waves, or higher, would easier breach the rear of the ship.

 

Don't know where the exhaust or electronics would be, but if knocked out, and bilge pumps on the blink.  Toss in 1 or 2 other 'unexpected' things, and you may have a major problem...obviously.

 

Only has a 4.5 meter draught, and in rough seas, that would seem a bit top heavy to me.  Wrong turn on the wrong wave, an once you lose power, your at the mercy of the sea.  Not a place you want to be.

 

[David T Pike]

I've always wanted a Corvette... 

[Scott]

Off-topic post reported and removed.

 

[Iron Tongue]

That ship was foundering for hours. 

With that much time available to get abovedeck and abandon ship, how could 31 sailors be lost with the ship?

There are more questions than answers, and I doubt any official investigation will reveal what actually happened.  

 

Too many admirals' careers are at stake.

 

[KhunLA]

Reports of 10 of the 31 missing were found was incorrect.  Those were actually from a freighter, Anuphum, that also sank.  Along with others:

https://www.khaosod.co.th/breaking-news/news_7421235

 

The Gulf is a busy place...

 

Edited December 19, 2022 by KhunLA

[Tug]

A sad day for Thailand I hope they find more survivors and my deepest condolences to the families of the bereaved.

[webfact]

More than 30 People Reportedly Still in the Sea After Navy Ship Capsizes off of Prachuap

 

 

Prachuap Khiri Khan – A Royal Thai Navy ship capsized off of the Bang Saphan district. 73 crew members have been rescued while approximately 33 are still in the sea.

The Royal Thai Navy Admiral Pokkrong Monthatpalin reported this morning (December 19) that the corvette HTMS Sukhothai navy ship capsized last night around 11:30 P.M (December 18) due to strong waves causing it to list onto its side. Water leaking into the boat caused an electric malfunction and blackout, according to the Royal Thai Navy. The ship sank shortly afterward. 73 navy officers have been rescued while 33 are still in the sea. Four of those rescued were reportedly seriously injured with injuries such as broken legs and major loss of blood.

 

The exact location of the capsizing was about twenty nautical miles offshore of the Bang Saphan District in Prachuap Khiri Khan.  The incident had begun around 5:16 P.M. yesterday, December 18th, when seawater first began to enter the Sukhothai. The engine stopped and the blackout took place around 6:17 PM, and rescue ships began to move to the location of the Sukhothai. At 19:56

 

The Sukhothai tilted to 45 degrees and at 21:03 the Sukhothai tilted to 80 degrees. Life rafts and boats began to be deployed and by 11:46 PM the Sukhothai had officially sunk. Tugboats from Bang Saphan were immediately assisting in rescuing people from the sea. Rescue operations continued overnight.

 

Full story: https://thephuketexpress.com/2022/12/19/more-than-30-people-reportedly-still-in-the-sea-after-navy-ship-capsizes-off-of-prachua/

 

-- © Copyright The Phuket Express 2022-12-20

 

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[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, JoePai said:

Pure incompetence, nothing more nothing less

 

The navy should be disbanded immediately and not give any type of mechanical device again - as a service they are the laughing stock of the world

Idiots playing war games.. and now they want subs and F-35's

sort of explains why their carrier never put to sea...

too far beyond their capabilities to sail it.

 

[Megasin1]

incompetent reporting too....surely they mean over 30 are still missing, if they are just still in the water I would be asking a hard why !!!!

 

17 hours ago, webfact said:

HTMS Sukhothai corvette off Prachuap Khiri Khan province

 

[Enoon]

4 hours ago, KhunLA said:

There were reports of 4 meter waves, and from the vid, sailors in the rear, since Thai, doubt if they are 2 meter tall.  Compare their height, down to the water line, then 4 meter waves, or higher, would easier breach the rear of the ship.

 

Don't know where the exhaust or electronics would be, but if knocked out, and bilge pumps on the blink.  Toss in 1 or 2 other 'unexpected' things, and you may have a major problem...obviously.

 

Only has a 4.5 meter draught, and in rough seas, that would seem a bit top heavy to me.  Wrong turn on the wrong wave, an once you lose power, your at the mercy of the sea.  Not a place you want to be.

 

Twin diesels exhaust out of ringed funnel.

 

Something lower down (door on low-slung afterdeck?) left open?

 

Doubt much "complexity" involved.

 

 

[ozz1]

Can't wait to see what happens when the submarines arrive up periscope down periscope woops

[redwood1]

3 minutes ago, ozz1 said:

Can't wait to see what happens when the submarines arrive up periscope down periscope woops

Yea sub jokes a funny, but it would more or less be a death sentence to be a crew member on a Thai sub....There is no reason on Gods green earth the Thais should have a sub.....Its a very bad idea....

[Xin Loi]

16 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

If they ever get the subs, let's hope they don't use them and just leave them in the dock for kids to play in on Children's Day like the aircraft carrier.  Couldn't bear another drama like the boys in the cave.

I know for sure they have 2 and supposedly bought 2 more. Takes trained people to operate a submarine, and I just don't see them as sea worthy.

 

[Nicholas Paul KNIGHT]

Royal Thai Navy cannot jeep a ship afloat that is why they want submarines is it !! Poor seamanship bottom line , court martial ahead !!

[Xin Loi]

8 hours ago, Thaifish said:

Marine exhausts are not always up high especially on smaller vessels. They are called wet exhausts. Salt water is used to cool the engine through heat exchangers and then discharged overboard via the exhaust.  There's many advantages like less noise/smoke/fumes/cost etc. A disadvantage is if the exhaust breaks/fails internally back flooding can happen. Wet exhausts are usually close to the waterline and yes they can stick out of the transom. I'm not saying this is what happened in this case.

The exhausts on these type are on the second superstructure, top of the ship, right in front of the search radar. It must have been one big wave to get water down those exhausts. Seems high seas are always the excuse for all the "at sea" accidents that occur here, even the civillian ones.....

[smedly]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

while approximately 33 are still in the sea

nobody will be held to account for this 

 

tragic loss of life

 

RIP

[Mattd]

Having worked in the maritime industry all my life, I feel for those sailors that are missing and their families.

At the time of the incident, a vessel I am involved with was / is working in the Gulf of Thailand and was waiting on weather, they were reporting swells of 5 - 6m and winds peaking at close to 50NM  per hour.

Hopefully there will be a thorough investigation in to what went wrong, to sink a vessel of this nature is not as easy as some on this thread think.

From what we are hearing on the grapevine the initial cause was a loss of propulsion for whatever reason, which led to the ship getting beam on to the seas causing her to roll violently (she had a narrow beam), from this water was taken on causing the eventual sinking.

In heavy weather all vessel Masters will point the bow directly in to the weather, this is the only way to safely navigate rough seas.

Since Titanic, all ships are made of watertight compartments, flood one and the vessel will not sink, inclination tests are also done to determine how many degrees of list is the point of no return, again, a compartment can flood and not cause the ship to capsize. This is especially true of Naval ships for damage stability / control.

It is possible that one of the watertight doors below the waterline was open and the flooding was in more than one compartment, until the investigation it is only speculation.

One poster mentioned free surface effect, this can be a very bad situation for a ship, however, if all of the freeing ports are doing their job it should not cause a vessel to sink.

Let's hope the missing guys are found safe.

[ross163103]

I just read that one of the sailors said the seas were 3 meters at the time; a ship of that size should handle 3 meters easily. As one poster mentioned, possibly watertight doors not closed, I tend to think this also. As with most accidents probably multiple issues led to this not just one thing.

Edited December 20, 2022 by ross163103
Spelling

[Mister Fixit]

13 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

I think it had a combination diesl/gas turbine propulsion system. The exhaust from the gas turbine would be large diameter compared to diesel. The ship was Chinese built .........????

 

 

 

Nope, it was built in the USA.

[Jaybott]

Is there any mention of emergency power kicking in?  Once main power is lost, an emergency diesel generator should auto start providing emergency power and lighting.  The EDG is normally not located in the main engine room but in its own watertight compartment with its own fuel tank and the emergency switchboard. 

 

This is a small ship; so no telling where the EDG was located or it could possibly not have an EDG but emergency battery power.  Anyway, emergency power should have been available, at least for awhile.