Mighty Servant 2
Encyclopedia
Mighty Servant 2 was a 29,000-ton heavy-lift ship operated by Dockwise
, noted for transporting from Dubai
to Newport, Rhode Island
, in 1988.
The ship was built in 1983 by Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.
in Oshima
, Japan
, for Dutch
shipping firm Wijsmuller Transport, which merged in 1993 with Dock Express Shipping to become Breda
-based offshore heavy lifting group Dockwise Shipping B.V.
The vessel capsized in 1999 and was scrapped in 2000.
s, semi-submersible
s and spars with drafts of up to 14 metres. Most of the ship's cargoes were oil platforms and related gear. When loading its mammoth burdens, the ship took thousands of tons of water into ballast tanks, submerging its cargo deck underwater. The cargo would be floated into position, whereupon Mighty Servant 2 would slowly pump out its ballast, lifting the deck up to sailing position.
to Newport, Rhode Island
after the guided missile frigate struck a mine
in the Persian Gulf
on 14 April 1988. The 125-meter frigate barely fit on Mighty Servant 2s cargo deck; holes had to be cut to accommodate the frigate's sonar dome and stabilizing fins. The loading, which was supervised by divers and underwater video monitors, took about 12 hours, thanks to gaps measured in mere centimetres. About 20 of the frigate's 200-man crew remained aboard during the 8,100-mile, 30-day voyage.
n island of Singkep
(0.48°S 104.2°E). The ship was en route from Singapore
to Cabinda
, Angola
, bearing the North Nemba Topsides 8,790-ton offshore production module. The vessel tipped onto its side in 35 meters of water in reportedly calm seas. A hydrographic survey of the area later discovered an unmarked single isolated pinnacle of granite directly on the ship's course. Five crew members perished, including two Dutch and two Filipino
men. Mighty Servant 2 was declared a total loss. In 2000, the wreck was transported to Alang, India and scrapped.
s, Mighty Servant 1
, built in 1983, and Mighty Servant 3, built in 1984. Both were built for Wijsmuller Transport.
On 6 December 2006, Mighty Servant 3 sank in 62 meters of water near the port of Luanda
, Angola
, while offloading the drilling platform Aleutian Key. There were no casualties. In August 2009, Dockwise Shipping reported it had been returned to service.
Dockwise
-History:Dockwise was formed in September 1993 by the merger of two complementary companies, Wijsmuller Transport and Dock Express Shipping , becoming the world's largest seagoing heavy transport shipping company. The combined company operated from a new headquarters in Meer , Belgium...
, noted for transporting from Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
to Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, in 1988.
The ship was built in 1983 by Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.
Oshima Shipbuilding
Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. is a privately held Japanese shipbuilding company. The company was founded on February 7, 1973 and began operations in June 1974. It is a joint venture between Sumitomo Corporation, Sumitomo Heavy Industries, and the Daizo Corporation.-History:Oshima launched its...
in Oshima
Oshima
-Places: :** Nii Ōshima Island, part of Niihama in Ehime Prefecture** Ōshima, Ehime, an island connected by the Hakata-Ōshima Bridge and the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, for Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
shipping firm Wijsmuller Transport, which merged in 1993 with Dock Express Shipping to become Breda
Breda
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance...
-based offshore heavy lifting group Dockwise Shipping B.V.
Dockwise
-History:Dockwise was formed in September 1993 by the merger of two complementary companies, Wijsmuller Transport and Dock Express Shipping , becoming the world's largest seagoing heavy transport shipping company. The combined company operated from a new headquarters in Meer , Belgium...
The vessel capsized in 1999 and was scrapped in 2000.
Service
Mighty Servant 2 was capable of carrying the heaviest semi-submersible drilling units, harsh-environment deep-water jack-up rigs and large floating production tension-leg platformTension-leg platform
A Tension-leg platform or Extended Tension Leg Platform is a vertically moored floating structure normally used for the offshore production of oil or gas, and is particularly suited for water depths greater than 300 metres and less than 1500 meters...
s, semi-submersible
Semi-submersible
A semi-submersible is a specialised marine vessel with good stability and seakeeping characteristics. The semi-submersible vessel design is commonly used in a number of specific offshore roles such as for offshore drilling rigs, safety vessels, oil production platforms and heavy lift cranes.The...
s and spars with drafts of up to 14 metres. Most of the ship's cargoes were oil platforms and related gear. When loading its mammoth burdens, the ship took thousands of tons of water into ballast tanks, submerging its cargo deck underwater. The cargo would be floated into position, whereupon Mighty Servant 2 would slowly pump out its ballast, lifting the deck up to sailing position.
USS
Samuel B. Roberts Her most famous job was the July 1988 haulage of the U.S. Navy's from DubaiDubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
to Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
after the guided missile frigate struck a mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
on 14 April 1988. The 125-meter frigate barely fit on Mighty Servant 2s cargo deck; holes had to be cut to accommodate the frigate's sonar dome and stabilizing fins. The loading, which was supervised by divers and underwater video monitors, took about 12 hours, thanks to gaps measured in mere centimetres. About 20 of the frigate's 200-man crew remained aboard during the 8,100-mile, 30-day voyage.
Loss
Mighty Servant 2 capsized on 2 November 1999 near the IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n island of Singkep
Singkep
Singkep is an island in the Lingga Archipelago in Indonesia. Its area is . It is separated from the east coast of Sumatra by the Berhala Strait. It is surrounded by islands P. Posik to the west, P. Serak to the SW, P. Lalang to the South, and P. Selayar of Riau Islands between Lingga and...
(0.48°S 104.2°E). The ship was en route from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to Cabinda
Cabinda (province)
Cabinda is an exclave and province of Angola, a status that has been disputed by many political organizations in the territory. The capital city is also called Cabinda. The province is divided into four municipalities - Belize, Buco Zau, Cabinda and Cacongo.Modern Cabinda is the result of a fusion...
, Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, bearing the North Nemba Topsides 8,790-ton offshore production module. The vessel tipped onto its side in 35 meters of water in reportedly calm seas. A hydrographic survey of the area later discovered an unmarked single isolated pinnacle of granite directly on the ship's course. Five crew members perished, including two Dutch and two Filipino
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
men. Mighty Servant 2 was declared a total loss. In 2000, the wreck was transported to Alang, India and scrapped.
Sister ships
Mighty Servant 2 had two sister shipSister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
s, Mighty Servant 1
Mighty Servant 1
Mighty Servant 1 is a 29,000-ton heavy-lift ship capable of carrying very large vessels and offshore platforms. built for Dutch shipping firm Wijsmuller Transport, which merged in 1993 with Dock Express Shipping to become Breda-based offshore heavy lifting group, Dockwise Shipping B.V...
, built in 1983, and Mighty Servant 3, built in 1984. Both were built for Wijsmuller Transport.
On 6 December 2006, Mighty Servant 3 sank in 62 meters of water near the port of Luanda
Luanda
Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...
, Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, while offloading the drilling platform Aleutian Key. There were no casualties. In August 2009, Dockwise Shipping reported it had been returned to service.