Bouchard #65; Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts coast

Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts coast | 1977-Jan-28

Initial Notification: On the afternoon of January 28, 1977, the barge Bouchard #65 grounded in a water depth of 17 feet in the ice covered waters of Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. The barge was carrying 76,191 barrels of Number 2 heating oil. The grounding ruptured four of the seven tanks, initially spilling 95 barrels of oil. The Bouchard #65 was towed 4 miles north to Wings Neck where it was grounded intentionally to prevent its sinking and the further release of oil. On the morning of January 29, the Bouchard #85 arrived to begin offloading the oil remaining on the barge. Later that day the Atlantic Strike Team (AST) arrived to assist in the offloading operations. The Bouchard #65 continued to leak oil during the tow to Wings Neck and during lightering operations. The barge was then towed to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy on January 29 where offloading operations continued. On January 30, the barge was finally towed to Boston, Massachusetts where the remaining cargo was offloaded. USCG district 1. Keyword: Atlantic Strike Team (AST), skimmer, vacuum truck, adverse weather conditions, suction operations, lightering..