The Contribution of Air Cushioned Vehicles in Oil Spill Response

MAC W. McCARTHY and Captain John McGrath

Abstract:
On July 22, 1991, the Tuo Hai, a 46,500 ton Chinese grain carrier, collided with the Tenyo Maru, a 4,800 ton Japanese fish processing ship, off the coast of Washington State. In response to this incident, the Canadian Coast Guard mobilized an SRN-6 hovercraft to provide logistical support to responders on both sides of the international boundary. Based on this experience, it can be argued that the hovercraft offers great potential value in responding to marine oil spills.