PLATFORM: An image from the marinetraffic.com website of the Stena Clyde oil platform on fire.
SHIP spotters in the early hours of last Wednesday morning were treated to the sight of a massive oil platform lit up like a Christmas tree being towed north past Narooma.
The platform was spotted by Harry Bate of Tilba Tilba who had earlier been alerted to it by Ray Harrop of Cuttagee, whose computer is activated to receive signals from passing ships.
The platform turned out to be the Stena Clyde, which has had a bit of a chequered history in the Bass Straight including an explosion some years back, and which was being towed by the tugs Farfosna and Lady Sandra.
The tugs could be seen on the shipping map 700 to 800 metres ahead of the oil platform with all three of them about 30km offshore and heading north at 3.3knots.
Bound the Brisbaine, the oil platform is listed as possibly going to new oil and gas grounds off Papua New Guinea.