Ulster Oil Transport Corp. v. Matton No. 20 . Petroleum No. 7 . Carutica‪.‬

Shortly after 9:00 oclock in the evening of October 4, 1947, a collision occurred in the Mohawk River section of the New York State Barge Canal about one mile west of Lock 12, between the Motor Vessel "Carutica" and the barge "Petroleum No. 7," which the tug "Matton No. 20" had in tow pushboat fashion. The weather was clear, there was no wind or current to speak of, the visibility was good and all required lights were burning and in good order on each vessel. The "Carutica," 296.9 feet in length, with a beam of 43 1/2 feet, was a grain carrier consisting of three separate units fastened together to make a rigid vessel, the after section being a power unit where the engines, pilot house and crews quarters were located. The "Petroleum No. 7" was a tank barge 200 feet long, with a beam of 40 1/2 feet, attached by cables to the stem of the "Matton No. 20," 77.8 feet in length with a beam of 20 feet, an over-all length of 277.8 feet. The "Carutica" was eastbound and the tug and barge were westbound as each approached a sharp bend in the river, the peak or apex of which was about midway between two red-lighted buoys numbered 258 and 260, where the channel was 300 feet wide. The collision occurred between buoy 258 and buoy 260 abreast of buoy 251.