The 1200t Alastair IV Jackup barge broke her tow during positioning operations of the coast of the Congo in early 2010. The barge was outfitted with extensive pumping equipment to supply water to inland oil fields. The tow could not be reconnected as the barge had crossed a shallow sand bar which the tug could not cross due to her deeper draft. Small boats could not be deployed to reconnect the tow due to the heavy swell inshore of the sand bar.
