The SS Torrey Canyon was a Long Range 2 (LR2) Suezmax class oil tanker built in 1959 by Newport News Shipbuilding in the United States. Originally designed with a deadweight tonnage of 65,920 long tons (66,980 tonnes), the vessel was later enlarged by Sasebo Heavy Industries in Japan to achieve a cargo capacity of 118,285 long tons (120,183 tonnes) of crude oil. She measured approximately 974.4 feet (297.0 meters) in length, with a beam of 125.4 feet (38.2 meters) and a draught of about 68.7 feet (20.9 meters). The ship was owned by Barracuda Tanker Corporation, a subsidiary of the Union Oil Company of California, and registered in Liberia, though she was chartered to BP. Her final voyage began on 19 February 1967, after departing from the Kuwait National Petroleum Company refinery at Mina, Kuwait, with a full cargo of crude oil. She headed towards Milford Haven in Wales, passing through the Atlantic, and reached the Canary Islands on 14 March. On 18 March 1967, the SS Torrey Canyon ran aground on Pollard's Rock, part of the Seven Stones reef situated between the Cornish mainland and the Isles of Scilly. The grounding led to her breaking up over subsequent days. The ship's wreck became a significant environmental disaster, prompting a dramatic response. The British government ordered efforts to set the vessel on fire to mitigate the oil spill, involving air strikes from the Fleet Air Arm and Royal Air Force. Bombing campaigns utilized bombs, napalm, and jet fuel, culminating in the sinking of the vessel after repeated attempts. The wreck lies at approximately 30 meters depth and became notable as the largest vessel ever wrecked at the time. The disaster prompted extensive environmental cleanup efforts, including the use of containment booms and bio-remediation techniques. An inquiry attributed blame to the ship's master, Pastrengo Rugiati, citing navigational shortcuts and a design fault that prevented timely steering adjustments. The wreck and the incident's aftermath remain significant in maritime environmental history, highlighting the risks associated with large oil tankers and the challenges of spill containment.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.