Wednesday, December 15, 1976 



Weather Air: Medium visibility. Overcast. High southwest 



Conditions winds at 35 knots in late afternoon, veering 



(Daylight) toward east winds at 4 knots toward midnight. 



Sea: Large, 10-foot, waves and swells. 



Argo Merchant 



0700 

 1115 

 1340 

 1630 



Ship aground on Nantucket shoals. 40' 

 Flooding of engine rooms continues . 

 Discharge of oil observed by USCG. 

 Twenty crewmen removed. 



55 'N 69° 33 'W 



USCG 

 Operations 



Overflights 



0700 

 1115 

 1115 

 1315 



Distress call received. 



Strike force boards Argo Merchant. 



USCGC Sherman on scene; remains entire day. 



USCGC Vigilant on scene; remains entire day. 



Plans begun for operations forecasting of oil drift, 



NOAA/USCG 

 SOR Team 

 Operations 



1300 

 1630 

 2100 



Notified by NMFS , 

 Responds . 

 On site. 



Other 

 Operations 



Ship Cruises 



Spill 

 Characteristics 



Unknown . 



Coordination 

 Meetings and 

 Briefings 



Note: All times are Eastern Standard Time. 



II-3 



