It is a tough deal anyway you look at it. I would suspect the owners of the ship will have to pay for all damages and the lives lost. Somehow you know ship's Captain going to have to pay the price for this incident.
Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapses.
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I like this quote from the article:
"Researcher Mike Rothschild, who has written books about QAnon and other conspiracy theories, said it has become "standard" for any unexpected event 'to be run through a filter of conspiracy theories based on the personal brand of the person spreading the theory.'"
They say that if I had dropped anchor, I might have slowed down in time. At least that's what an acquaintance told me, who was working with merchant ships. I don't know if this is effective at a time of such gravity. I don't understand anything about ships or navigation. Damn it.
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The ship’s captain is a foreign national of a Singapore flagged ship owned my a Denmark shipping company in international waters.
That’s why since 1789 America puts an American pilot on those big ships until it clears the harbor.
The proper authorities have confined all the crew to the ship. My wife thinks that’s awful.
I think they need to stay there, for now.
Yeah, that really doesn't work for a 115,000 ton vessel dropping a hook at speed into a muddy bottom. If doing so worked I'll eat my captain's hat!
And if it worked, the port anchor holding would cause the vessel to swing, but pivoting so that it would have been more broadside to the bridge as it collided.
Not necessarily... if the port anchor was dropped, and bit (even if it was dragged), the stern would have swung starboard, not the bow... especially if at speed.
The video shows the opposite, a hard turn to starboard at the bow. That leads me to think that power and propulsion may have been restored, but steering may have still been having an issue... or, the rudders just didn't have time to catch up with the mass of the ship.
Either way. I'm looking forward to seeing the outcome of the investigation.
Hell I rember when on my Dads shrimp boat trying to stop , full astern was not on a dime, imagine a colossal,thing like that container ship, history on that ship should have been 2 tugs on standby near the bridge. I Garronte!
It's surely impossible to aportion any level of blame prior to conclusion of any investigation. I am no expert, but can only imagine the complexity of maritime insurance. There are multiple facets to this incident.
Tugs could have saved the day, but it's also possible they could have altered course by only a small bit.
Engines full astern still takes forever to stop 115,000 tons.
My dad told a story about a "hot shot" fishing boat captain coming to dock at speed. He liked to call for reverse and spin the wheel so the vessel settled nicely parallel to the wharf. He called for reverse and ... the engine responded with a cough and then silence. The boat came to rest, jammed between piling, the dock inches from the wheelhouse.
I suspect a group of insurers will be footing the bill, Lloyds of London quite possibly.
Didn't say it would, just the name of the maneuver. I'd be surprised if it didn't rip that side of the ship out.
The first concern is six foreign nationals who were construction workers on the bridge are dead, and if they are not properly documented watch the hammer of the Lord fall on whoever hired them.
But since the bridge is owned by Maryland we hope the contractor used eVerify. If so the Maryland Worker’s Compensation system will immediately pick up the tab for an employment accident.
E-Verify - Wikipedia
As to ultimate liability of who pays for the ship and cargo and the damages to the bridge, it will be determined by maritime law in the District Court of Maryland.
Admiralty Cases | District of Maryland | United States District Court
This may be the most expensive maritime event in history.
Reinsurers to bear the bulk of insured cost of Baltimore bridge collapse, says AM Best - Reinsurance News
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge near the Port of Baltimore, Maryland yesterday is expected to drive billions of dollars in insured losses,
www.reinsurancene.ws
Keeping everyone on the ship is standard for a marine incident. It's no worse than them being confined to the ship when it's underway in the middle of the ocean.The ship’s captain is a foreign national of a Singapore flagged ship owned my a Denmark shipping company in international waters.
That’s why since 1789 America puts an American pilot on those big ships until it clears the harbor.
The proper authorities have confined all the crew to the ship. My wife thinks that’s awful.
I think they need to stay there, for now.
You also mentioned the cost of this incident. It may turn out to be the most expensive but I'm thinking the Exxon Valdez may still be the most expensive.
If the Texas City Disaster of 1947 was classified as a maritime incident instead of industrial accident (the fire started on a French registered vessel loaded with over 2,000 tons of ammonia nitrate. I think it would be right up there in overall cost. I've read several books about it and the photos of the aftermath have been compared to the photos of Nagasaki after the atomic bomb was dropped.
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Didn't imply that you said it would!
Anchors tend to skid along the bottom if the vessel is moving- at least in my experience in setting anchors. Unless of course, it snags on a huge ledge or other immovable underwater object, then all bets are off- big damage to the bow and side of ship, or if lucky, the chain parts before that.
I'm sure by the time the NTSB finishes the report they will find a way to blame the Coast Guard.
Deleted post due to argumentative nature. Also deleted post which spawned the now gone reply. No politics!
Let's stay on topic of this disaster, please.
Let's stay on topic of this disaster, please.
I work for an outfit that offloads raw materials in Baltimore. We’re lucky that the day prior 45 days worth of material was offloaded.
We have contingency plans, and should be okay.
I wonder about the rest of the Port’s customers.
We have contingency plans, and should be okay.
I wonder about the rest of the Port’s customers.
tidbit, Dad worked in Texas City for Chicago Bridge and Iron, we moved back to Louisiana 2 weeks before the blast. Went back went they let people back in and it was complete wreckage.
An article on prevention of bridge collapses.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
When they put it back they’ll protect it from a similar cargo ship strike.
One question I’d like answered.
The Key bridge was a steel truss bridge with reinforced concrete supports.
Those supports had a lot of weight pressing down on them and were sunk quite a ways deep.
How did a 100,000 ton ship move a concrete support, enough to bring down the bridge?
Normally the support wins any contest between a ship and a bridge, I’d think.
How a $3m structural 'flaw' led to catastrophic collapse of Baltimore bridge - Times of India
The operators of the Dali cargo ship issued a mayday call that the vessel had lost power moments before the crash, but the ship still headed toward the span at “a very, very rapid speed," Maryland governor Wes Moore said. The 985-foot-long (300-meter-long) vessel struck one of the 1.6-mile...
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
When they put it back they’ll protect it from a similar cargo ship strike.
One question I’d like answered.
The Key bridge was a steel truss bridge with reinforced concrete supports.
Those supports had a lot of weight pressing down on them and were sunk quite a ways deep.
How did a 100,000 ton ship move a concrete support, enough to bring down the bridge?
Normally the support wins any contest between a ship and a bridge, I’d think.
I saw on social media that this ship the "Dali" has history with this, seems like it ran into the wharf at another terminal and cause severe damage too. Things that make you go hmmmmmm 