It’s Baltimore. What are the odds that the pilot was some union/DEI hire who usually slept through the transit? Once again, I know nothing about ships or bridges.
Very low odds. Pilot associations are known for nepotism and chronyism. They are nigh impossible for an outsider to crack and generally beyond outside influence.
Fairly narrow channel Paul...
I used to commute to work by boat in that channel... large vessel traffic was very very straight line.
Remember the grounding near Annapolis last year? Dude got out of the channel (same company or Captain as the Suez mess IIRC).
If you are not actively engaging EVERY enemy you encounter... you are allowing another to fight for you... and that is cowardice... plain and simple.
The shipping industry as a whole have always fought the insurance industry, and pilotage rules...it costs money to charter a tug. But in this case and many others, one or two assist vessels would have saved the day. Foreign flag ownership exacerbates the problem...poorly trained officers, minimum maintenance and safety standards. When there is an incident, the foreign flag owners just declare bankruptcy, move on and start a new company...leaving a pittance in insurance to clean up the aftermath. Mandatory assist tugs from pierside to open water would take almost all the risk away...kinda handy to have 6,000 hp available to the pilot in an instant. In the case of containerships with their huge 'sail area' and tankers, 2 tugs...but oh no...it costs too much.
Well this is a fine pickle we're in, should'a listened to Joe McCarthy and George Orwell I guess.
31k vehicles a DAY went over that bridge. Can't run hazmat into tunnels. Gonna be wild re-routing that traffic.
Re: hazmat....barges, ferries, no?
Theoretically - yes. But I don't know what their average tonnage for hazmat per day would be and if the barge/ferry can carry the truck/trailer to move it. Otherwise you're looking to cross dock it prior, move over water, cross dock again and go onto delivery. Adds days to transit and thousands to cost. Multiple thousands. Not counting the cost of the ferry/barge.
Well yeah, but what's the alternative.
What's the best drive around route and would that be more effective.
Everything will have to go around the West and North sides of the Beltway. If traffic is OK, it's not too bad. If it's rush hour it could add an hour or so.
"Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem." Ronald Reagan
How long do you suppose it will take to get the permits and
paperwork to build a new bridge?
No one is going to have to apply for a permit in this situation.
Correct! We once had some bad flood damaged main arteries locally. I was instructed to “Get them open!” No permits, no erosion control, nothing but “Open the damned roads!!!”
I know virtually nothing about ships, but don’t those big ones run giant diesel engines? Which means a power interruption would not affect the engine, but would affect the steering and control of the engines?
It’s not like they have a stop/start feature like on new cars.
Generally ships, like houses or anything else have interior/exterior lighting on a separate circuit. Likewise navigation, and electronics should be on their own circuits...
They still communicate with the engine room engineering spaces as bridge controls are mostly "fly by wire"
-OMotS
"If memory serves fails me..." Quote: ( unnamed) "been prtty deep in the cooler todaay "
Television and radio are most effective when people question little and think even less.
The shipping industry as a whole have always fought the insurance industry, and pilotage rules...it costs money to charter a tug. But in this case and many others, one or two assist vessels would have saved the day. Foreign flag ownership exacerbates the problem...poorly trained officers, minimum maintenance and safety standards. When there is an incident, the foreign flag owners just declare bankruptcy, move on and start a new company...leaving a pittance in insurance to clean up the aftermath. Mandatory assist tugs from pierside to open water would take almost all the risk away...kinda handy to have 6,000 hp available to the pilot in an instant. In the case of containerships with their huge 'sail area' and tankers, 2 tugs...but oh no...it costs too much.
The article linked said that they had tugs, but had released them prior to the power going out it appears.
"According to Marine Traffic the ship departed the Seagirt Marine Terminal in the Port of Baltimore at approximately 00:30 local time, sailed northwest past the Nuclear Ship Savanah then turned southeast to depart the harbor, released the tugboats, and collided with the bridge at approximately 01:38."
It’s Baltimore. What are the odds that the pilot was some union/DEI hire who usually slept through the transit? Once again, I know nothing about ships or bridges.
Very low odds. Pilot associations are known for nepotism and chronyism. They are nigh impossible for an outsider to crack and generally beyond outside influence.
There were TWO pilots on board, the fact (again) it went dark before ramming the bridge, certainly points to loss of way and steerage with no way of stopping a ship that large.
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
It’s Baltimore. What are the odds that the pilot was some union/DEI hire who usually slept through the transit? Once again, I know nothing about ships or bridges.
Very low odds. Pilot associations are known for nepotism and chronyism. They are nigh impossible for an outsider to crack and generally beyond outside influence.
It’s Baltimore. What are the odds that the pilot was some union/DEI hire who usually slept through the transit? Once again, I know nothing about ships or bridges.
Very low odds. Pilot associations are known for nepotism and chronyism. They are nigh impossible for an outsider to crack and generally beyond outside influence.
There were TWO pilots on board, the fact (again) it went dark before ramming the bridge, certainly points to loss of way and steerage with no way of stopping a ship that large.
It’s Baltimore. What are the odds that the pilot was some union/DEI hire who usually slept through the transit? Once again, I know nothing about ships or bridges.
Very low odds. Pilot associations are known for nepotism and chronyism. They are nigh impossible for an outsider to crack and generally beyond outside influence.
There were TWO pilots on board, the fact (again) it went dark before ramming the bridge, certainly points to loss of way and steerage with no way of stopping a ship that large.
Don't tugs escort ships past obstacles?
Ships are not required to have tugboat escorts when passing under the Francis Scott Key Bridge so they have limited ability to slow down on their own when they lose power and can not put the propeller into reverse.
According to past photos, she is equipped with a bow thruster. However, these are not typically connected to emergency power systems. Even if it were engaged, bow thrusters are designed for slow-speed maneuvers and have a limited ability to push the bow into the wind when the ship’s speed exceeds 5 knots.
It’s Baltimore. What are the odds that the pilot was some union/DEI hire who usually slept through the transit? Once again, I know nothing about ships or bridges.
Very low odds. Pilot associations are known for nepotism and chronyism. They are nigh impossible for an outsider to crack and generally beyond outside influence.
There were TWO pilots on board, the fact (again) it went dark before ramming the bridge, certainly points to loss of way and steerage with no way of stopping a ship that large.
I read that the first time you posted it. I wanted to fill in some blanks for him since he said he knew nothing about it. Oddly, I answered the question he asked. LOL
It’s Baltimore. What are the odds that the pilot was some union/DEI hire who usually slept through the transit? Once again, I know nothing about ships or bridges.
Very low odds. Pilot associations are known for nepotism and chronyism. They are nigh impossible for an outsider to crack and generally beyond outside influence.
There were TWO pilots on board, the fact (again) it went dark before ramming the bridge, certainly points to loss of way and steerage with no way of stopping a ship that large.
Don't tugs escort ships past obstacles?
Yes and no. Typically they only nurse them through docking and departing. In some cases, given the whole of the circumstances, they will stay hooked up to them around other obstacles. In busier ports, it'd take a massive fleet of tugs to get all of the merchant vessels past all of the hazards.
