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Maritime News

MV Dali Hits Baltimore Bridge - Track and Video Analysis

US YouTube channel What Is Going On With Shipping took a detailed look at the marine traffic data and CCTV footage of the allision between MV Dali and the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.  It is an excellent video focussing on what we know about what happened leading up to the impact.  Well worth watching:

https://youtu.be/N39w6aQFKSQ?si=R-8nianscTThfSM7 

What Caused Container Ship To Hit Bridge?

The impact with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, cost six lives and closed two major transport arteries.  The incident will have long-lasting effects, with a replacement bridge likely to take months to clear and years to be re-build. But what happened to cause it, and how could the marine engineering industry do anything to prevent similar incidents happening in future?  The Institution of Mechanical Engineers has some considered thoughts.

Story credit:Chris Stokel-Walker at imeche.org 4^thApr 2024

Links to both of these stories are in Further Reading.

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Boat Chat Focus - Useless Unless Worn

Accidents involving boats are a regular occurrence, sometimes with only minor impact but often with catastrophic outcomes.  The MV Dali allision will probably be one of the most expensive insurance claims in maritime history even with less than 10 deaths.  Whilst the investigations are underway and details of what happened are still patchy, what is slowly emerging is that the response and actions of the crew and pilot undoubtedly saved many lives that night.  The crew dealt with what appears to have been two blackouts (total power loss) in quick succession probably causing a loss of steering and possibly propulsion control.  A prompt Mayday call closed the bridge to routine traffic which will have saved dozens if not hundreds of lives.  The training of those on board paid off and their actions under pressure made a huge difference.

Twice a year the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) publishes its Safety Digest.  Each issue contains several analyses of accidents, some of  them fatal, involving merchant, fishing and recreational vessels.  Edition 1/2024 was published this week and in his introduction, the Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents Andrew Moll OBE, encouraged all seafarers to engage in ‘precautionary thought’.  This process is intended to focus minds on the activity at hand, the risks involved and the equipment and training required.

Reading the Safety Digest allows an opportunity for any seafarer on any vessel to consider the situations others have found themselves in.  From this comes an opportunity to learn from the mistakes and experiences of others and to consider the lessons identified by the MAIB.  This can help us evaluate the level of preparedness of ourselves and our own vessel’s safety equipment and our skills in using it.

“It is essential that you learn from the mistakes of others – you will never live long enough to make them all yourself”.

Many readers will remember the ‘Useless Unless Worn’ campaign for the wearing of lifejackets by the RNLI and RoSPA a few years back.  This philosophy can equally apply to the other safety equipment found on many vessels.  Some of the stories in Safety Digest tragically illustrate this point. 

In this edition are two analyses involving fisherman who went overboard (Articles 15 and 18).  In the first a crew member became entangled in the string of pots being shot through the transom and was dragged overboard.  In very similar circumstances, the second accident also involved the lone skipper getting caught in the gear being shot and dragged into the sea.  The main difference between these two accidents was that the crewman in the first was wearing a lifejacket or PFD (Personal Flotation Device) to give it its proper name.  Whilst in the second, the skipper’s PFD and PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) were still in the wheelhouse.  The first fisherman was recovered wet but uninjured, the second was also recovered but could not be resuscitated and died

Article 2 considered the collision between a classic yacht and a dredger on a clear day with excellent visibility.  The dredger’s officer of the watch was navigating on ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System) and had AIS (Automatic Identification System) and radar running.  However, they were not maintaining a proper visual lookout and were distracted by a colleague on the bridge at the time of collision. The yacht was sailing on port tack with the sails obscuring the dredger approaching from starboard.  The yacht was fitted with radar but this was not switched on as the weather was good.  When the dredger emerged from the blind sector caused by the sails, the yacht helm realised the impending danger and took immediate evasive action resulting in minor damage only to the yacht.  Had the yacht’s radar been active, the dredger would have had a much clearer image of the vessel on its bridge displays.  An active AIS would have enabled a collision alarm to sound on both vessels.  Having both running on the yacht would most likely have averted the incident.

Boat Chat loves the slogan ‘Useless Unless Worn’ and thinks it could be expanded to Useless Unless Fitted / Carried / Activated / Updated / Monitored as needed for all safety equipment.  Seafarers might wish to keep this in mind when considering the preparedness of themselves and their vessel. Here are some broad ranging safety questions worth asking on a regular basis:

• Do I have a start-up and pre-departure checklist?

• Is my safety equipment up to date and fit for purpose?

• Do I need to upgrade my safety gear?

• Do I know how to use all of the safety gear?

• When did I last practice man overboard?

• When did I last actually lift an uncooperative body out of the water?

• Have I carried out a proper hose test of the bilge pumps and scuppers this year?

• Are safety gear location labels fitted?

• Is my safety brief up to date and effective?

• Are my charts up to date?

• Is there sufficient gin, tonic water and red wine on board?

There is no universal set of questions and this is where ‘precautionary thought’ comes in.  For example, if the previous owner of the Category B yacht you just bought only ever went to his favourite anchorage / drinking hole and back, is the safety gear still appropriate and serviceable for offshore cruising?  Or perhaps consider if as the proud holder of a shiny new Yachtmaster Offshore ticket, it is time to upgrade your PFD and fit it with a PLB?

In the UK military we have for many years relied upon the Seven Ps to help with this:

‘Prior Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance’. 

This past fortnight has seen two new videos uploaded to the channel.  This first looked at how simple defects in the ships log sensor can rob you of crucial speed data. 

The second looked at hull numbering on yachts built before the RCD was introduced.

The White Hat Marine Surveying channel is all about boats and is for anyone interested in boating, whether they be boat owners, brokers, marine surveyors or are thinking about buying a boat.

Product Review

A good quality PFD /lifejacket is a very worthwhile investment. I’ve been using my Spinlock Deckvest 6D 170N automatic life jacket now for nearly 3 years.  It is a very comfortable jacket with excellent fit and I rarely notice it whilst moving around in the boat.  They are easy to service and servicing parts are readily available.

To make a great PFD even better, you can fit a slimline Personal Locator Beacon inside. The OceanSignal MOB1 MOB1 can alert any AIS enabled vessel within 5 miles to help them find you in the water, ideal for those sailing on crewed vessels or within a fleet.

For the single-handers at risk of being separated from their vessel, a better choice of PLB would be the OceanSignal rescueME PLB3 which alerts global maritime rescue centres via 406MHz satellite communications and also broadcasts a 121.5MHz homing signal to rescue assets.

Great Kit Ideas

With the sailing season getting underway, it is time to start thinking about new gear for the boat owners or marine surveyors in your life or as a treat for your boat. I have put together several collections on Kit.Co which are all personally recommended items and most of which I own.

From boat safety equipment to books about sailing and the tools and books a marine surveyor needs; there really is something for everyone!

Boaty Terminology

Allision (Often confused with collision) - When a moving ship impacts another moving ship that is a collision.  When a ship hits a stationary object be that another vessel or structure, it is properly called an allision.

Links To Further Reading

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