Posted on 03/25/2024 11:45:29 PM PDT by Drago
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland which crosses the Patapsco River has reportedly Collapsed within the last few minutes after being Struck by a Large Container Ship
(Excerpt) Read more at x.com ...
“In Maryland’s economy, the Port of Baltimore generates nearly $3.3 billion in total personal income and supports 15,330 direct jobs and 139,180 jobs connected to Port work. The Port also generates more than $395 million in taxes and $2.6 billion in business income. It serves over 50 ocean carriers making nearly 1,800 annual visits”
So in other words, Biden bail out in 3..2..1.
Worth a try.
That is not the correct bridge. In fact what you have circled is actually a tunnel. The bridge is east of your cropped photo.
Its not a Tupperware day boat, its 95,000 tons and takes miles to stop. Besides, such a maneuver at 12 kts on a ladened piece of plastic day boat would have had the same effect of dragging the boat/ship around into the bridge, if it did not rip the whole anchor mechanism right off the boat ... anchors are not breaks!
The term on ships, which is what we are talking about here, is bunker.
BTW, the sailing ship factor of a container ship, tends to not be consistent.
The variety of gaps between the containers, results in many different High and Low Pressure Systems.
That messes with the steering. And the proximity of shoreline terrain also is an affect on the wind direction toward the ship.
Lose power, lose rudder control - it would not have stayed on course.
Better if the USA made everything here. Then these ports would be uneccssary. Instead of a port generating $3.3B in income, manufacturing could multiply that by 10. Plus our money stays here and is not exported to hostile countries.
Were there no tugs around it? Is that normal?
It’s terrorism or the lamest thing I have ever seen.
The span that collapsed was ~1200 feet..
—
spans; beginning on the south side and continuing for several spans to the north. A span is a section supported by pillars. At least 4 went down.
OMG, thanks for the ping! Hope you are well, TSR!
Two concrete barriers were installed some years ago on the Baltimore side of the Key Bridge. This ship was not near either one. The protocol is to drop both anchors to slow the ship. Rarely works when done, but I doubt there was time to do it.
The ship must have lost steerage way back from the bridge, no emergency tugs?
In the final minute before the collision the ships engines were full astern,and IMHO, that actually turned the ship into the pier.The full astern should likely have been done a half mile back from the bridge, maybe they would have had enough time to call a tug m or a fire vessel t nudge her away.
Those poor people on the bridge, the whole double span fell in less than a second.
Thank you for your insight.
This will be a massive insurance claim. The process for underwriting maritime insurance policies and spreading risk among multiple insurance carriers is a complex and specialized one. This is the type of insurance coverage you don’t buy from your local Allstate agent, but from giant international companies like Lloyd’s of London.
I’m doing OK. My current job pays what I think is well for the work that I do, but it’s not good enough for the Bidenflation expenses.
“Helm aim the pointy end towards the spot between the two bridge supports”. Supports that are 4 FOOTBALL FIELDS APART.
No its would just make things worse - and without power no anchor would drop. Anyone who knows anything about ships knows that would be idiotic and likely get some one injured or killed.
tx
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.