So, what do we know about the bridge, in hindsight.

[Orangecat]

Port of Baltimore closed for how long?
How will that impact the shithole city?

 

[SavannahMann]

The consequences of hitting the bridge are now revealed. No other infrastructure was as critical as the bridge.

Go to google earth, count the bridges between Baltimore Harbor and the sea. Look at how many turns are there. Get back with me.

 

[Dadoalex]

No! The danger is at its greatest when the ship doesn't have enough way on to have adequate helm. Don't try to rewrite the history of navigation!

True!

Anyone has ever tried to power load a pontoon boat in high cross winds knows EXACTLY what you mean.

 

[Dadoalex]

After the ship pilot called in an emergency the authorities had enough time to close the road to keep vehicles off the bridge. Why didn't anyone think to call the workers on the bridge?

It was probably not on the checklist.

 

[Donald H]

?

We're already not getting the whole story. More of an issue than tugs not being there for obvious reasons, is the fact that the ship veered to starboard during it's course to hitting the most vulnerable part of the bridge. It has to be determined that the small course correction to starboard which was the exact heading required, wasn't on purpose. Or possibly not altered by the ship's wheel control.

Forget the tugs, they're not applicable, simply because they aren't! Duhhhhh!

 

[SavannahMann]

Of course the tugs would rush to the ship, but wouldn't be effective until the ship's way was reduced to about 2 knots. There's a good reason why tugs don't escort ships out of harbours except in circumstances where the ship can't make enough speed to develop a steady helm.

I'm afraid we won't be getting much more of the true story on this event. Secrecy will be necessary.

It won’t be secrecy. It will be patience. Our society has become accustomed to instant gratification. In the time it will take to do the investigation we will lose interest and consider it ancient, not old, news.

Especially when you throw in the need to consider the bridge.

 

[Woodznutz]

There was an experienced pilot at the helm.

Graveyards are filled with experienced pilots of all sorts that lost control of their 'vessels'.

 

[SavannahMann]

It was probably not on the checklist.

Two cops close by closed the road. Probably by parking their cars across the roadway. That didn’t take an hour. On the radio recording they were asking about workers on the bridge when the ship struck it.

Total time was a few minutes. You do everything you can, but you’ll never get it all. There was no checklist. No time to find it and read it, even if there was one.

 

[Donald H]

True!

Anyone has ever tried to power load a pontoon boat in high cross winds knows EXACTLY what you mean.

Sure! It's elementary. But what bothers me most is the slight course correction to starboard. We have no information on winds and tidal currents.

 

[Woodznutz]

We're already not getting the whole story. More of an issue than tugs not being there for obvious reasons, is the fact that the ship veered to starboard during it's course to hitting the most vulnerable part of the bridge. It has to be determined that the small course correction to starboard which was the exact heading required, wasn't on purpose. Or possibly not altered by the ship's wheel control.

Forget the tugs, they're not applicable, simply because they aren't! Duhhhhh!

We'll never know. The tugboats left off minutes before the crash.

 

[Dadoalex]

Graveyards are filled with experienced pilots of all sorts that lost control of their 'vessels'.

So would replacing them with inexperienced pilots change that outcome?

 

[SavannahMann]

Sure! It's elementary. But what bothers me most is the slight course correction to starboard. We have no information on winds and tidal currents.

The reports I’ve read said that the Pilot dropped anchor in a desperate attempt to stop the ship. Maybe the right anchor went first.

 

[jwoodie]

No! The danger is at its greatest when the ship doesn't have enough way on to have adequate helm.

Shouldn't that have been taken under consideration?

Don't try to rewrite the history of navigation!

Don't try to bolster your argument with sarcasm!

 

[Missourian]

It won’t be secrecy. It will be patience. Our society has become accustomed to instant gratification. In the time it will take to do the investigation we will lose interest and consider it ancient, not old, news.

Especially when you throw in the need to consider the bridge.

Agreed...not only do we (messageboard posters) not have the answers...we don't even understand what questions need answering yet.

 

[Donald H]

We'll never know. The tugboats left off minutes before the crash.

So far we know that the tugs and the pilots acted correctly.

Other than the question of a possible course correction to starboard to line up exactly with the bridge supports. That could be because of wind and tidal currents.

 

[Donald H]

Shouldn't that have been taken under consideration?

Your question doesn't make sense.

Don't try to bolster your argument with sarcasm!

See my answer. Ask sensible questions.

 

[WEATHER53]

The reports I’ve read said that the Pilot dropped anchor in a desperate attempt to stop the ship. Maybe the right anchor went first.

When the power comes back on is the exact moment the rear starts to slide and the bow turns right. Then it goes dark again
Almost like during the outage they did things that when the power came back on something inadvertent like engines increasing speed occurred, went dark again and glided directly into bridge.

 

[Donald H]

When the power comes back on is the exact moment the rear starts to slide and the bow turns right. Then it goes dark again
Almost like during the outage they did things that when the power came back on something inadvertent like engines increasing speed occurred, went dark again and glided directly into bridge.

You've accidentally hit on another possible reason for the course change to starboard. I won't tell you but you could ask our admiral why?

That would show that he might know 'something'?

And for the few who aren't totally braindead on the subject, it could also be the reason why the ship lost power twice.

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

After the ship pilot called in an emergency the authorities had enough time to close the road to keep vehicles off the bridge. Why didn't anyone think to call the workers on the bridge?

• Around 01:27:25 a.m.: The pilot issued a radio call over the VHF radio, reporting that the vessel had lost all power and was approaching the bridge. Around this time, the transit authority duty officer radioed two of its units — one on each side of the bridge — that were already on scene and ordered them to close traffic on the bridge. All lanes were then shut down.

• Around 01:29 a.m.: The ship’s foward speed was recorded at just under 8 miles per hour. From this moment until around 1:29:33, the VDR audio recorded sounds consistent with a crash at the bridge. MDTA dash cameras show the bridge lights extinguishing.

• 01:29:39 a.m.: The pilot radioed the US Coast Guard to report the bridge was down.

Just...not enough time~

 

[WEATHER53]

You've accidentally hit on another possible reason for the course change to starboard. I won't tell you but you could ask our admiral why?

That would show that he might know 'something'?

And for the few who aren't totally braindead on the subject, it could also be the reason why the ship lost power twice.

Who is our admiral?
I believe the on and off will be causal And they did something while power was off thinking that’s what they had to deal with but when power came back on there may have been something they did with power off that they could not undo when power came back on, the boat turned to the right, lost power again and glided into the bridge