With the 95,000-ton cargo ship Dali powerless and hurtling helplessly toward the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the harbor pilot commanding the vessel had just minutes to make his last, desperate attempts to avoid disaster. He declared distress, dropped anchor and, notably, called for help from nearby tugboats.
Two 5,000-horsepower tugs, which only minutes earlier had helped guide the ship out of its berth at the Port of Baltimore and peeled off, quickly turned back and raced toward the Dali. But it was too late. But maritime experts interviewed by The Associated Press say they could have made a difference if the tugs had stuck by the ship longer, escorting it on its 18-minute trip through the port’s deep-water channel, in a position to see it drifting off course and potentially nudge or tow it back in line.
Tugboat escorts aren’t required or even customary in Baltimore or at many other U.S. ports, mostly because of the costs they would add for shippers. But with the increasing size of cargo ships and the threat they pose to bridges and other critical infrastructure, some are questioning whether they should be.
Baltimore’s port, operated by the state of Maryland, ordinarily uses tugboats to help maneuver big ships out of their docks and doesn’t require extended tugboat escorts into the port’s channel and broader Chesapeake Bay unless ordered by local harbor pilots or the U.S. Coast Guard over safety concerns tied to weather, traffic, cargo or mechanical issues.
The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash, said a review of the ship’s voyage data recorder showed the pilot’s 1:26 a.m. call for help from nearby tugs came about four minutes before impact.
“One of the things that was hard for me to believe is that they didn’t require tugs on the vessel as it was traversing towards the bridge,” said David Heindel, president of the Seafarers International Union, which represents U.S. merchant mariners.
“Some ports require tugs, depending on the vessel, usually tankers. You see where tugs have to escort ships in and out of port, especially narrow ports,” Heindel said. “In the end, I think that that may be exactly what happens in the Port of Baltimore.”
From John Konrad- Of the pilots I interviewed this is the most conservative response: “A strong z drive or voith or any tractor tug tethered astern of the ship would have made a difference. Not on the bow so much since the pivot point with headway is so far forward. An escort tug made up to the deck aft to a strong bitt could either back full for those five minutes or go indirect mode sideways and have even more pull. Especially if fitted with a large skeg as most have. I’ve met with all powers that be in my port over the last 48 hours and pro-actively initiated a tug escort requirement under our bridge. Ships will go 8 knots with one 5,000 hp / 50 ton pollard pull tug on stern. We will test its stopping capacity soon. I’m hoping for two to three ship lengths. But even if they don’t completely stop the ship they can cut speed dramatically. Plus shift to 45 degree angles to pull for steering at the same time reducing speed.” Two other pilots I interviewed said even though the pivot point is so far forward a tugboat forward still could have provided enough lateral pressure so the bow didn’t hit directly into the column but possibly would have sideswiped it (which still might have toppled the bridge). Both agreed that 5,000 HP pull tug astern could have prevented this disaster. All that said, it’s great to learn that at least one pilot association will be testing this scenario on the water.
A darker note from Laura Logan posted on X — Multiple intel sources: Baltimore bridge collapse was an “absolutely brilliant strategic attack” on US critical infrastructure – most likely cyber – & our intel agencies know it. In information warfare terms, they just divided the US along the Mason-Dixon line. The second busiest strategic roadway in the nation for hazardous material is now down for 4-5 years – which is how long they say it will take to recover. Bridge was built specifically to move hazardous material – fuel, diesel, propane gas, nitrogen, highly flammable materials, chemicals, and oversized cargo that cannot fit in the tunnels – that supply chain now crippled. If true, this was an extraordinary attack in terms of planning, timing & execution. The two critical components on that bridge are the two load-bearing pylons on each end, closest to the shore. They are bigger, thicker, and deeper than anything else. These are the anchor points and they knew that hitting either one of them would be a fatal wound to the integrity of the bridge. Half a mile of bridge went in the river – likely you will have to build a new one. Also caused so much damage to the structural integrity of the bottom concrete part that you cannot see & won’t know until they take the wreckage apart. Structural destruction is likely absolute. We are in a free-fall ride on a roller coaster right now – no brakes – just picking up speed.” The footage shows the cargo ship never got in the approach lane in the channel. You have to be in the channel before you get into that turn. Location was precise/deliberate: chose a bend in the river where you have to slow down and commit yourself – once you are committed in that area there is not enough room to maneuver. Should have had a harbor pilot to pilot the boat. You are not supposed to traverse any obstacles without the harbor pilot. They chose a full moon so they would have maximum tidal shift – rise and fall. Brisk flow in that river on a normal day & have had a lot of rain recently so water was already moving along at a good pace. Hit it with enough kinetic energy to knock the load-bearing pylon out from under the highway – which fatally weakens the span and then 50 percent of the bridge fell into the water. All these factors when you look at it – this is how you teach people how to do this type of attack and there are so few people left in the system who know this. We have a Junior varsity team on the field. Tremendous navigational obstruction. Huge logistical nightmare to clean this up. Number of dead is tragic but not the whole measure of the attack. That kind-of bridge constantly under repair – always at night because there is so much traffic and they cannot obstruct that during the day. So concern is for repair guys who were on foot (out of their vehicles) working who may now be in the water – 48 degrees at most at this time of year. When you choke off Baltimore you have cut the main north-south hazardous corridor (I95) in half. Now has to go around the city – or go somewhere else. To move some of that cargo through the tunnel you may be able to get a permit but those are slow to get and require an escort system that is expensive and has to be done at night. For every $100 dollars that goes into the city, $12 comes from shipping. Believe this will cripple the city of Baltimore at a time when they do not have the resources to recover.
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