PIER 21 PROMPT
Baltimore Bridge is Falling Down
How does a ship hit a bridge?
Prologue
Being an experienced navigator, I have sailed in the Patapsco River, under the Baltimore Bridge, and driven over it numerous times while living in Annapolis, MD.
Here is my fictional take on what transpired on the container ship MV DALI’s pilothouse that led to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore.
This story is in response to Willow Schroeder’s wonderful Pier 21 prompt.
The Captain sipped his coffee as he settled in the Captain’s chair in the pilothouse. He did not mind being awake at one o’clock in the morning. Like every seasoned mariner, he knew leaving a busy harbor at night was a safe bet. You find little to no sailing vessels or small boats to impede your path.
The Officer of the Watch (ship driver) ordered a steady course to steer and surveyed the water ahead through his binoculars — on the lookout for any lights in the water that may indicate the presence of boats ahead.
Finding none, he bent over the radar screen but saw that it was devoid of any maritime traffic. As a final step, he looked at his ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System) screen — the ship was right on track to safely navigate the harbor.
Satisfied with his situational appreciation, he relayed the standard report to the Captain.
“Sir, all clear ahead by visual and radar. Happy and comfortable with the situation. Intend increasing speed to 10 Knots!”
The Captain, who was still sipping his coffee, turned around and glanced at the Baltimore Harbor Pilots (Harbor pilots familiar with the port surroundings, always board a ship to assist the crew in safely navigating to the outer limits of the harbor). Both pilots gave him a thumbs up.
“Captain, aye! Increase speed to 10 knots, maintain course to steer directly midway beneath the bridge,” the Captain barked his orders to the Officer of the Watch.
The CHENG (Chief Engineer) was closely monitoring the propulsion and machinery parameters. Everything seems to be in order!
Suddenly, he heard the alarm bells ring. A red emergency pop-up on his screen indicated machinery failure. He sprang up from his seat — visibly panicked!
Back in the pilothouse, the Officer of the Watch observed a reduction in power and loss of steering controls.
The Captain heard his shivering voice, “Captain! I am unable to maintain a steady course and speed is reducing drastically!”
“Shift to standby engine!” The Captain ordered as he sprang from his seat and looked towards starboard.
He knew that there was very little margin of error and that the ship may soon be grounded in shallow waters.
“Sound five short blasts and initiate MAY DAY call!” he swiftly ordered his communication staff in the pilothouse.
Five short blasts and MAYDAY call (distress call) would indicate to the Baltimore Port Authorities and nearby traffic that the ship was experiencing an emergency.
“Standby engine failed to start!”
The Captain could not believe his ears!
The standby engine is specifically designed for emergencies in which the main machinery fails. All his engines had been recently certified and were found in satisfactory condition.
The ramifications of the present situation were now fully evident as he saw the ship veer toward one of the pillars of the Baltimore Bridge. His fears of the ship being grounded were long gone — now, he just wanted to avoid hitting the bridge.
“Full port rudder, and apply emergency brakes!” In a last-ditch effort, he tried to move the ship away from the pillar and bring it to a halt.
He knew that this would be futile — even under normal circumstances (with all engines intact). A ship this large would have maneuvered in the same direction for some distance before steering towards the right.
The Captain and his crew watched in horror as they neared the bridge and hit one of its pillars. Several crew members were swept off their feet as a result of the impact — the Captain barely standing, holding on to his chair.
The magnificent Baltimore Bridge was reduced to a heap of rubble in the Patapsco River in matter of seconds!
Epilogue
Hindsight investigations can often lead to strange conclusions.
Whether it was avoidable or not is not a simple yes or no conclusion. I think the crew must have tried everything in their power to avoid hitting the bridge.
Before sailing, there are meticulous standard procedures involved that monitor the health of all equipment, including the engines. Even before that, once the ship is determined seaworthy and fit for operations, several inspections and certifications are completed by experts.
Engine failures do not occur out of the blue. We will have some answers, once the investigators look at the pre-sailing monitoring reports and the status of engine certification and inspection records.
I enjoyed reading this response to Pier 21 prompt by Lucas Grochot
