Accidents and mishaps at sea

[QE2forever]

Another report, perhaps a bit less sensational:

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/uk-cruise-ship-battered-with-100-passengers-injured-in-bay-of-biscay-storm

[cunardqueen]

  Another report, perhaps a bit less sensational: 

I still marvel how such ships dont tip over in rough seas. Then again l still marvel how an A380 ever gets up in the air. But thats just me i guess.

[Rob Lightbody]

This incident reminds me of something Stephen Payne once said.

On an ocean liner, the bridge should be the highest deck.

https://eastangliabylines.co.uk/exclusive-bylines-editor-in-north-sea-emergency/?s=09

Hurtigruten's MS Maud hit a storm which smashed the windows in the bridge...

There's a photo of the captain doing his job from a lounge above the bridge.  Can't help but think they got their priorities wrong when laying out the ship design.

[Peter Mugridge]

I'd suggest the Bridge should, logically, be the highest deck on any ship, liner or not?

[Rob Lightbody]

Someone on board filmed the rogue wave hitting the bow via the cabin camera view.

https://twitter.com/OnDeepWater/status/1738360150430302634

The officers are still operating the ship from a lounge, high above the damaged bridge...

She's now being towed into Bremerhaven (instead of Tilbury).

By all accounts the onboard team have been superb.

[Rod]

I would agree with Peter. But its one of those you pays your money you takes your choice!

[QE2forever]

I'd suggest the Bridge should, logically, be the highest deck on any ship, liner or not?

I placed my 1/1200th scale models of Queen Mary 2 and Trollfjord (Maud's sister-ship) front-to-front, just to compare their respective bridge height...

I think it's so low on Maud (ex-Midnatsol) because she was initially designed for the relatively sheltered waters of the Norwegian coastal line.

[Peter Mugridge]

That's a very stark comparison!! 

[Rob Lightbody]

I placed my 1/1200th scale models of Queen Mary 2 and Trollfjord (Maud's sister-ship) front-to-front, just to compare their respective bridge height...

I think it's so low on Maud (ex-Midnatsol) because she was initially designed for the relatively sheltered waters of the Norwegian coastal line.

Wow.

One of these ships should clearly be carefully avoiding major storms...

[Barumfox]

Maud normally does avoid exceptional weather if possible - was on board when she overnighted due to predicted winds that were actually recorded as 112 knots - have the certificate to prove it. Missed 5 out of 10 ports due to the weather - but as they say every expedition cruise is different.

Maud is a sturdy ship for her size - the  main issue I feel these days is ships being repurposed for roles which they were not initially designed for - Maud is a worldwide expedition ship now and will be making her way down to Antarctica for her season down there.

As a traditionalist I agree that the bridge should not have any lounges over it but Stephen Payne was probably the last naval architect to win that battle with QM2.

Regards

Gary

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

https://maritime-executive.com/article/more-cruises-cancel-red-sea-electing-to-deadhead-around-africa

Cruise ships now also avoid the Suez Canal and the Red Sea... for good reasons too.

But why "deadhead" around Africa? Wouldn't it be great to be on one of those ships, with very few fellow passengers, perhaps enjoying a couple of ports that the ships rarely visit?

[Chris Thompson]

https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/over-100-cruise-passengers-sickened-after-gastrointestinal-illness-outbreak

UhOh....Vomiting on the Vickie! 

Funny how this makes the news these days, I remember several outbreaks on various ships I worked on,
usually caused by a bad batch of seafood or excessive partying. I remember one set of Trans-atlantics on QE2
where a lot of crew and pax would get upset stomachs due to the water tanks being replenished in New York.
One of the engineers told me that the New York water was in fact of high quality, the problem was caused by the
USPH demand for chlorination.

[Chris Thompson]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kw1hH5XCYU

And woke up to this terrible news in the USA.
Container ship hit a bridge in Baltimore. Looks like the ship lost power before impact.
I know that massive container ships are supposedly efficient but look at what all
that mass can do.....Awful!

[Rob Lightbody]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kw1hH5XCYU

And woke up to this terrible news in the USA.
Container ship hit a bridge in Baltimore. Looks like the ship lost power before impact.
I know that massive container ships are supposedly efficient but look at what all
that mass can do.....Awful!

Why was a large ship not using tugs, to go under a vulnerable bridge that was designed before there were such huge container ships?    With the benefit of hindsight, this would seem fairly obvious?

[Chris Thompson]

Why was a large ship not using tugs, to go under a vulnerable bridge that was designed before there were such huge container ships?    With the benefit of hindsight, this would seem fairly obvious?

Exactly my first question Rob!
I also thought that there was an initiative under way to protect bridge piers from these kind of collisions following
a Barge crash that brought down a bridge on the Mississippi.

Here's another question for any former navigation crew, one of the videos shows the ship losing power and
making a dramatic turn to Starboard resulting in the collision.
Whilst I can see that a power outage could cause the rudder to become locked, surely she was headed straight to go under the bridge.

So my question is that if a 95,000 ton vessel is proceeding straight at around 8 knots, how long before she would lose steerage and start drifting?