How Container Ship’s Loss of Power Affected Ability to Control | SY News

As a merchant mariner in Maryland, thank you for knowing what you're talking about and giving a rational explanation. I've been so frustrated the past two days with news anchors who don't know the first thing about ships electrical systems, and the folks suggesting it was pre-meditated.

It's always a pleasure to watch your videos, but when you cover crisis situations and events, your industry contacts, in-depth understanding of operations and your experience shine through. Great work 🤝🏻

Great video! I have been a professional pilot (Airplane pilot) for 41 years, I get so mad when their is an airplane incident and the media goes off on some stupid tangent that has no relevance what so ever. Watching the news coverage of this accident I have had zero faith that anything I was hearing was accurate. Thank you for the professionl explination and opinion!

Imagine being that last truck driver, knowing you had seconds to live after the bridge collapsed

That 30 second response time is truly incredible!😢

Such a sadness. You speak with such respect. Thanks for your coverage.

One of the best. Professional, detailed analysis.

as usual better and more informative than the "news"

I haul out of that port. Was just there last Wednesday moving a load out. The Key Bridge gets busy with traffic about 6am in the morning. It could of been a lot worse. Shame people died in this situation

thank you for a detailed response to the incident. it helps having an actual mariner with experience at sea, discuss this.

This bridge was built prior to any protections being required for the support piers. Something similar to this bridge disaster happened near Tampa Florida in the early 1980s. The vessel struck a main support pier on the Sunshine Skyway bridge, causing it's collapse. Once rebuilt, the support piers were protected from another disaster happening. It's unfortunate they didn't retrofit this bridge, seeing the amount of ship traffic in this area.

I’m glad you’re covering it even though it’s not a main interest of your channel. I like the way you cover everything. 😊👍👍

Awesome coverage, thank you! Am a former ship's Capt of 20 yrs and DPA for 10 yrs - and am hooked!

Excellent coverage... Thank you...On a side note.. there is gossip out there that this vessel had major electrical issues the week before this happened. It is being reported by dock employees.

Love your objective comments and I despise the cynical , finger pointing and negative comments.

Thank you for these 2 Days of coverage. Was more interesting than the in the News.

Love your answers to the tug-boat and bridge-protection-question „they will probably do that now ….“. But the bridge-protecting- question really troubles me after that terrible disaster in Tampa FL 1980. I thought this would never happen again … on the other hand: It went fine for fifty years near a very busy port, day in and day out …

The vessel has 4 electrical generators each at 4000kw each. The exhausts are on the port side the exhaust stack. The main engine is 40000kw and has a bigger single exhaust on the starboard. The smoke was seen only from the port side. There is a 3000kw bow thruster also. In order to go astern the main engine must stop and then automatically reconfigure valve timing, cams and fuel injectors. before it can change direction. This is because the engine is directly couple to the fix pitch propellor. The biggest electrical load is the power to feed the reefers, refrigerated containers and the electrical capacity is the limit as to how many reefers can be carried. It is reported that in the days before departure blackouts had occurred.

The key item is the fact that the main supports on the bridge were certainly not protected from a ship. If they had a safety island around the main bridge supports, then the ship could not have struck the bridge at all. The main critical design flaw of the bridge. Same as the old bridge in Tampa Bay. and the ones on the Mississippi river.

additional point: you can see from the horizontal smoke plume that there is a strong SOUTHERLY wind, which would push the ship off course, as it actually moved