[TakeFive]

Freighter goes out of control on Delaware River

I'm glad there were no sailboats around!

DeniseO30 - This is up near you.

 

[JimMcGee]

Holy #$%#$ !

Thank God it wasn't a busy summer day on the river.

 

[deniseO30]

I didn't see it happen but yes it's right across the river from the Bristol Borough water front! Ships in the channel are like driving a truck down a city alley, I'm surprised more of them don't get in trouble here.

 

[mbianka]

And that is why it is best to give ships a wide berth when you are sailing with them nearby.

 

[TakeFive]

And that is why it is best to give ships a wide berth when you are sailing with them nearby.

The river is less than 0.2 nm wide at that point. Not much "berth to give."

 

[mbianka]

The river is less than 0.2 nm wide at that point. Not much "berth to give."

Agree. Still good idea to give them as much as you can. Impressed with the stopping ability of the mud in the area too!

 

[fryewe]

Had to be more than the "loss of propulsion" mentioned. Looks more like a rudder jammed hard over.

I dont know the area and havent checked the charts, but with the substantial way the ship had on, if it had steerage it should have been able to choose a spot to drop anchor or make a soft landing.

Was this likely a soft landing spot chosen by the captain...deliberating running aground there to avoided blocking the channel or potentially damaging a bridge?

USN ships have an anchor watch set and the anchor made ready for letting go while transiting in restricted maneuvering conditions. Does commercial shipping normally do the same?

 

[Ajax_MD]

There is nothing but woe, for sailors on the Delaware Bay.
In my circuit around the peninsula, it seemed like the loneliest place I visited.

 

[Ulladh]

Once directional control and propulsion is lost in the Delaware River the boat will go where the river wants to take it. The current rips through pinch points on the river, even a tug will have a hard time getting a ship under control once it is caught in the current.

 

[aloof]

The river is less than 0.2 nm wide at that point. Not much "berth to give."

0.2 nm is enough room for 4 aircraft carriers plus a couple of tankers plus a few yachts to proceed side by side. Doesn't sound tight at all.

 

[TakeFive]

There is nothing but woe, for sailors on the Delaware Bay.
In my circuit around the peninsula, it seemed like the loneliest place I visited.

Denise, Ulladh, and I are on the upper river, far north of the Del Bay that you transited.

In general, the Delaware River and Bay get no respect. After five years, I still have a lot of fun daysailing on the River, and can say that it doesn't suck as much as you guys claim. (Faint praise, I know.) I am glad that I have an AIS receiver so I can tell whether that boat several miles away on the horizon is anchored or moving toward me.

Each year I look forward to transiting the canal and coming into the Chesapeake for a week or two, but I still like having my boat near home for short daysails during the bulk of the season. It's mighty nice having the boat 12 minutes away from my home.

My next boat will probably be kept in the Chesapeake, but only after my kids have moved out and I can spend every weekend overnight on the boat without feeling guilty about abandoning the kids.

 

[TakeFive]

0.2 nm is enough room for 4 aircraft carriers plus a couple of tankers plus a few yachts to proceed side by side. Doesn't sound tight at all.

If the tanker is in the middle of the river, that's less than 0.1 nm to each side. If you're near mud flats, much of that 0.1 nm is not sailable, especially at the bottom of the 6-8 foot tidal swing.

If you were in open water, most would advise that you allow much more than 0.1 nm. The narrow river most definitely restricts movement. I don't agree that it is "not tight at all."

 

[Ajax_MD]

I don't blame you. Do what you have to do, in order to get the most out of your investment and your free time. Maybe it's nicer, further up the river?

Denise, Ulladh, and I are on the upper river, far north of the Del Bay that you transited.

In general, the Delaware River and Bay get no respect. After five years, I still have a lot of fun daysailing on the River, and can say that it doesn't suck as much as you guys claim. (Faint praise, I know.) I am glad that I have an AIS receiver so I can tell whether that boat several miles away on the horizon is anchored or moving toward me.

Each year I look forward to transiting the canal and coming into the Chesapeake for a week or two, but I still like having my boat near home for short daysails during the bulk of the season. It's mighty nice having the boat 12 minutes away from my home.

My next boat will probably be kept in the Chesapeake, but only after my kids have moved out and I can spend every weekend overnight on the boat without feeling guilty about abandoning the kids.

 

[willyd]

I don't blame you. Do what you have to do, in order to get the most out of your investment and your free time. Maybe it's nicer, further up the river?

It's much nicer once you get past the C&D:

 

[JimMcGee]

Denise, Ulladh, and I are on the upper river, far north of the Del Bay that you transited.

In general, the Delaware River and Bay get no respect. After five years, I still have a lot of fun daysailing on the River, and can say that it doesn't suck as much as you guys claim. (Faint praise, I know.) I am glad that I have an AIS receiver so I can tell whether that boat several miles away on the horizon is anchored or moving toward me.

Each year I look forward to transiting the canal and coming into the Chesapeake for a week or two, but I still like having my boat near home for short daysails during the bulk of the season. It's mighty nice having the boat 12 minutes away from my home.

My next boat will probably be kept in the Chesapeake, but only after my kids have moved out and I can spend every weekend overnight on the boat without feeling guilty about abandoning the kids.

Rick,
We kept our Catalina 22 at G. Winters in Riverside for a couple of years. The river is where we learned to sail and I have good memories of sailing there. And you're right having your boat close to home is REALLY nice.

That said I learned fast to stay well clear of commercial traffic.

Jim

 

[SloopJonB]

0.2 nm is enough room for 4 aircraft carriers plus a couple of tankers plus a few yachts to proceed side by side. Doesn't sound tight at all.

Sure is good that we have these experienced voices here to guide us.

 

[scratchee]

0.2 nm is enough room for 4 aircraft carriers plus a couple of tankers plus a few yachts to proceed side by side. Doesn't sound tight at all.

You're talking about if they're all rafted up for a party, right?

1200 feet sounds pretty tight to me.

 

[chip]

Crazy. Not to fuel the armchair quarterbacking, but that spot is on Chart 12314, just west of Burlington Island, if you're curious. It almost hit the range mark, so it was initially going the right way...it just didn't appear to make the turn to starboard:

 

[mbianka]

Thanks the picture worth a thousand words. Reminds me of the tanker Esso Brussels and Sea Witch accident in New York Harbor in 2007. Years later I saw a display at the South Street Seaport of the cause of that accident. They had the steering box of the Sea Witch which caused the accident to happen. A small U.S. Nickel sized key came loose and jammed the gears of the steering box. Sometimes it's the little things that get ya.

Loss of steering led to fiery collision in New York's Verrazano Narrows - Professional Mariner - August 2007

Crazy. Not to fuel the armchair quarterbacking, but that spot is on Chart 12314, just west of Burlington Island, if you're curious. It almost hit the range mark, so it was initially going the right way...it just didn't appear to make the turn to starboard:

 

[SloopJonB]

That's almost exactly what happened here - about a mile from my house. A cotter pin was missing and prevented them reversing. Skipper was pretty sharp - under those small boats was shelving sand which gave a very soft landing. If he had hit the dock there would have been injuries and maybe even deaths.