A massive container ship attempting to leave the waters around New York City Friday reportedly suffered a similar issue to that experienced by the vessel that tragically brought the historic Francis Scott Key Bridge crashing into Baltimore Harbor late last month.
Unlike the Singapore-flagged Dali, the propulsion problem suffered by the APL Qingdao did not ultimately prove to be calamitous.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed to the New York Post that the APL Qingdao, a 1,145-foot, 89,000-ton ship flying under the Malta flag, lost propulsion around 8:30 p.m. while sailing along the shipping lane between Staten Island and Bayonne, New Jersey.
According to John Konrad, a maritime journalist and the CEO of gCaptain, the three tugboats that had been escorting the ship down the 3-mile Kill Van Kull waterway were aided by another three in an effort to bring the ship under control. The ship subsequently dropped anchor just north of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
“Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service New York received a report from the M/V APL Qingdao around 8:30 pm, Friday, that the vessel had experienced a loss of propulsion in the Kill Van Kull waterway,” the Coast Guard said in a statement obtained by the Post.
“The vessel regained propulsion and was assisted to safely anchor in Stapleton Anchorage, outside of the navigable channel just north of the Verrazano Bridge, by three towing vessels,” continued the statement. “These towing vessels were escorting the vessel as a routine safety measure, which is a common practice for large vessels departing their berth.”
Prior to leaving, the crew had to submit a casualty report accounting for what caused the loss of power. CBS News noted that repairs were also made to the ship’s system following the incident.
At the time of publication, VesselFinder indicated that the ship had successfully made its way out of the New York harbor and was nearing its destination of Norfolk, Virginia.
Staten Island Assemblyman Charles Fall (D) told SILive.com, “While the swift response by tugboats to secure the vessel prevented immediate harm, this incident further highlights the urgent need for comprehensive safety reviews of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the Goethals Bridge, the Bayonne Bridge, and the Outerbridge Crossing.”
“The recent disaster at the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland is a harrowing reminder of what could happen if we fail to prioritize the integrity of our infrastructure,” added Fall.
