APL Mexico City destroys crane in Antwerp (09.12.2019)

Container ship APL MEXICO CITY broke off her mooring at Doel, Antwerp, in the afternoon Dec 9, drifted across harbor and contacted DP World pier crane. Crane collapsed and was totally destroyed.

To minimize the risk of a vessel allision with a terminal gantry crane, the American Harbor and Docking Pilots Association recommends that all terminal operators with gantry cranes adopt the following Best Practices.

"ONE - MSQ Accident News No. 31": ONE operated 13,900 TEU vessel “M/V Milano Bridge” has collided with gantry cranes and another vessel while approaching berth at PNC #8. This was the first berthing for phasing-in after Dry Dock.

Apparently there were two crew members on board, but no pilot. One of crew was recovered and declared dead, another one, skipper of the boat, is missing.

"Analysis of reports indicates that pilot ladders (Pilot Transfer Arrangements, or PTAs) and
intentional deviations from safety procedures remain the main causes of near misses..."

The Norwegian Coastal Administration mobilized according to their contingency plan against acute pollution, salvage crews managed to get on board the drifting vessel Eemslift Hendrika and managed to connect it to the two tugboats, and the vessel is now being towed to harbour in Ålesund.

Tanker went out of control after engine failure and collided with general cargo ship in Kiel Canal near Kiel locks, at around 0120 LT Jul 27.

The RCMP are investigating the death of a man who went overboard outside St. John's harbour from a pilot boat early Tuesday morning.

The Bollard Pull value, which can be interpreted as the maximum thrust that is developed for a specific amount of time by the propulsion systems of any vessel to the fullest , when it has zero speed in the forward direction, is the criterion that allows us to understand how suitable a tugboat is for a port maneuver or a towing operation.

It turns out that supertankers and cruise ships have valets. They're called maritime pilots, and they're among the most elite ship handlers in the world. So where does one go to learn how to park the largest ships in the world? To the Maritime Pilots Institute in Covington, La. There, they use mini-versions of the behemoth boats to teach the basics. All aboard!