Pratik Bijlani –
The MV Dali, the cargo ship notorious for multiple malfunctions before its collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, has been successfully refloated and relocated to a berth in Baltimore. The Key Bridge Response Unified Command, a multi-agency group, coordinated the 18-hour operation, which was meticulously planned last Saturday and executed at high tide on Monday.
The complex procedure involved releasing some of the ship’s anchors and mooring lines, with tugboats on standby. Crews were tasked with de-ballasting a portion of the 1.25 million gallons of water that had been pumped onto the Dali to counterbalance the weight removed during a precision demolition on May 13. This demolition used explosives to remove the remaining bridge truss entangled on the Dali’s bow since the bridge’s collapse.
Once refloated, five tugboats pushed the MV Dali 2.5 miles to the Seagirt Marine Terminal. The Singapore-based Synergy Marine Group, operators of the ship, announced, “The MV Dali has been successfully refloated and is now safely alongside at the berth in Baltimore. This marks a crucial step towards fully reopening the port and restoring maritime activities at the Port of Baltimore.”
The vessel crew members, who consist of 20 Indians, who were aboard during the crisis, remain on the ship. The successful refloating and relocation of the MV Dali signify significant progress in restoring the port’s operational capacity, severely impacted since the bridge collapse on March 26. The coordinated effort and swift action by the Unified Command and Synergy Marine Group have been instrumental in moving towards the full restoration of the Port of Baltimore’s maritime activities.
Marex Media