Brazilian training ship Cisne Branco collided with a bridge

[Concerto]

The Brazilian training ship Cisne Branco collided with a bridge after a she suffered some sort of technical malfunction due to which she lost control and was swept away by the current.

More information here.
Brazilian Navy sailship hits pedestrian bridge in Guayaquil

 

[Gary Fox]

I hope everyone got off the tug, especially the engineers.

 

[Frogmogman]

I hope everyone got off the tug, especially the engineers.

‘Port Captain Danilo Espinoza said in the same statement that “there are no human victims or injuries” ‘

 

[AntarcticPilot]

The wind looks to be away from the bridge - I wonder why they didn't set some sail?

 

[penberth3]

The wind looks to be away from the bridge - I wonder why they didn't set some sail?

And how long would that take?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

And how long would that take?

No idea - and that may be why. I'm asking, not criticizing. It could even be that the sails weren't on the yards. But if they were, I don't think it would take long to set one of the square sails. But it would require crew to get onto the yard to loose the sail, and it may be that there was insufficient crew aboard for that; there's certainly few crew visible on the video.

 

[Gary Fox]

Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Have a Plan B. Remember the Maria Asumpta.
Looking again there appears to be about a 4-5 knot current actually across the river, parallel to the bridge and I'm not even sure he could have sailed out of trouble. A nasty situation, and the engine problem could not have come at a worse time.

I think it must be a re-positioning or delivery because of the lack of bodies on board, and hopefully the captain would have reduced the risk if carrying cadets, and have some sails set and some men aloft.
I hope this beautiful ship makes a full recovery from her mishap.

 

[jamie N]

WOW! Many of us on here will have written 'Incident Reports' as a result of an 'Occurrence', where something unplanned resulted in a 'sub-optimal event'.
That'll be a report and a half!
Seriously, I wonder what the risk assessment was with a big unwieldy ship, aiming to get through a small gap in a fast flowing waterway was?

 

[dunedin]

No idea - and that may be why. I'm asking, not criticizing. It could even be that the sails weren't on the yards. But if they were, I don't think it would take long to set one of the square sails. But it would require crew to get onto the yard to loose the sail, and it may be that there was insufficient crew aboard for that; there's certainly few crew visible on the video.

As skipper would you send crew up masts and rigging which looked to be in imminent danger of being demolished as the ship hit the bridge ?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

As skipper would you send crew up masts and rigging which looked to be in imminent danger of being demolished as the ship hit the bridge ?

If I thought that by doing so I was certain I would avoid the masts and rigging being demolished, then yes. Otherwise no.

 

[Corribee Boy]

I think the tug was significantly undersized: luckily the tug crew seemed to escape, despite the screws still turning as they scrambled on to the bottom of the upturned vessel.

 

[LONG_KEELER]

Perhaps the ship lost either power or steering.

Feel for them with a lovely ship like that. Pretty heroic on the tugs part.
All safe and well thank goodness.

 

[penberth3]

No idea - and that may be why. I'm asking, not criticizing. It could even be that the sails weren't on the yards. But if they were, I don't think it would take long to set one of the square sails. But it would require crew to get onto the yard to loose the sail, and it may be that there was insufficient crew aboard for that; there's certainly few crew visible on the video.

Exactly, I think you've answered the question with a big NO.

 

[Rappey]

This incident came to light around 3 days ago.. From the various videos and media it seems the ship was motoring towards the gap in the bridge under its own power with the large red tug on the other side waiting for the ship to pass through but then had engine failure (and the river is notorious for taking ships away with its powerfull current as the bridge has been previously struck a few times) so the small tug tried in vain to hold it off the bridge.
The large red tug then came back to tow the ship off the bridge and in doing so the smaller tug got girded.
I could be wrong..

 

[Gary Fox]

This incident came to light around 3 days ago.. From the various videos and media it seems the ship was motoring towards the gap in the bridge under its own power with the large red tug on the other side waiting for the ship to pass through but then had engine failure (and the river is notorious for taking ships away with its powerfull current as the bridge has been previously struck a few times) so the small tug tried in vain to hold it off the bridge.
The large red tug then came back to tow the ship off the bridge and in doing so the smaller tug got girded.
I could be wrong..

No that sounds about right to me. I wonder if they have a version of the MAIB?

 

[CM74]

It's interesting with the tug that you see the towline only coming off once the tug was almost all the way over - maybe the hook didn't release quickly enough (or they didn't release it quickly enough when it started going wrong!)

Towing with a conventional tug, especially a small one like that needs very careful attention to setting up the tow - especially line length and setting the gog properly.