The first vessel to depart the Port of Baltimore through a temporary 35-foot deep channel, since the Maersk chartered container vessel Dali lost power and struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, was an MPP. According to the Port of Baltimore, the first vessel to successfully move through the temporary 35-foot deep channel from the Port of Baltimore’s public terminals was Spliethoff’s Saimaagracht.
It is a 2005-built vessel of S2L type featuring two sliding doors, and it was stuck at the Port of Baltimore since April 10 according to the AIS data. On April 25, it was the first vessel to depart.
/JYrWki67DV
— Port of Baltimore (@portofbalt) April 26, 2024
The U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port said that the 35-foot deep channel called the Fort McHenry Limited Access Chanel was open on Thursday, April 25 until April 29 or April 30. After this period, the temporary channel will not be made available again until approximately May 10.
The three other temporary channels currently in use will remain available and commercial vessels should plan to utilise those channels as not to impede vessel traffic that must use the 35-foot deep channel. The U.S. Army Corpos of Engineers expects to reopen the Port of Baltimore’s permanent 700-foot wide, 50-foot deep channel by the end of May.
The 23,700 dwt MPP Saimaagracht is currently on its way to the Port Cartier in Canada and is sailing in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
