In the early hours of a Tuesday morning in Baltimore, the cargo vessel named the Dali met with an unfortunate incident, colliding with a pillar that supports the iconic Francis Scott Key Bridge. This event has since garnered significant attention, prompting a closer look at the massive ship involved. Here are six crucial details about the Dali that you should know.
1. The Dali is classified as a neo-Panamax ship, a designation it earns from its design that allows it to snugly fit through the locks of the expanded Panama Canal, as outlined by Ship Atlas from Maritime Optima. This category of ships can have configurations ranging from 17 to 22 bays in length, and can be wide enough to accommodate 19 or 20 containers across their breadth. According to Inbound Logistics, neo-Panamax ships boast a capacity of up to 13,000 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), marking a threefold increase over the capacity of the original vessels navigating the Panama Canal. These ships can sometimes exceed the dimensions of new-Panamax vessels. A video showcasing the Triton navigating the Panama Canal after the expansion illustrates the tight fit these colossal ships endure.
2. Constructed in 2015, the Dali bears the IMO number 9697428, a unique identifier that remains with the ship for its entire operational life, even through changes in ownership, as explained by The Pew Charitable Trusts. It operates under the MMSI number 563004200 and uses the callsign 9V5283. MMSIs are nine-digit numbers that facilitate the unique identification of ships or coast radio stations in various maritime digital communication systems, as per the Federal Communications Commission. The Automatic Identification System (AIS) on board the Dali transmits its location, a feature detailed by NATO.
3. The Dali was flying the flag of Singapore on its journey to Colombo, Sri Lanka, when it encountered the bridge. It was expected in Colombo by April 22, according to VesselFinder. The ship’s dimensions are impressive, with a length of 300 meters and a beam (width) of 48 meters. At the time of the incident, it had 22 crew members on board, reports The New York Times.
4. Ownership of the Dali rests with Grace Ocean PTD, LTD, based in Singapore, with the Synergy Marine Group, also located in Singapore, managing its operations. The vessel had been chartered by the shipping giant Maersk to transport Maersk’s cargo, although none of Maersk’s crew or personnel were on board, as reported by Reuters.
5. Before its arrival at the Port of Baltimore, the Dali had made stops in Norfolk on March 22 and the Port of Newark from March 19 to March 21. Its journey prior to reaching the U.S. included passages through Panama, South Korea, China, Malaysia, and Oman. The ship had last visited Baltimore in December for a three-day stay, according to Shipatlas data. In the previous year, the Dali made 45 port calls and covered 195,823 nautical miles. In 2022, it logged 52 port calls and traveled 200,986 nautical miles.
6. The Dali had previously been involved in an impact incident in 2016, a year after its launch. It collided with a stone wall in the port of Antwerp, resulting in damage to the vessel, though fortunately, no injuries were reported, as per The New York Times.
This incident at the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which led to a portion of the bridge collapsing and several vehicles plunging into the river below, has sparked a search for multiple individuals in the water, highlighting the critical nature of maritime safety and the significant impact such large vessels can have when things go awry.