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While there appears to be some hopeful talk that certain lake ports may see some additional cargoes, I would suspect that in the longterm this traffic will return to the East Coast ports. In relation to the competition with the Seaway, I have heard it said the situation is more like the East Coast has these cargoes to lose rather than the lakes have to gain as in reality the Seaway ports (US at least) are at a definite disadvantage with ocean ports regardless of the optimism expressed by those lake port officials.

Here's a video discussing the power failure shortly after leaving the berth in Baltimore: https://youtu.be/qZbUXewlQDk?si=5EZxEm-Hcp1-GOLx

Dont have stern anchors on deep sea ships It seems to be a laker thing Some dredges or specialized ships might have one. There were two pilots aboard There are coal docks in Norfolk and Newport News and Philly if its still operating Also on the Mississippi south of New Orleans

guest wrote: ↑March 28, 2024, 4:55 am In the photos of the vessel with the bridge on her fore deck there is no pilot flag flying. Was there a harbour pilot aboard? Even dropping the stern anchor might of been a good idea.

Not one but two pilots on board. And what stern anchor. I don't think the vessel even has one.

In the photos of the vessel with the bridge on her fore deck there is no pilot flag flying. Was there a harbour pilot aboard? Even dropping the stern anchor might of been a good idea.

It will take time for the remains of the bridge to be removed from the channel and the area swept for any under water obstructions that resulted from the collision. Very tragic and my thoughts go out to the survivors, the families of those who lost loved ones and their friends.

The Seaway can provide coal exports via self-unloaders; the coal most likely would be "topped-off" in the deep waters of Sept Isles, PQ, or an ocean bulker could load coal at Quebec City, then travel to Sept Isle for "topping-off".

- Brian

Sure. But I imagine the bridge wreckage will be quickly removed to provide a channel out of the Tidewater coal facilities and have no real effect on worldwide inventories. The largest coal importers are China and India which between them import around 700 million tons a year. India, by the way, imports the most American coal worldwide. If there is a supply chain glitch in American exports because of the Baltimore tragedy, I am sure Indonesia and Australia will be more than happy to increase production, while the importers, I am sure, would not be too pleased with adding costly trips through the Seaway and then either the Panama Canal or a long eastward trek. If coal were to be sent from the Great Lakes, it would undoubtedly be in foreign bottoms, but I really doubt that will happen.

With the bridge tragedy, temporary could this coal be brought out through the seaway like in the 80's? Don't know the logistics of it, just curious if it made sense.

Thank you