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The Coast Guard says there’s a temporary safety zone for some areas of the Chesapeake Bay, Thimble Shoal Channel, Norfolk Harbor and the Elizabeth River.
NORFOLK, Va. — The Dali departed Baltimore Monday morning and is heading toward Norfolk for extensive repairs.
Nearly three months have passed since the Dali lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s supporting columns, killing six construction workers and halting most maritime traffic through the Port of Baltimore.
The ship’s 21 crew members, most of whom are from India, haven’t been allowed to leave the vessel since the collapse. The Dali is managed by Synergy Marine Group and owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd., both of Singapore.
The ship was refloated in May and slowly backed away from the site of the March 26 disaster, guided by several tugboats. The extensive damage to its bow included a massive, gaping hole above the waterline on its starboard side.
Removing the hulking ship opened a new void in Baltimore’s skyline, which lost an iconic landmark and a symbol of the city’s proud maritime history.
The ship is now heading towards Norfolk for extensive repairs.
Commander of Coast Guard Sector Virginia Captain Jennifer Stockwell told 13News Now that the Dali left Baltimore at around 8 a.m. Monday morning. Captain Stockwell said it would likely take the ship 24 hours to reach Norfolk.
Captain Stockwell said the Coast Guard Cutter Sailfish is escorting the vessel, along with four towing vessels and a vessel from the salvage team.
The Coast Guard said while the Dali is transporting, there will be a temporary safety zone in place for certain waters of the Chesapeake Bay, Thimble Shoal Channel, a portion of Norfolk Harbor and a portion of the Elizabeth River.
During the transit, the Coast Guard Cutter Sailfish will provide the 500-yard safety zone around Dali while Coast Guard watchstanders monitor the ships’s movement.
“We understand there’s a lot of interest in this vessel, but there’s also still a lot of danger to this,” Captain Stockwell said.
According to Captain Stockwell, there is still debris from the bridge collapse on the bow of the cargo ship.
“…As [the debris is] being removed, we don’t want anyone else to be hurt as it’s, you know, either inadvertently falling or there’s heavy construction activity occurring,” Captain Stockwell said.
The Dali will transit to the Virginia International Gateway to offload 1,500 cargo containers and will then transit toward the Norfolk International Terminal.
Entry of vessels or people in the zone is prohibited unless authorized by officials.
Virginia Port Authority CEO and Executive Director Stephen Edwards sent the following statement to 13News Now:
“We were able to help out a neighbor in a time of need and did so without a second thought or an impact on our service levels. Now, Mid-Atlantic trade is returning to its normal pattern and this is a positive development. The reopening of the Port of Baltimore is great news for the industry and businesses and people who rely on that key port.”
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