As a seafarer, you don't want to have to look at these pictures, but as a chronicler of maritime events, you can't close your eyes to them. The Rio Guayas through the centre of Ecuador's port city of Guayaquil, home to 3 million people, can be a killer! At its narrowest point, a stylish pedestrian bridge was built from the city to the green island of Santay in 2014, but in 2017 and 2018, two military units failed in their attempt to defy the fierce tidal current to catch the open passage. After the delicate-looking bridge had only recently been repaired, the Ecuadorian navy asked the President of Ecuador via the Ministry of Defence in mid-September to have it dismantled again, claiming it was a dangerous obstacle to shipping.
Like an evil prophecy, just one month later another naval vessel, the Brazilian sail training ship CISNE BRANCO (White Swan), collided with this bridge. How this could have happened and whose fault it could have been is unclear and is still being investigated. However, the images and Twitter sequences show two tugs and an anchor chain - all looking somehow helpless in the face of the relentless current in the tidal delta. Somehow, the ship was pulled free from the bridge structure again by the tug over the stern.
As a result, however, the small stabilising naval tugboat came across the direction of the train and was "rolled" under water! Fortunately, the whole drama went off without any personal injury.
At 1,000 tonnes, the 3-masted full-rigged ship of the Brazilian Navy is only about half the size of the GORCH FOCK and was only built in 2000 at the Dutch Damen shipyard.
Cisne Branco © Naval.com
Cisne Branco © Naval.com
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Good idea from Mr Niemeyer. Off to the Elsfleth shipyard and in no time at all the ship is afloat again and at a bargain price.
It's a shame that the shipyard no longer exists 🙂
Towed to Germany. The ship will be repaired quickly and cheaply.