Cargo Ship That Hit Baltimore Bridge Completes Repairs After 10 Months

The MV Dali, a containership that made headlines for hitting the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, has completed its repairs and is preparing to return to service.

The ship, which was operating under charter for Maersk at the time of the accident, is scheduled to resume service on January 17, 2025, according to Maersk’s online schedule.

The Dali arrived at China’s Fujian Hudong Shipyard on November 13, 2024, after a nearly two-month journey from Norfolk, USA, where it had unloaded its cargo after the salvage operation was finished.

The shipyard announced that the repairs were completed 10 days ahead of schedule, with the Dali heading out on sea trials on January 12, 2025.

The 10-year-old containership, weighing 116,851 dwt and registered in Singapore, made the journey empty to China after offloading its containers in Virginia and undergoing initial repairs.

Due to the extent of the damage, port officials in China discussed the close coordination required to bring the vessel into port.

The damage to the Dali was extensive, requiring a comprehensive repair strategy. The repairs focused on the bow and forward section of the ship, structural damage, machinery issues, anchors, and thrusters.

The shipyard also overhauled the number one cargo hold and performed necessary repairs on the hydraulic and electrical control systems.

The exact details of how the repairs addressed the numerous electrical system issues and makeshift repairs identified by investigators are not clear.

The Dali is now set to arrive in Shanghai on January 17, 2025. From there, the vessel will make port calls in Ningbo and Gwangyang, South Korea, before heading across the Pacific Ocean.

The ship is expected to reach Panama, Colombia, and Peru by late February.

While the ship was undergoing repairs in China, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil claim in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. The claim was filed against Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine, the Singaporean companies that own and operate the Dali.

The lawsuit seeks damages of about $102 million. The civil case is set to begin in 2025, with witness statements and evidence gathered.

Pre-trial preparations are expected to be completed by early 2026, with the first phase of the trial scheduled for June 2026. This phase will focus on the issue of limited liability, while the second phase will assign a value to the various claims related to the accident.

The Dali collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024, after suffering a power loss. The allision caused the bridge’s pillar to collapse, throwing people and vehicles into the Patapsco River.

Unfortunately, six people who were on the bridge at the time of the accident lost their lives.

After the incident, the Dali was cleared to leave the U.S. in September after initial repairs. However, more work was necessary due to the extent of damage the vessel had sustained, especially to the bow and side thrusters.

The Dali was able to depart the U.S. after these initial repairs but had to undergo extensive work in China to fully restore the vessel.

Reference: Bairdmaritime

Source: Maritime Shipping News