W-SAPPHIRE

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Lost hatch cover recovered

On Aug 28 the lost 30-ton hatch of the 'W Sapphire' was recovered, ten days after after it detached during the explosion on the ship on the Patapsco River. The hatch's position in the river had prompted intermittent restrictions for vessels entering and exiting the Fort McHenry Federal Channel, as the Coast Guard had a safety zone in place over the past week. Coast Guard officials reopened the channel to ship traffic after the recovery. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers then used sonar equipment to collect data about the area and identify if there were any obstructions to vessel traffic.

Baltimore channel closed for hatch salvage

On Aug 27, an intermittent safety zone was in effect, as crews with the U.S. Coast Guard were working to recover the hatch of the 'W-Sapphire', which was blown off south of Fort Carroll in the explosion on Aug 18. The safety zone included all waters within a 500-yard radius of the location of the hatch cover in the Baltimore channel. The Port of Baltimore said the channel was closed from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. The bulk carrier remained anchored off Sandy Point as of Aug 28. The investigators have not cited a cause of the explosion. Report with photos: https://www.thebanner.com/community/transportation/channel-closed-w-sapphire-F7BDLUOH3NERFD2H6ZRRLFS3HI/

Fort McHenry Federal Channel closed for salvage of lost hatch cover

The Fort McHenry Federal Channel was closed on Aug 27 to establish a safety zone tfor salvage efforts of a hatch cover that was lost in the explosion aboard the 'W-Sapphier' on Aug 18, at 9.30 p.m. as it was leaving Baltimore Harbor with 23 crew members and two pilots on board. The Channel was to be closed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to facilitate the recovery of the massive hatch cover. The hatch was located earlier this week after the Army Corps of Engineers deployed a sonar-equipped survey vessel at the explosion site. The Coast Guard initially set up a 2,000-yard safety zone from the Key Bridge to Brewerton Angle Channel Lighted Buoy “14” and dispatched multiple crews, along with the Baltimore Fire Department and Maryland Natural Resources Police. On the morning of Aug 26, the Port of Baltimore announced the Fort McHenry Federal Channel would remain closed while the Coast Guard determined when it can safely reopen. Vessel arrivals and departures were on hold. The Coast Guard lifted a temporary safety zone near the hatch cover south of Fort Carroll on the afternoon of Aug 21, after activating it on Aug 20 and the next morning. Boaters could now travel freely in the area, until the restriction returned for dive or salvage work. nvestigators from the Coast Guard and various agencies are expected to board the ship to figure out how the explosion happened. After that, the Coast Guard will work on a plan to clear the bulkcarrier from the port, which was still moored in pos. 39° 01' N 076° 22' W as of Aug 27. Report with photo: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/coast-guard-to-salvage-30-ton-hatch-from-ship-explosion-in-baltimore/ar-AA1KXCGc?apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1