W-sapphire

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.

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/

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

Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capital Region personnel, in coordination with partner agencies, remained engaged in salvage planning on Aug 20 in order to recover the hatch cover that detached during the explosion aboard the 'W Sapphire' in Baltimore port. A draft restriction remained in place, limiting the maximum navigational draft to 46.6 feet for vessels transiting within a 500-yard radius of the hatch cover's location. An intermittent safety zone covering all navigable waters within a 500-yard radius of the hatch cover's location were to be reactivated during future dive and salvage operations. Updates on the safety zone were to be provided via the Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capital Region. The 'W Sapphire' remained anchored north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in pos. 39° 02' N 076° 22' W as of Aug 21. The vessel has enacted its vessel response plan and was in stable condition. Following a joint boarding conducted with other investigative entities, a comprehensive plan was to be developed to safely clear the vessel from the port.

The U.S. Coast Guard has reopened the Fort McHenry Federal Channel in and out of the Port of Baltimore in cooperation with tugs, pilots, and other port partners to achieve this as quickly as possible. The response to the explosion aboard the 'W Sapphire', which had forced the temporary closure of the Fort McHenry Federal Channel, was continued. The U.S. Coast Guard determined the timing of vessel arrivals and departures. As of Aug 19, the Patapsco River had been closed to all vessel traffic between pos. 39°11.70’ N, 076°31.71’ W, near Swan Creek, and 39°12.6’ N, 076°29.74’ W, near Sparrows Point, extending up to the former location of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Additionally, a 500-yard safety zone has been established around the vessel, which was anchored in pos. 39°01.4’ N, 076°22.10 ’W, north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. No injuries have been reported, and the fire has been extinguished. The cause of the explosion remained under investigation. The explosion detached a hatch which was blown into the water. Plans to locate and retrieve the hatch were under development, but its exact location and potential impact on the navigable channel remained unknown. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deployed thesonar-equipped survey vessel 'Buck' to the incident site at approximately 7:30 a.m. The 'Buck' started collecting data to identify any obstructions to the safe navigation of traffic entering or exiting the Port of Baltimore via the Fort McHenry Federal Channel. This data will help determine the operational plan needed to fully reopen the federal channel. Multiple agencies have joined the response effort, including Coast Guard Station Curtis Bay response boat crews, a Coast Guard Station Annapolis response boat crew, Sector Maryland – National Capital Region responders, Baltimore Fire Department crews, and Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police. The port officials s were working closely with the Coast Guard and port partners to monitor the situation. The safety zone previously established for all navigable waters of the Chesapeake Bay within a 2,000-yard radius of a detached hatch cover in pos. 39.20692° N, 76.51733° W has been discontinued. An intermittent safety zone will be activated for all navigable waters within a 500-yard radius of the hatch cover in pos. 39.20865° N, 76.52017° W during dive and salvage operations that were tentatively scheduled for on Aug 20 at 6:00 a.m. A 500-yard safety zone remained in effect around the 'W Sapphire' in pos. 39.02333° N, 76.36833° W. Mariners were advised to avoid this area.A draft restriction has been established for vessels transiting within a 500-yard radius of the detached hatch cover, now located in pos. 39.20865° N, 76.52017° W. Vessels were restricted to a maximum navigational draft of 46.6 feet due to the depth of 49.7 feet at Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW). Crews are awaiting verification to confirm safe conditions before proceeding with further Coast Guard investigations aboard the 'W Sapphire:. The Coast Guard and partner agencies continued to actively monitor the situation and coordinate recovery efforts to ensure the safety of maritime operations in the area. Reports with graphics: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4279781/coast-guard-updates-safety-zones-and-draft-restrictions-following-w-sapphire-in/ https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4278939/update-coast-guard-partner-agencies-respond-to-vessel-explosion-in-baltimore-ha/

En route from Baltimore to Port Louis, there was an explosion aboard the 'W Sapphire' on Aug 18, 2025, at around 6.30 p.m. LT. The 'W Sapphire', which had just loaded a cargo of coal at CSX's Curtis Bay terminal in Baltimore, had started iits voyage and was sailing on the Patapsco River in Chesapeake Bay, not far from the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, when the explosion occurred south of Fort Carroll. None of the 23 crew members nor the two pilots, who were guiding the ship out, were injured. Responders from Coast Guard Sector Maryland - National Capital Region were dispatched to the area to assist. A fire was brought under control by closing the vessel’s hatches, but the fireboats remained on scene. The ship was assisted ton a nearby mooring b tugs and dropped anchor in pos. 39° 02' N 076° 22' W. The Coast Guard has established a 2,000-yard safety zone around the incident location, spanning from the Key Bridge to Brewerton Angle Channel LB “14”. Plans for the vessel are being formulated. Watchstanders issued an UMIB and dispatched responders to the scene to assist while coordinating the response with local port partners. Involved in the response were: - Coast Guard Station Curtis Bay response boat crews; - A Coast Guard Station Annapolis response boat crew; - Sector Maryland - National Capital Region responders; - Baltimore Fire Department crews; - Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police crews. Video: https://twitter.com/i/status/1957590461075660940

Coming from San Lorenzo, the "Belo Horizonte" while sailing down river on the Paraná, ran aground at the entrance of the Emilio Mitre Channel on June 22, 2015. The navigation through the Emilio Mitre Channel was to be allowed to resume once the "Belo Horizonte" has been towed away by the Argentinian tug "Ona Don Lorenzo" (IMO: 9328388) on June 23.