The Cunard Cruise ship, “QUEEN MARY 2,” broke free from its moorings due to high-velocity winds while it was docked at CIVITAVECCHIA, Italy.
Both the forward and aft gangways collapsed during the incident; however, with the assistance of tugboats, the ship was promptly secured, and fortunately, no injuries were reported. The ship is set to continue its scheduled voyage with minimal damage sustained.
The high-velocity winds caused the bow line of the ship’s mooring to snap, resulting in the vessel drifting away from the pier. Consequently, both the fore and aft gangways dropped into the water.
The incident transpired around 6:00 PM local time, with sustained winds clocking in at speeds of 24 miles per hour and gusts reaching up to 36 miles per hour.
A swift response from multiple tugboats ensured the ship’s stability until new lines could be used to properly re-secure it. Notably, the incident did not involve any other vessels.
One of the gangways was located after the ship’s re-securing process. The ship underwent an inspection before departing for its next port of call, VALENCIA, Spain. Upon arrival in VALENCIA, onboard guests reported additional inspections to verify the ship’s integrity.
While such occurrences are infrequent, they can occur from time to time. The Queen Mary 2, boasting a weight of 150,000 gross tons and standing at a height of 72 meters from the keel to the top of the funnel, presents a substantial surface area. This surface area can cause winds to generate tremendous force on the ship. This force leads to tension on the securing lines, occasionally causing them to break.
The opinions expressed herein are the author’s and not necessarily those of News2Sea.
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