Crude Carrier Collision

Today let’s explore 1953 Northern Delaware along the shipping lanes of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, or C & D, along with other points along and near Delaware City.  Two Crude Carriers collided - the SS Phoenix and the SS Pan Massachusetts, both owned by the same company.  Who was at fault?  What did we learn?  How would people think of this disaster in today’s terms and wealth of knowledge.  Join me as I learn about and reflect on a maritime disaster that’s impact can still be felt today. 

 

Diagrams for visual reference:

 

Passing Starboard to Starboard, or on the left, two short blasts

 

https://images.app.goo.gl/XRBTrDnBvmUnaS937

Passing Port to Port, or on the right, one short blast

 

https://images.app.goo.gl/pjka68b53ZWzzNDZ8

http://www.gendisasters.com/delaware/18526/chesapeake-delaware-canal-de-tankers-collide-june-1953

 

https://www.t2tanker.org/ships/panmass.html

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T3_tanker#Notable_incidents

 

https://www.marineinsight.com/types-of-ships/what-are-very-large-crude-carrier-vlcc-and-ultra-large-crude-carrier-ulcc/

 

https://casetext.com/case/national-bulk-carriers-inc-v-united-states

 

http://nashbulk.steamcheng.net/phoenix1.html

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadweight_tonnage#:~:text=Deadweight%20tonnage%20  

 

http://www.cbbt.com/about-us/history/

 

https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/flammable/flam.html

 

https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1953?amount=1000000