h 28 sailboat

L. Francis Herreshoff H-28 Ketch

Just two owners in 47 years.

Professionally maintained by Cutts and Case in Oxford, Maryland for the last 11 years.

Frequent exhibit boat at annual Sultana Downrigging Weekend in Chestertown since 2012.

“Simplicity afloat is the surest guarantee of happiness.”

– L. Francis Herreshoff

One of LFH’s most graceful designs, Gwylan is ready to begin turning heads in new harbors starting with the 2024 season.

LOA 28’

Sparred length: 34’

LWL 23’

Beam 8’9”

Draft 3’6”

Sail area: 343 s.f.

w/genoa approx. 546 s.f.

Built 1976 by McKie (Nick) Roth, Westport, Maine

White cedar over white oak, mahogany brightwork, bronze fastened, lead keel.

Reinforced 1998 with Cutts & Case's patented method which laces the planking below the waterline with thin Kevlar cord, resulting in an exceptionally safe and strong hull. No cracks in seams or planks in 26 seasons underway. See WoodenBoat #78 .  No known rot.

Original Volvo-Penta MD7A diesel is well cared for, runs beautifully.

​Sails made by the legendary Stuart Hopkins at Dabbler Sails, who crafted them from Dacron to look like vintage cotton: half-width panels (18") sewn with brown thread to catch the eye (and the camera), both jibs mitered to complete the vintage appearance. Sails are well maintained: main, mizzen, genoa, staysail. Includes a masthead drifter. Previous suit of sails are usable and are included.

Price $25,000, negotiable for a good home.

Ideal buyer has the skills and time to self-maintain or the availability of a competent yard.

You'll smile every time you look at her!

I have for 27 seasons.

She's now at Cutts & Case Shipyard in Oxford, Maryland, hauled for the season, stored indoors, among the many other beautiful boats in this classic yard.

See Drone Videos by Paul DeLaney

many more still images .

Authenticity

Gwylan closely follows LFH’s original design from the December, 1942 issue of the magazine The Rudder except for the welcome addition of a short bowsprit and removable jibstay to allow setting a big genoa in lighter air. It also is a handy place for the 25 lb. CQR anchor, which allows me to comfortably cruise singlehanded several hundred miles a year on the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River.

The article was reprinted later in Herreshoff’s Sensible Cruising Designs ( still available )

L. Francis Herreshoff’s biographer, Roger C. Taylor, describes the development of the H-28 in his Volume II and he used two pictures of Gwylan in his excerpt article in Woodenboat No. 206 .

Author Roger Taylor on board Gwylan at Chestertown during Downrigging Weekend, 2016.

Gwylan’s first owner was a fascinating man, Capt. John Cadwalader, USN. In addition to being a lover of the sea, he was a professor of Shakespeare and a namesake descendent of one of George Washington’s generals in the American Revolution. The name Gwylan is the Welsh word for “seagull”.

She's sweet and true - prettiest boat in the harbor.

L.F. Herreshoff H-28

Herreshoff “H-28” Specifications

LOA: 28′ 0″ * LOD: * LWL: 23′ 1.5″ * Beam: 8′ 9″ * Draft: 3′ 6″ * Displacement: 10,500 lbs * Ballast: 2,800 lbs Sail Area: 343 sq ft * Design Number: 80 * Yard Number: * Rig: Masthead Ketch * Designer: L.F. Herreshoff * Built by: * Year First Built: 1942 * Restored By: * Current Name: * Current Owner: * Sail Number:

Known Racing History: ?

Related posts:

• L. Francis Herreshoff “Tioga II”
• L.F. Herreshoff “Rozinante”
• L F. Herreshoff “Cat Yawl”
• L.F. Herreshoff (SK 30 ) “Oriole II”

Was the boat name and/or owner of the lovely H28 in the photo, above, ever identified? I would appreciate an opportunity to exchange emails regarding the design, particularly the addition of the bowsprit.

Regard from “down under”

Yes, as it happens, she’s mine … and that’s me in the photo, just stumbled on it now. Her name is “Gwylan” and she was built in 1977 by McKie (“Nick”) Roth in Westport, Maine. I’m the second owner. She’s built almost entirely as designed, except for the bowsprit, no spreaders on the mizzen, and no cedar bucket. I highly recommend the bowsprit. With the forestay on a removable turnbuckle, I can set and easily handle a good sized genoa on the headstay, which is a blessing in light air as this is quite a heavy boat. The sprit also makes a wonderful place to hang the anchor – safe, out of the way, and easy to single-hand, which I do much of the time. I sail her on the Delaware River around Philadelphia (location of the photo) and do a cruise on the Chesapeake in the Spring and Fall. I’ll be glad to talk about these sweet boats at great length!

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H 28 herreshoff

The h 28 herreshoff is a 26.94ft masthead ketch designed by l. francis herreshoff and built in various by cheoy lee shipyard since 1942..

The H 28 herreshoff is a heavy sailboat which is slightly under powered. It is reasonably stable / stiff and has an excellent righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a heavy bluewater cruising boat.

H 28 herreshoff for sale elsewhere on the web:

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Herreshoff H-28

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Anyone have experience with the H-28? THere are lots of them made in New Zealand - but they seem difficult to find in the States. I have a sale pending on an H-28 built by Parkins Marine, Florida. I'm just looking for some info, advice, stories, etc. Thanks!  

Hi Amy - are you looking at a plastic one or a wooden one? H28's aren't particularly fast racing yachts, but they are comfortable and competent cruisers capable of going most anywhere in the world you want to go. Some of the better-built timber ones command high prices in Australia.. More info here: Welcome to the H28 Yacht Owners Association  

H-28 Hi, thanks for the reply. This is a "plastic" one - I think the ones made in New Zealand were modified with a deeper keel and more headroom. THis one has a 3 ft. 6 " keel and only 5 ft. 10" of headroom- but beautiful woodwork inside - basic equipment I've been to the new zealand owners group - great group. I was hoping to find someone who'd sailed in one of these fiberglass boats made by Parkins. I guess not many were made and they're like hens teeth. It's hard to figure out how much the boat is worth- not much to compare it to. Not planning on racing- just some cruising around New England. I'm new to this whole thing - thanks again for the response! amy  

H-28 Hi Amy, i am looking into a H-28 as well, for me it was love at first site... just not alot of info available on this boat. i understand that different yards built different variations but not much chatter about how they sail in different conditions or overall sea-comfort-motion. The one i'm looking into, is plastic & overpriced but so damm pretty!(kinda sounds like my last gf)... she's a ketch but just looks under canvassed and realllllllly sloooooow... cramped & nothing great below deck... but still... she's a flirt... and got that "take me to france & we'll have a good time" sorta look about her... anyway, sorry to ramble, its been a long winter... lets compare notes... regards, danville  

H-28 danville, yes - I loved her from the start too- so glad she was as nice in person as the photos! I'm having the boat surveyed now- then she'll be mine! Here's the link to the add on yachtworld 1981 Parkins/Herreshoff H 28 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com the only downside is that she hasn't got anything but basic equipment (electronics) - but the sails look to be in good shape. The cabin is lovely! The boat is hull #16 - built for Adrian Hooper - by Parkins Marine in Ft. Lauderdale florida. they have since gone out of business. She's a sloop but looks like at one time she was rigged as a cutter. It's been difficult to find others like it- most are ketch rigs There is another listed on yachtworld right now - in Florida. Looks just like Iota (mine - well almost mine) I have no idea how the boat sails- I've seen some reports that they're slow and you can't point too high into the wind, we'll see. Also it's going to be wet - she's got an offset prop- so that'll be interesting. My first boat and the one I learned to sail on (last summer) was a catalina 27 - the engine almost never worked so I didn't learn how to dock anyway - so I guess I'll be learning how to back with a tricky backing boat. Where are you located? Some years back someone was trying to start an owners association here in the U.S. but it never got off it's feet I think. New Zealand has a very active owner's group for the H-28's. send photos and let me know how the hunt goes! Amy  

I have an H-28 which I built & launched in May 2010. Happy to answer any questions.  

VERY cool that you built your own. I would love to see photos/ hear all about it. Where do you sail her? Is it a cutter? I did end up buying the H-28 and sailed it all last season. Took some getting used to the much heavier boat- but she sails great. I'm still having lots of trouble handling her under power - getting in and out of slips is quite frankly still beyond me. I have an offset prop and that combined with the weight and full keel - cant get her to turn. I'd love to hear about your boat!!! Amy  

I know this is an older thread but I am familiar with that boat. I worked with Dave Parkins way back then and made a few of the molds that boat was made from. I built hull # 2 for myself and had the boat until 1989. Last I heard it was in Texas. They are sweet boats and you made a good choice. Dave Parkins is still in Ft Lauderdale and has a boat lift mfg company now. Jeff  

I purchased a Parkins Marine H28 in 2004, and sail her on Lake Lanier in north Georgia. The records show the builder to be a "Jeff O.....". I'd be interested in knowing if it is the same person in this forum? I believe the boat's original name, and her current name, is WHISPER.  

Just an update on H-28's. They were designed in 1942 by L. Francis Herreshoff, and originally built in wood. They are featured in Herreshoff's book, 'Sensible Cruising Designs.' They were designed as ketches, with one headsail. Later design modification by Herreshoff to satisfy a customer's request presented the boat as a sloop. They were modified, and built in the Far East, with a higher aft part of the house to make headroom below. The Australians and/or New Zealanders further modified the plan (my guess without Herreshoff's blessing) to be slightly longer, deeper, etc. and built them of fiberglass. The large H-28 association in Australia does not represent the boat as she was originally designed, though, I'm sure it is close. Herreshoff originally intended them as week-enders, so the owners could return to work on Monday morning. That said, one or two have circumnavigated.  

mejack said: Just an update on H-28's. They were designed in 1942 by L. Francis Herreshoff, and originally built in wood. They are featured in Herreshoff's book, 'Sensible Cruising Designs.' They were designed as ketches, with one headsail. Later design modification by Herreshoff to satisfy a customer's request presented the boat as a sloop. They were modified, and built in the Far East, with a higher aft part of the house to make headroom below. The Australians and/or New Zealanders further modified the plan (my guess without Herreshoff's blessing) to be slightly longer, deeper, etc. and built them of fiberglass. The large H-28 association in Australia does not represent the boat as she was originally designed, though, I'm sure it is close. Herreshoff originally intended them as week-enders, so the owners could return to work on Monday morning. That said, one or two have circumnavigated. Click to expand...

beautiful boats  

Mejack - I grew up St. Pete and get down a couple of times a year. Would love to intro myself and see your boat sometime if you are open to it. I will probably be in the market for a boat in 6 years (kids out of college then) and the H28 is on my radar screen.  

I have a Bermuda 30 built in 1964 by Far East Boats, LTD - mahoghony on ipol with iroko dead wood and spine, cross planked and riveted. Made one trip to Florida and decided the space in the cockpit was more important than the jigger. I've owned her for 25 years.  

Attachments

I built an H-28 and launched it in 1989. Purchased a fiberglass hull and deck with original lines from Krueger Marine out of Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. Took me eight years to complete. Aluminum spars, 20 hp Yanmar diesel, in line. All Honduras mahogany exterior woodwork, and Honduras mahogany and Oregon white ash down below. I even forged my own external keel. When she goes out she turns a lot of heads.  

Pictures please  

If i've learned anything on sn its that lots happens without pics. So good to hear that building happens and builders are still out there doing it.. Beached now but still dreaming.  

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The H28 Story

May 12, 2018 | About the H28

Safe, docile, easily-sailed, timeless and all in fibreglass. This is the THE H28 STORY 

Story and photos by JENNY GREEN

Sea Spray – August , 1978

Article reproduced courtesy of SeaSpray Magazine’ www.seaspraymag.com.

‘‘IF H28s design is only slightly changed, the whole balance may be thrown out. If you equip her with dead eyes, build her with sown frames, or fill her virgin bilge with ballast, the birds will no longer carol over her, nor will the odours arising from the cabin make poetry, nor will your soul be fortified against a world of warlords, politicians and fakers…”

So warned designer L. Francis Herreshoff in a delightful rambling description in Sensible Cruising Designs, of what has since proved to be, in New Zealand anyway, his most popular design, the 1943-vintage H28. The grand old master, doyen of yacht design, whose books on designs and designing are filled with similar warnings, denouncements and fantastically dogmatic statements of opinion, not only cautioned would-be builders of the H28 against desecration of the design, but also had this to say on the then-new medium of fibreglass:

“‘There is no doubt that some day large concerns will make motor boats by the ten thousand, all alike, of plastics. These will suit the swill man’s son, the ash man’s son, and the son of the local politician, for they will all be painted bright red and trimmed with nickel plating.   ‘But why someone wants to put these chaps on the water, I don’t know for there is nothing on the water they want to see, hear or smell. Their only desire is to take some bad girls up around the bend of the river, and this they might just as well do overland in the swill wagon their father navigated before them.” 

Harsh words indeed. But whether or not the birds carol over the couple of hundred altered, fibreglass H28s that cruise the waters of New Zealand and beyond, and whether or not the owners are the sons of swill men, ash men and local politicians with evil intent on their minds, what the old man didn’t know when he penned those lines was that his H28 design was to become possibly the biggest and most popular class of cruiser/racer keelboat in New Zealand in a remarkably short space of time. 

From small beginnings in Henderson in 1972, Compass Yachts have turned out an amazing 247 fibreglass H28s in various stages of finish and colour — they’re not all red! — for yachtsmen all over New Zealand ranging from enthusiastic learners to retired centreboard jockeys — and maybe the odd swill and ash men’s Sons as well. Politicians’ sons? Well, who knows. 

With Compass Yachts still busily laminating and finishing H28s (there were three in the shed when we visited, and another outside awaiting delivery to Northland) despite the state of the economy, we decided to take a closer look at what seems to be New Zealand’s favourite keelboat, and find out why. 

Compass Yachts director John Maurice puts it in a nutshell 

‘The H28,” he says, “is the Volkswagen of New Zealand yachting.’ 

And thinking about it, we reckon that’s a pretty fair summing-up. For whatever your personal feelings about the H28, you’d have to agree it’s a safe, docile, easily sailed, traditional and thus timeless-looking boat, with stacks of practical features, plenty of room below for the average  family, and, most important, within the reach of that average boating family.

Unlike many glass boats on the New Zealand market the5e days. the H28 came into fibreglass production as a result of careful market research by Compass Yachts and Half Moon Boy Brokerage. Maurice and friends were looking for on deal boat to manufacture in glass for the average boating man, a boat thot wouldn’t date easily, would appeal to a wide section of the buying public and would be reasonably easy and cheap to produce.

The H28, in its original wooden form, was proving to be the most sought-after secondhand yacht on the market, and brokers had clients waiting.

So Compass Yachts decided that with a few alterations, (and may their souls be saved from the warlords, politicians and fokers) in the form of more headroom and slightly deeper draft, with accommodation altered to sleep the average family, the H28 would be a worthwhile proposition.

With the assistance of well-known Auckland designer/builder John Lidgard (who, presumably, wasn’t too worried about warlords, politicians and fakers either) plans were drawn up giving 1 27 mm mare topside amidships and 64 mm more at the ends, increasing the yacht to 9 m (29 ft 7 in) with the draft increased from 1 .06 m to 1.21 m(3ft 6 in to 4ft).

Another important decision was to use steel punchings encapsulated in resin as ballast instead of lead, an important cost- saving exercise.

Chris Bouzaid (of Hood NZ Ltd) drew up a sail plan (for shame, more alterations) and Compass Yachts were ready to go into production, thinking that maybe they would build about 20 yachts a year.

The first glass H28 was launched in  October 1972 and to date Compass  Yachts have delivered 247 to owners all  over New Zealand, in Australia and the  United States.

To allay the fears of some of those more superstitious owners who had not, perhaps, realised that the famous designer of their little cruiser/racers did not approve of alteration or, horror of horrors, coloured plastic boats, Compass Yachts actually did get the blessing of the designer before he died.

In those early days, when the builders actually had people queuing to place orders at Auckland Boat Show, and found themselves working two eight-hour shifts a day in on effort to reduce the I 2-month waiting list, the ubiquitous 1128 cost a mere $7750 sailaway but without motor. That’s compared to around $17,000 today, though the H28 is still one of the cheaper boats of its size on the market.

And as with so many production boats  of this type, Compass Yachts in fact have  built about 80% of the sold boats to hull  and decks stage only rather than completed  — at the considerably cheaper price of  $6500. At that, using either a kitset from  the builders for the interior or undertaking their own joinery, which, Maurice says, has been of a remarkably high standard, and taking advantage of H28 marketers Half Moon Bay Marina’s package deal for materials, fittings, gear etc, owners can still put an H28 into the water for around  $14,000.

Construction of the boat is basically 340 g (12 oz) gunstock and woven ravings, in the topsides, with 6809 (24 oz) in the keel area. All boats are gun-laid these days and Compass Yachts work on producing a hull and decks in four working days with 26 working days needed for the sailaway boat.

And some figures to add to the useless information” file which we thought were interesting, is that into the 247 finished boats so for, have gone 17.5 tonnes of resin, 8.5 tonnes of glass, 2 tonnes of woven rovings, and 1 .5 tonnes of gel coat!

Basic sailaway boat, then, is equipped down below with squabs, two burner gas stove, stainless steel sink and galley pump, vanity basin and pump, 90-litre water tank, 45litre fuel tank, and toilet . . . though the latter was another subject which inspired the designer to more lengthy tirades.

In his description of the H28 in Sensible Cruising Designs (in which he deals with every imaginable subject connected with the design, including who should be on board, and whot they should eat), Herreshoff deals effectively with the subject of marine toilets by quoting J.J, Roche’s poem ‘A Sailors Yarn’

They bored a hole below her line to let the water out But more and more, with an awful roar the water in did spout.

Far better, Herreshoff maintained, for all purposes, particularly on a boat the size of H28, is a well-varnished Cedar bucket with rope handles to make it more comfortable…

Back to the sailaway boat, however, which also comes with the basic deck hardware necessary to get under way  from bollard to genoa tracks and blocks, cleats, two sheet winches, plus spars, running and standing rigging, and two sails, a mainsail and working jib.

Extras, like pushpit and pulpit, lifelines eic, and extra home comforts below, can also be supplied. But if you’re a purist, don’t fit a deep-freeze; Herreshoff didn’t like them either.

‘To me,,” he wrote, “or, ice-box seems a terrible thing — too often have I had to clean out of them ossified lamb chops or some other concoction which resembled a pre-Combrian custard.” He advocated lots of dried foods, well-cured bacon, black salami, and prunes!

The alternative, of course, is to eat the lamb chops before they ossify.

Low cost, plus good practical VW-type features in a boat, were not the only reason for the class’ incredible growth in such a short time here, however. One of the biggest contributing factors was the owners’ association, a highly enthusiastic group of people who have also aided class  growth by orgonising events, encouraging  racing and promoting family cruising,

The H28 owners affiliated themselves to Auckland’s Royal Akarana YC fairly early  on, and noe enjoy close, competitive class [ racing with that club under farrly strict one-design rules which ensure that the  older boats are competitive with the new  the original gloss H28 in fact, still races with some success in the annual Feltex Regatta.

All of which adds up to a unique success story of a pedigree boat which just happens to hove slotted perfectly into the New Zealand stock boat scene. The H28 really has never been the subject of heavy, Americanised marketing campaign but rather has sold itself to the sort of people who want that boat.

And although he would probably hove had heart failure at the thought that is words would be used eventually to describe a successful, plastic, coloured stock boat, Herreshoff’s description of H28’s design purpose probably best explains why:

“The H28,” he says, ‘was designed for the man who has only a limited amount of time but would like to go somewhere and bock in that time, “It was designed to be a boat that could quickly be gotten under way for a soil on a summer evening — a boat that could coast along in light breezes as well as stand up to everything  A simple, old fashioned philosophy of design and a “lucky punt” by the New Zealand manufacturers, and you’ve got New Zealand’s favourite family keelboat,  the H28.

One of the biggest features contributing to the success of the H28 has been a highly enthusiastic group encouraging family racing and cruising. Left: Stock H28 from Compass Yachts . .. 247 like this have left the mould so far. Interior layout. – full headroom, ample working space and all the comforts needed by the average family yachtsman.

One look at the stern and there’s no doubt about who designed the H28

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The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapses, 6 feared dead

Jonathan Franklin

Jason Breslow

Rachel Treisman

Ayana Archie

In an aerial view, the cargo ship Dali sits in the water after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images hide caption

In an aerial view, the cargo ship Dali sits in the water after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday.

At least six people are presumed dead following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday morning, officials said.

The bridge fell into the Patapsco River after it was struck by a nearly 1,000-foot-long container ship, sending several people plunging into the frigid waters below.

During a news update Tuesday evening, the U.S. Coast Guard told reporters they are ending an active search and rescue operation for the six people left unaccounted for at 7:30 p.m. local time.

Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said that based on the length of time since the bridge collapsed and the water temperatures, they don't believe that search teams are going to find any of these individuals still alive.

More from WYPR in Baltimore:

• Construction worker says friends, colleagues missing in bridge collapse
• Federal government pledges full support to rebuild FSK bridge, reopen port

For the latest from member station WYPR in Baltimore head to wypr.org

Gilreath told reporters that the Coast Guard is not leaving, but is going to "transition to a different phase."

The recovery phase will begin at 6 a.m. local time Wednesday when divers will begin searching for remains of all missing victims , Gilreath said.

Col. Roland L. Butler, Jr., Secretary of Maryland State Police, told reporters the conditions have changed and made it dangerous for first responders and divers to be in the water.

He emphasized that police will still have surface ships out in the water overnight.

"We're hoping to put those divers in the water and begin a more detailed search to do our very best to recover those six missing people," Butler said.

The collision set off a rapid search-and-rescue operation. Eight people from a construction crew that was working to repair potholes on the bridge are thought to have fallen into the water, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld told reporters.

Authorities did not believe any drivers were submerged in their cars, Wiedefeld said.

The bridge collapsed instantly

Eyepress/Reuters

The bridge, which is part of Interstate 695, collapsed around 1:30 a.m. when it was struck by a massive cargo vessel named the Dali. Dramatic video of the collision shows the hulking ship–the length of more than three football fields– slamming into one of the bridge's pillars, and then an expanse of the bridge falling into the water instantly.

The Dali, a Singapore-flagged ship, had left Baltimore at 1 a.m. and was bound for Colombo, Sri Lanka, according to Marine Traffic , a maritime data site.

The Picture Show

Photos: baltimore's key bridge collapses; search and rescue efforts continue.

Synergy Marine Group, the company that manages the ship, said in a statement that all 22 crew members are accounted for and that there were no injuries resulting from the crash. The company also said there was no pollution to the water.

In a briefing for the media, Moore said the crew of the container ship had notified authorities about a power outage onboard shortly before the collision. The crew notified authorities of "a power issue," Moore said, confirming earlier reports that they had lost power on the ship.

The ship was traveling at approximately 8 knots when it hit the bridge, Moore said. In the immediate aftermath of the collision, officials feared motorists might be submerged in the river, but Moore said that a mayday signal was issued with enough time for authorities to stop the flow of traffic coming over the bridge.

A collapsed section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is seen in the waters of the Patapsco River. The bridge collapsed early Tuesday after it was struck by a 984-foot-long cargo ship. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

A collapsed section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is seen in the waters of the Patapsco River. The bridge collapsed early Tuesday after it was struck by a 984-foot-long cargo ship.

"I have to say I'm thankful for the folks who once the warning came up, and once notification came up that there was a mayday, who literally by being able to stop cars from coming over the bridge, these people are heroes. They saved lives," Moore said.

FBI and state officials said the preliminary investigation points to an accident and that there was no credible evidence of any terrorist attack. Moore said the Francis Scott Key Bridge was fully up to code and there was no structural issue with the bridge.

"In fact, the bridge was actually fully up to code," Moore said.

The ship has had at least one previous accident

Vessel traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest on the East Coast, was suspended "until further notice," port officials announced, as search-and-rescue operations continued and the preliminary investigation into the crash was getting underway.

"This does not mean the Port of Baltimore is closed," port officials said in a statement. "Trucks are being processed within our marine terminals."

Gov. Moore declared a state of emergency and said his office was in close communication with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. The secretary was due to arrive in Baltimore to visit the crash site and receive updates on the investigation.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, left, speaks during a news conference as Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) looks on near the scene where a container ship collided with a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Steve Ruark/AP hide caption

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, left, speaks during a news conference as Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) looks on near the scene where a container ship collided with a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it will investigate what happened, announcing on X (formerly Twitter) that it was launching a "go team" to Baltimore.

Prior to the crash, the ship had completed 27 inspections, according to a database by the maritime safety site Equasis. In one inspection at a port in Chile last year, the ship was determined to have a deficiency related to "propulsion and auxiliary machinery," according to Equasis.

In 2016, an inspection found "hull damage impairing sea worthiness" after the ship hit a dock on its way out of the port of Antwerp. Video of the incident shows the stern of the ship scraping against the quay as it attempted to exit the North Sea container terminal.

The bridge is an important travel route with a deep history

Members of the National Transportation Safety Board listen to NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy speak during a news conference near the scene where a container ship collided with a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, in Dundalk, Md., Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Matt Rourke/AP hide caption

Members of the National Transportation Safety Board listen to NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy speak during a news conference near the scene where a container ship collided with a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, in Dundalk, Md., Tuesday, March 26, 2024.

The bridge's collapse leaves Baltimore and travelers along the East Coast without a vital transit corridor for the foreseeable future. The four-lane, 1.6-mile-long bridge carries some 11.3 million vehicles each year, according to state data, and is one of three ways to get through Baltimore on the interstate.

Reconstructing the bridge will be a "long-term build," Moore told reporters.

Speaking from the White House, President Biden said he intends for the federal government to "pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge."

"We're gonna get it up and running again as soon as possible," Biden said. "Fifteen thousand jobs depend on that port, and we're gonna do everything we can to protect those jobs and help those workers."

The bridge isn't just a vital transportation route. It also has a special historical significance.

It opened to the public in March 1977, but its history goes much deeper than that. Scholars believe it stood within 100 yards of the site where its namesake, Francis Scott Key, witnessed the failed British bombardment of Fort McHenry in September 1814.

Key, an American lawyer, watched the battle from the British warship he had boarded to negotiate the release of a detained American civilian. The awe he felt at seeing the flag rise the next morning inspired him to write "Defense of Fort McHenry," which was later renamed "The Star-Spangled Banner" and became the U.S. national anthem in 1931.

Shippers are scrambling to re-route their cargo

Roughly $80 billion worth of cargo passes through the Port of Baltimore each year. But with the port's shipping channels now closed indefinitely due to the accident, shippers have been left scrambling to find alternate routes to transport their goods to and from the East Coast.

Some vessels have already been diverted to Norfolk, Va., Margie Shapiro, who runs a freight handling business in Baltimore, told NPR . Other traffic could be re-routed through New York or Philadelphia.

The Dali was being chartered by Maersk and carrying cargo for Maersk customers, the shipping giant said in a statement . The company said it would be omitting Baltimore from its services "until it is deemed safe for passage through this area."

Cargo already at the Port of Baltimore will have to travel overland, but truck traffic will also be snarled by the loss of the bridge.

"The whole ecosystem is going to be a little bit off," Shapiro said. "When the ecosystem gets messy, things get messy. Freight rates go up. The world gets a little bit chaotic."

NPR's Dave Mistich and Scott Horsley contributed to this report.

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• Francis Scott Key Bridge
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Watch CBS News

A timeline of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

By Caitlin O'Kane

Updated on: March 28, 2024 / 10:46 AM EDT / CBS News

Around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed when a cargo ship lost power and crashed into it. Officials were able to prevent cars from driving onto the bridge just before the accident, but eight construction workers remained on the structure and plummeted into the river below. Here's how the events unfolded. 

About 12:45 a.m.

The Dali, a Singaporean-flagged cargo ship, leaves the dock in Baltimore, moving through the Patapsco River.

Tug boats, which are routinely used at the Port of Baltimore to help get vehicles out of the docking station, were already cut loose when the Dali's pilots and crew lost control of the ship. Ships are not required to have escorts through the bridge.

About 12:56 a.m.

The boat begins to make a big arc, turning toward the Francis Scott Key Bridge .

About 1:24 a.m.

The NTSB, which  obtained the Dali's voyage data recorder,  which records audio from the boat's bridge and radios, said around 1:24 a.m., "numerous aural alarms were recorded on the ship's bridge audio." The device briefly stopped recording but then turned on again using the ship's redundant power source.

About 1:25 a.m.

The ship reaches its max speed and then loses power one minute later at 1:26 a.m. The crew on board makes a mayday call, saying a collision might be possible. 

The ship's pilot also made radio calls asking for tugs in the area and the pilot association dispatcher called the police at this point regarding the ship's blackout, according to the NTSB.

Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski said there were roughly two minutes between Dali's mayday call to authorities and the bridge collapsing. 

"If it lost steering and power, then basically it's a dead ship just being carried by the current or its own momentum," James Mercante, the president of the New York Board of Pilot Commissioners, told CBS News. 

"It would take quite a while — probably the length of five [or] six football fields — to bring that ship to a stop, even after dropping the anchors, because of its power and momentum. This is a behemoth," Mercante said. 

The pilot asked crew to drop the anchor, according to the ship's recorder. The crew made an effort to deploy the anchor, but it remains unclear how much progress was made, officials said. 

The pilot made another radio call saying the ship had lost all power.

After receiving the mayday call from the Dali, officials ask police to block traffic on either side of the bridge, 911 records show. "There's a ship approaching that just lost all their steering," the dispatcher says. "So until you get that under control, we got to stop all traffic."

Two emergency responders say thay have each stopped traffic on the north and south sides of the bridge.

The 911 records show concern was raised for a crew working on the bridge. "I'm not sure if there's a crew up there, you might want to notify whoever the foreman is, see if we can get them off the bridge temporarily," someone on the call says.

The boat starts to lose speed at around 1:29 a.m. and soon, it hits a column holding up the bridge.  Audio on the ship's recorder is consistent with the collision into Key Bridge, NTSB says.

Someone on the 911 call alerts the dispatcher that the whole bridge has collapsed. Emergency responders from Maryland Transportation Authority Police confirm they have held all traffic from entering the bridge.

Tuesday morning 

After the collapse, a search and rescue effort begins for the eight construction workers who were on the bridge. They worked for Brawner Builders and were filling potholes on the bridge. 

Several agencies, including the FBI, sent dive teams into the water for the search. 

The FBI also announced that there is "no specific or credible information to suggest there are ties to terrorism in this incident."

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy the agency is leading the investigation, but focus remains on the people and families, saying "the rest can wait" and there wasn't a lot of information she could share at the time.

10 a.m. 

Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld announced in a news conference that two of the construction workers were recovered. 

One was unhurt and the other was treated at the University of Maryland Medical Center and has been discharged, according to CBS Baltimore .

Around 3:30 p.m.

At a Tuesday afternoon news conference, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the search and rescue operation  was still underway. 

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said the administration will work with NTSB and the Coast Guard on the investigation into what happened and reiterated what President Biden said at an earlier news conference: The federal government will provide all the support needed to fix the bridge.

Search and rescue operations were suspended and officials transitioned to recovery efforts, with six of the construction workers still missing and presumed dead.

The men, all in their 30s and 40s, are from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, according to CBS Baltimore's partners at The Baltimore Banner. They have spouses and children and were described as "hard-working, humble men," by an employee at the construction company.

One of the missing was identified by the nonprofit organization CASA as Miguel Luna, who is originally from El Salvador. He is a husband and father of three, who lived in Maryland for 19 years. 

Honduras' Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio García said one of the missing workers, Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, was from Honduras, The Associated Press reports. 

Guatemala's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said  two of the missing workers are from Guatemala. The Mexican Embassy in Washington also confirmed there were Mexicans among the six missing. 

A vigil was held for the workers on Tuesday night .

Divers headed back in the water on Wednesday when searchers recovered a vehicle with the bodies of two of the missing construction workers.

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Caitlin O'Kane is a New York City journalist who works on the CBS News social media team as a senior manager of content and production. She writes about a variety of topics and produces "The Uplift," CBS News' streaming show that focuses on good news.

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• Sailboat Guide

1973 Professional Boat Builder Herreshoff 28

• Description

Seller's Description

Herreshoff 28 1973 Ketch. Built to a modified design by a Master Ships Carpenter. African mahogany stripped plank hull on laminated ribs. Aluminum masts. 30 HP Atomic Four. Great Lakes sailed. Always stored inside. Asking $26,500. 419-206-5629 / [email protected] for more information

Equipment: Sweep is a Herreschoff 28 built to a modified design by a professional wooden boat builder and launched in 1973. One family owner. Stored inside near Cleveland, Ohio and sailed only in fresh water on the Great Lakes. The construction is concave/convex mahogany edge nailed and glued planking on laminated white oak and mahogany frames. Bronze fastenings throughout. Deck is marine plywood overlaid with fiberglass. Interior hull is lined with mahogany and spruce. Some restoration of the cockpit seat is complete. The bottom is not yet been painted for launch to aid in any marine survey the buyer may want. The H 28 is ketch rigged but can be sailed as a sloop. The owners normally sail the boat as a sloop. The mizzen mast is installed when it is entered for a once-a-year 30 mile race. If you are looking for a traditional wooden boat with some modern aspects (aluminum masts, fiberglass decks) this is a great boat to consider. Whenever, you enter a harbor, heads will turn and accolades are always communicated. The roller furling genoa makes getting ready to sail just that much easier. Although, the main sheet has a winch it has never been needed under any wind condition. This modified H 28 has superior sailing capability with much improved storage and living accommodations. Specifications: LO 30 LBP-33 (length between perpendiculars) LWL-28 Draft- 46 Beam-8 Displacement ≈ 8500 lbs. Cradle Overlapping bow pulpit arrangement so genoa does not break over lifelines. Modifications from the original H-28 design include: Raised the rig 4 to increase sail area for better light air sailing. Added a 3 bow sprit Adjusted the position of the masts to account for the new Center of Effort. Lowered the keel by 4 so draft is 4ft6in. Added a cabin house Enclosed marine Head Ice box with below deck and deck level access Sink and Stove Transom extended 2ft to add storage and enclose rudder GPS Atomic 4 Engine 30 HP Aluminum masts with internal halyards Roller furling Jib Intermediate headstay Other Sails: Main Jib sets on the intermediate headstay and Roller furling Genoa Mizzen and Mizzen Staysail Spinnaker Staysail and Symmetrical Spinnaker PHRF Rating 228

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Sloop or Ketch. Some builders of this design, or it’s variants include:

Compass Yachts Ltd. (NZ) 1970-1984 FG (modified by John Lidgard) Far East Boats Ltd.(Japan) International Marine (Japan) Cheoy Lee Shipyard (Hong Kong) BERMUDA 30 Walker Boat Co Ltd.(AUS) Parkins Marine - Ft. Lauderdale, FL (USA) Middleton Marine - La Crosse, FL (USA) Gallart Shipyard (ESP)

This listing is presented by SailboatListings.com . Visit their website for more information or to contact the seller.

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• International

March 26, 2024 - Baltimore Key Bridge collapses after ship collision

By Helen Regan , Kathleen Magramo , Antoinette Radford, Alisha Ebrahimji , Maureen Chowdhury , Rachel Ramirez , Elise Hammond , Aditi Sangal , Tori B. Powell , Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and Kathleen Magramo , CNN

Our live coverage of the Baltimore bridge collapse has moved here .

Crew member on DALI said everyone on board was safe hours after bridge collapse, official says

From CNN’s Amy Simonson

A crew member on the DALI cargo ship sent a message hours after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed Tuesday saying everybody on board was safe, according to Apostleship of the Sea director Andy Middleton.

Middleton, who spent time with the captain of the DALI Monday, told CNN’s Laura Coates he reached out to a crew member after hearing about the incident Tuesday morning. 

He said there were 22 members aboard the ship from India who were setting sail earlier Tuesday morning and were heading toward Sri Lanka.

“I was able to reach out to a crew member very early this morning around 5:30 (a.m. ET) or 6 (a.m. ET) and get a message to them asking if they were OK,” he said. “That crew member responded within just a few minutes advising that the crew was safe, and everybody that [was] on board was safe.”

Middleton was told by the ship's captain Monday that the vessel was going to take a longer route to avoid risks along the Yemen coast.

“When I was out with the captain yesterday, we were talking while we were driving, and he advised that they were sailing down and around the tip of South Africa in order to avoid the incidents that are going on off the Yemen coast, and it was a safer way to go,” he said.

Middleton said the  Apostleship of the Sea  is a ministry to seafarers with members that spend time in the port and on the vessels as a friendly face to the seafarers that visit the Port of Baltimore, “taking care of their needs to make sure that they're reminded of their God-given human dignity when they're here in Baltimore.”

Search operation ends in "heartbreaking conclusion," Maryland governor says. Here's the latest

From CNN staff

Six people, who were believed to be part of a road construction crew, are presumed dead after Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning. The collapse came after a 984-foot cargo ship hit the bridge's pillar.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told reporters Tuesday evening it's a "really heartbreaking conclusion to a challenging day."

Late Tuesday, it was discovered that two of the construction workers who went missing after the bridge collapsed were from Guatemala , the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said late Tuesday.

Here's what you should know to get up to speed:

• The victims: Eight people were on the bridge  when it fell, according to officials. At least two people were rescued — one was taken to the hospital and was later  discharged , fire official and the medical center said.
• The incident: Video shows the moment the entire bridge structure falls into the water, as the ship hits one of the bridge's pillars. CNN analysis shows that the  ships lights flickered  and it veered off course before it hit the bridge. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the crew on the ship were able to issue a "mayday" before colliding into the bridge, which allowed the authorities to stop incoming traffic from going onto the bridge.
• Response efforts: Earlier, dive teams from various state and local agencies were brought in to assist in search-and-rescue operations, according to Maryland State Police Secretary Col. Roland L. Butler Jr.. The mission started with 50 personnel and continued to grow before the Coast Guard announced Tuesday evening that it was suspending its active search-and-rescue operation and transitioning to a "different phase."
• The investigation: Authorities are still working to establish exactly how the crash occurred. The National Transportation Safety Board will look into  how the bridge was built  and investigate the structure itself. It will "take time to dig through" whether the bridge had ever been  flagged for any safety deficiencies , NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said.
• Rebuilding the bridge: US Sen. Chris Van Hollen said the path to rebuilding the bridge will be "long and expensive." Senior White House adviser Tom Perez told reporters Tuesday “it’s too early” to tell how long it will take to rebuild the bridge. President Joe Biden said Tuesday he wants the federal government to bear the full cost of rebuilding the collapsed bridge, noting that it will not wait for the company who owns the container ship DALI to shoulder the costs. Funding could come from the Federal Highway Administration as well as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, but it may require additional funding from Congress.

2 of the missing construction workers from bridge collapse were from Guatemala, foreign ministry says

From CNN’s Allison Gordon, Flora Charner and Amy Simonson

Two of the construction workers missing from the bridge collapse in Baltimore were from Guatemala, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement late Tuesday.

Those missing included a 26-year-old originally from San Luis, Petén. The other is a 35-year-old from Camotán, Chiquimula, the statement said.

The ministry said both were part of a work team “repairing the asphalt on the bridge at the time of the accident.”

The statement did not name the two people missing, but it said the country’s consul general in Maryland “went to the area where the families of those affected are located,” where he hopes to be able to meet with the brothers of both missing people.

The consulate   also issued a statement Tuesday saying its consul general in Maryland "remains in contact with local authorities," and also confirmed that two of those missing "were of Guatemalan origin.”

Six people, who were believed to be part of a road construction crew, are presumed dead after Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning when a cargo ship hit the bridge's pillar.

State and federal officials have not released information about the identities of any of the six missing workers.

Underwater mapping of bridge collapse area to begin Wednesday, Baltimore fire chief says

From CNN's Jennifer Henderson

Search operations near the Key Bridge collapse have shut down for the night due to dangerous conditions, but the process of underwater mapping with many local, state and federal dive teams will begin Wednesday, Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace told CNN’s Anderson Cooper Tuesday night.

Wallace said the portion of the Patapsco River is “tidal influenced, so it goes through tide cycles just like the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay does.”

The water depths in the area under the bridge vary from 40 feet to more than 60 feet, Wallace said. The deeper the divers go, the colder the temperatures they encounter, and the visibility is zero, he added.

 Wallace said when crews arrived Tuesday morning, the surface water temperatures of the Patapsco River were about 47 degrees with an air temperature of 44-45 degrees.

Here's what you should know about the historic Francis Scott Key Bridge

The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday after a massive container ship lost power and crashed into the iconic Baltimore bridge, sending people and vehicles into the frigid Patapsco River.

Six people, believed to be part of a road construction crew, are presumed dead and the Coast Guard has ended its active search and rescue mission.

Here's what you should know about the historic bridge:

• How old?: The Francis Scott Key Bridge, also referred to as just the Key Bridge, opened to traffic in March 1977 and is the final link in the Baltimore Beltway, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA.) It crosses over the 50-foot-deep Patapsco River, where former US attorney Francis Scott Key found inspiration to write the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner, the MDTA says.
• How long?: The bridge was 1.6 miles long when standing, MDTA reports.
• Traffic volume: More than 30,000 people commuted daily on the bridge, according to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.
• How much did it cost?: The bridge cost $60.3 million to build, MDTA says. Since its collapse, President Joe Biden said he’s committed to helping rebuild the bridge as soon as possible.
• About the port: Baltimore ranks as the ninth biggest US port for international cargo. It handled a record 52.3 million tons, valued at $80.8 billion, in 2023. According to the Maryland state government, the port supports 15,330 direct jobs and 139,180 jobs in related services.
• About the ship: The bridge collapsed after a container vessel called Dali collided with one of its supports. Dali is operated by Singapore-based Synergy Group but had been chartered to carry cargo by Danish shipping giant Maersk . The ship is about 984 feet long , according to MarineTraffic data. That’s the length of almost three football fields.

Baltimore woman says bridge collapse was "like a piece of family dissolved"

From CNN's Kit Maher

For longtime Baltimore resident, Ceely, who opted not to share her last name, seeing footage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse  Tuesday was deeply personal.

“I was very heavy-hearted,” Ceely told CNN. “Very tearful, thinking about the families whose loved ones may be in the water and just remembering when the bridge was constructed, and it was just like a piece of family dissolved.”

Ceely was at a prayer group Tuesday morning when she saw the news. She recalled being afraid when she first crossed the bridge while in Ford Maverick in 1975, but grew to like it because it saved time on the road.

“It was a main artery just like a blood line. It was a main artery to the other side of town. It was awesome. It beat going through the city all the time,” she said.

Elder Rashad A. Singletary , a senior pastor who led Tuesday night’s vigil at Mt. Olive Baptist Church told CNN that many church members watched the bridge's construction.

"It’s a part of the community. A lot of our individuals in our congregation drive that bridge to go to work, and so now it’s really a life changing moment,” he said.

"Heartbreaking conclusion to a challenging day," Maryland governor says as Coast Guard ended search operation

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

More than 18 hours after the collapse of the Baltimore bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said it was a heartbreaking conclusion after the Coast Guard ended the search-and-rescue operation for the six people who were on the bridge when it collapsed.

It's a "really heartbreaking conclusion to a challenging day," he said.

"We put every single asset possible — air, land and sea" to find the missing people, he told reporters on Tuesday evening. "While even though we're moving on now to a recovery mission, we're still fully committed to making sure that we're going to use every single asset to now bring a sense of closure to the families," the governor added.

6 people presumed dead after Baltimore bridge collapse, Coast Guard says. Here's what we know

As the sun sets in Baltimore, six people are presumed dead after a major bridge collapsed overnight Tuesday, according to the Coast Guard. The Francis Scott Key Bridge came down around 1:30 a.m. ET after a cargo ship collided with it.

The Coast Guard said it has ended its active search-and-rescue operation for the missing construction workers who were on the bridge when it collapsed.

• What we know: Eight people were on the bridge when it fell, according to officials. At least two people were rescued — one was taken to the hospital and has been discharged . The Coast Guard has been searching for six other people. But, around 7:30 p.m. ET, the Coast Guard said it has transitioned to a “different phase” of operation, now it did “not believe we are going to find any of these individuals alive,” Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said.
• About the ship: The bridge collapsed after a container vessel called Dali collided with one of its supports. The vessel is operated by Singapore-based Synergy Group but had been chartered to carry cargo by Danish shipping giant Maersk . The US Embassy in Singapore has been in contact with the country’s Maritime and Port Authority, a State Department spokesperson said.
• The investigation: The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the collapse. A team of 24 experts will dig into nautical operations, vessel operations, safety history records, owners, operators, company policy and any safety management systems or programs, said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. A voyage data recorder will be critical to the investigation, she added. 
• Vehicles on the bridge: Officials are also working to verify the numbers of how many cars and people were on the bridge, Homendy said. Gov. Wes Moore said the quick work of authorities in closing the bridge had saved lives . Radio traffic captured how authorities stopped traffic and worked to clear the bridge seconds before the impact . Maryland State Police Secretary Col. Roland L. Butler Jr. said there is a “ distinct possibility ” more vehicles were on the bridge, but authorities have not found any evidence to support that.
• Looking ahead: NTSB will look into how the bridge was built and investigate the structure itself, including if it was flagged for any safety deficiencies , Homendy said. The federal government has also directed its resources to help with search and rescue, to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge, Vice President Kamala Harris said . Earlier, President Joe Biden said t he federal government will pay to fix the bridge.
• The economy: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned the collapse will have a serious impact on supply chains . Until the channel is reopened, ships will likely already be changing course for other East Coast ports. Ocean carriers are already being diverted from the Port of Baltimore, where the bridge collapsed, to the Port of Virginia to “keep trade moving."

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• International

March 28, 2024 - Baltimore Key Bridge collapse

By Antoinette Radford, Maureen Chowdhury , Tori B. Powell , Elise Hammond and Aditi Sangal , CNN

Our live coverage has ended. Follow the latest news on the Baltimore bridge collapse or read through the updates below. 

Here's what we learned from the authorities this evening

From CNN staff

The federal government has given Maryland officials the $60 million requested to cover the first steps of responding to  the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge , according to a Federal Highway Administration news release.

Federal Highway Administration chief Shailen Bhatt said the emergency funding would go toward removing debris, rerouting traffic and ultimately rebuilding the bridge.

Here's what else the authorities said in a news briefing this evening:

• Four directives to recovery: Gov. Wes Moore outlined four main priorities as Maryland looks to recover after the bridge collapse. The directives include: Continued focus on efforts to recover the construction workers presumed dead "to bring a sense of closure to these families," open the channel and restart traffic to the port, taking care of those affected, rebuilding the Key Bridge.
• Murky water conditions: Moore said the " water is so dark , and debris is so dense, that in most instances our divers cannot see more than a foot or two in front of them."
• Major resources mobilized: The Army Corps of Engineers is moving the largest crane in the Eastern Seaboard to Baltimore to help clear the channel, and it is expect to arrive later on Thursday evening, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said. Clearing the channel has been an important goal so trade and traffic through the port can resume. The Army Corps of Engineers plan to cover the full cost of clearing the channel where Baltimore's Key Bridge collapsed, Sen. Chris Van Hollen said Thursday.
• One larger vehicle detected underwater: There's at least one vehicle of a large size that has been detected underwater, and it is encapsulated by the superstructure of the bridge, concrete and other things, according to Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., the superintendent of Maryland State Police.
• Monitoring possible leaks and pollution: Over 2,400 feet of boom have been deployed to contain any leaks of pollution in the aftermath of the collapse of the Key Bridge, Moore said. Separately, 14 containers on the ship were impacted , and they contained items like soap and perfume, Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said, adding that he did not have information on whether any of those materials went overboard. Air monitors are in place to track any potential threats and they have not picked up any threats so far, Gilreath said.

There's at least 1 larger vehicle underwater, official says

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

There's at least one vehicle of a large size that has been detected underwater, according to Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., the superintendent of Maryland State Police.

"There's at least one vehicle, larger in size, that is completely encapsulated by the superstructure of the bridge, concrete," among other things, Butler said Thursday evening. "It's going to take some time to get to that, and it's going to take some time to do that carefully" before divers can go to recover that vehicle, he added.

2,400 feet of boom was used to contain possible toxic materials, Maryland governor says

There have been over 2,400 feet of boom deployed to contain any leaks of pollution in the aftermath of the collapse of the Key Bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Thursday.

He said he personally did not see any sheen on the water when he went to assess the situation on site.

Remember: 56 containers with hazardous materials were found on the vessel.

There are 14 containers on the ship were impacted, and they contained items like soap and perfume, Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said at the briefing, adding that he did not have information on whether any of those materials went overboard.

Air monitors are in place to track any potential threats and they have not picked up any threats so far, Gilreath added.

Baltimore mayor says he remains hopeful bodies of other workers will be recovered

From CNN's Elise Hammond

Baltimore's mayor said he is still "hopeful" the bodies of the other workers presumed dead will be recovered.

Authorities announced on Wednesday they were pausing search and recovery efforts  for the four other workers presumed dead because debris made it unsafe for divers to continue. Once this next phase of salvage operations is complete and the debris is cleared, divers will search for more remains.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said that during the salvage operation, he hopes "we are able to recover those who remain missing and bring them home to their families.

The mayor said he directed his administration to work with the governor’s office “on any and every effort that must be taken.”

Army Corps of Engineers will bear the full cost of clearing the channel, Sen. Chris Van Hollen says

The Army Corps of Engineers will cover the full cost of clearing the channel where Baltimore's Key Bridge collapsed, Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen said Thursday.

"We all recognize that getting the Port of Baltimore running again at full speed is a priority given all the jobs that are associated with it, all the small businesses, all the other businesses," Sen. Van Hollen said at Thursday's news briefing. "And as the governor pointed out, this is not just a Maryland issue, it's a national and global question."

The largest crane in the Eastern Seaboard is expected to arrive in Baltimore later today, governor says

The Army Corps of Engineers is moving the largest crane in the Eastern Seaboard to Baltimore to help clear the channel, and it is expected to arrive Thursday evening, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said.

"Under the leadership of Col. (Estee S.) Pinchasin, the Army Corps is moving the largest crane in the Eastern Seaboard to Baltimore to help us," Moore said at a news conference. "It is estimated that will arrive later this evening."

"It's a 1,000-ton crane coming around midnight," Sen. Chris Van Hollen said at the same news conference. "And another 400-ton crane coming Saturday for the operations to clear the channel."

The post was updated with information about the crane from Sen. Van Hollen.

Officials are assessing pieces of the bridge before they pull them out of the water, Coast Guard says

Officials working to remove the collapsed Key Bridge from the channel are conducting a full assessment of all pieces of debris before they can lift them out of the water, Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath.

This assessment is critical in figuring out how to cut the bridge into the right size pieces so cranes can lift them out, he said.

“We are doing those assessments right now with underwater surveys, with engineering teams back in unified command,” Gilreath said, adding that the assessment is in coordination with several other partners, including the US Army Corp of Engineers.

“That is our number one priority is to reopen the Port of Baltimore as fast as we can, and do it safely,” he added.

Murky conditions are hindering divers' vision during underwater operations, Maryland governor says 

Water conditions are hindering divers' visibility as they conduct recovery operations, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Thursday.

"That water is so dark, and debris is so dense, that in most instances our divers cannot see more than a foot or two in front of them," Moore said at a news briefing. "So much of the operation is simply feel."

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