WEBVTT
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On March 28, 2024 at about 12:18 a.m., the
American mariner was traveling up the Saint
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Mary’s River, about 25 miles south of Sault
Saint Marie,
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Michigan, when a steering failure caused the
Bolt carrier to strike the Mouskang Channel
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Junction light, a 31 ft diameter, cylindrical
fixed concrete structure with a
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giant light on top.
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The vessel took on water, but the crew
stabilized it using pumps,
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and none of the 18 aboard. Injured.
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Still, the American mariner took more than
$800,000 in damage,
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and the light suffered an estimated $1.25
million in damage.
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The American mariner was on its first voyage of
the season following its winter layup period,
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a time when the boat is pulled out of the water
and stored for the winter.
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During this time, boats are typically
winterized and annual preventative maintenance
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is performed.
While the bulk carrier was out of the water,
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a new steering.
The system was installed.
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The crew knew something was up just before the
crash because the alarms for the vessel’s
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steering system sounded intermittently.
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Unfortunately, the crew couldn’t figure out why,
and the rudder seemed to properly respond to
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commands.
After the accident, crew members took a look at
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the new steering system and found that the
number one control motor,
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which controlled the stroke of the main
hydraulic pump,
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had failed.
When the motor was pulled apart, a small piece
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of black pliable debris.
was found lodged in between the rotating gears
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of the control motor, which stopped it from
rotating properly.
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Once a replacement control motor was installed,
the steering system responded properly to
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steering commands from the bridge.
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The technicians used a hammer to separate the
gear assembly,
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and a non-metallic black piece of material was
found lodged in between the inner and outer
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gear machining and gear housing.
The chief engineer said the debris looked like,
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either gasket material or a sliver of an.
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It was about the size of a quarter of a pencil
eraser, he said.
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The three pieces of debris that were found
measured a mere 2 to 4 millimeters in length.
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According to the NTSB, the probable cause of
the accident and more than $2 million in damage
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was O-ring type material debris in the steering
gear system’s hydraulic oil,
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which became lodged within a control motor,
causing it to seize,
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which made the rudder lock at its last ordered
position.
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I’m David Manti.
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This is manufacturing now.