How often does a mooring line snap on a Celebrity ship?

[fstuff1]

it was calm sunny weather today.

Read that a mooring snapped on my s-class ship causing problems with the gangway.

Took over an hr to fix the gangway and a huge line of pax in returning to the ship.

 

I've sailed on dozens of cruises and this is the 1st time i've heard of a mooring line snap.

How often does that happen?
How often does it happen on a calm sunny day? 😮

 

[cruisestitch]

I don’t think anyone here can possibly answer that question. You yourself is only seen it once, right? so obviously it isn’t very common.

[prmssk]

Calm and sunny doesn't mean there wasn't an undercurrent or other circumstance you couldn't see.

 

I've heard a few stories over the years even of the ship breaking free from the dock but never seen it myself.  Considering how many ships on any given day are docking and how infrequent we hear of stories, I don't think it is all that common. 

 

On a related note, I did watch the Infinity get brand new mooring lines at a port last year which was kind of cool to see.  They came in a coil on a pallet and using a lead line were thrown up to the line handlers on the ship and slowly uncoiled and pulled in from the dock.  

[lv2cruisgrl]

14 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

it was calm sunny weather today.

Read that a mooring snapped on my s-class ship causing problems with the gangway.

Took over an hr to fix the gangway and a huge line of pax in returning to the ship.

 

I've sailed on dozens of cruises and this is the 1st time i've heard of a mooring line snap.

How often does that happen?
How often does it happen on a calm sunny day? 😮

 

Over 40 cruises, never heard or seen it!

[ela123]

It happened to us on the Constellation in a storm

 

 

[Traveling Fools]

 

31 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

've sailed on dozens of cruises and this is the 1st time i've heard of a mooring line snap.

How often does that happen?
How often does it happen on a calm sunny day? 😮

 

You didn't tell us where you were when this happened. And, that is germane.

 

Some ports experience radical tides resulting in extreme ranges in water levels when the tide changes.  That may have been a factor.

[sptrout]

Not an answer to your question, but below is a link to "Casual Navigation's" explanation of morning lines. More to it than us non-folks may realize.

 

 

[PTC DAWG]

I do know how often they replace the mooring lines.....every time they break.  🙂

 

Same with the parasailing lines used all over the Caribbean.  

Edited October 31, 2023 by PTC DAWG

[Tyler414]

It happens.

[MartiniBarhooked]

Happened to us on the December 23 cruise on the Constellation.  One of 3 new things we experienced on a cruise.  The first one was seeing a whole Cart Load of luggage go into the water at embarkation. Port of Tampa.  The first Sea Day we picked up a boat full of refugees. Let them off at our first port in Puerto Rico. And the third while walking past a line in port it just snapped.  Yes it was windy and the ship was moving up in down considerably in port.

[JeanieC,Aston]

It happened to P&O Britannia during a storm in Palma Majorca in August.

The winds blew the ship across the harbour where it collided with a tanker.

 

This video shows the mooring lines snapping.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjKl7eK16CCAxUMWsAKHY-hBa0QtwJ6BAgHEAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D4pdNcNjxtM4&usg=AOvVaw1_evyu85n1tIQrVN0b81kq&opi=89978449

[villauk]

Had it happen to us in Civitavecchia (Rome) on Brilliance of the Seas many years ago. Got back from a tour and the guide said your ship isn’t there! We thought she was joking until we looked and realised Brilliance was further out. Apparently, there had been a freak storm and the moorings had broken, causing the gangway to fall into the sea; luckily, no one was hurt and there wasn’t anyone on the gangway. So, yes, it happens.

[chengkp75]

How often do mooring lines break?  Fairly often, maybe one or two per ship per year.  How often does one or more lines break and cause interference with the gangway?  Not often.

 

One way that ships have remediated line breakage is through the use of "pendants".  You may see these on cruise ship mooring lines, where the end of the line that goes over the bollard on the dock is only a couple of meters long, and is then shackled to the longer mooring line.  The pendant is rated for a lower breaking strength than the mooring line, so the more expensive long mooring line doesn't break first.  Another way is to have the winch brakes set for "rendering", or slipping when the load gets near the breaking strength of the rope.  This saves the mooring line from breaking, but can cause the ship to move away from the dock, which can then interfere with the gangway.

[Mike981]

This turned into being an interesting thread, thank you all.

[2chiefs]

I was stationed aboard the USS Gilmore from 1976 to late 1978 in Sardinia. Our Exec was killed a little over a year after I left when a mooring line broke (during docking). The whiplash was so severe that I heard it severed his leg entirely (not verified).

"Paul Richard Klinedinst, Jr. Captain (Executive Officer), USS Howard W. Gilmore (AS-16) Loss Killed when a mooring line broke January 13, 1980"

[fstuff1]

4 hours ago, 2chiefs said:

I was stationed aboard the USS Gilmore from 1976 to late 1978 in Sardinia. Our Exec was killed a little over a year after I left when a mooring line broke (during docking). The whiplash was so severe that I heard it severed his leg entirely (not verified).

"Paul Richard Klinedinst, Jr. Captain (Executive Officer), USS Howard W. Gilmore (AS-16) Loss Killed when a mooring line broke January 13, 1980"

a capt as the 1st officer?
Was an admiral in charge of the ship?

Edited October 31, 2023 by fstuff1

[Pugs93]

December 28, 2014. Celebrity Silhouette. Labadee.  Captain Dimitrios Kafetzis. Early afternoon the weather turned bad. Windy and increasing seas. We were on land and heard the ships horns blowing. Headed back to see the ship using thrusters to keep it on the dock and lines snapping. Many lines snapped. The crew were stoping passengers on the dock until they felt it was safe for the passengers to run under the lines to the gangway. Everyone made it back onboard. Later in the theater Captain Dimitrios stated that if it got any worse he planned on dropping lines and sending lifeboats/tenders back when the weather improved, if he couldn’t stay long enough to get everyone onboard. 

[DaKahuna]

1 hour ago, fstuff1 said:

a capt as the 1st officer?
Was an admiral in charge of the ship?

 

Not uncommon for an executive officer to be a Captain junior to the ship's Captain who is also a Captain in rank, although it is usually on larger ships such as aircraft carriers.  I was never station on a submarine tender (AS) so can't speak for how common it might be on one of those class ships. 

 

 

[Traveling Fools]

17 hours ago, 2chiefs said:

I was stationed aboard the USS Gilmore from 1976 to late 1978 in Sardinia. Our Exec was killed a little over a year after I left when a mooring line broke (during docking). The whiplash was so severe that I heard it severed his leg entirely (not verified).

"Paul Richard Klinedinst, Jr. Captain (Executive Officer), USS Howard W. Gilmore (AS-16) Loss Killed when a mooring line broke January 13, 1980"

https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/PAUL_R._KLINEDINST,_JR.,_CAPT,_USN

[gold1953]

It happened 2012 Solstice in Venice. Weather was fair but a rouge wind hit the side of the ship. The mooring posts ripped out of the concrete pier One was like a sling shot and hit the ship ripping a hole . The gang plank went into the water just before 2 women were about to step on.  Tugs quickly pushed us back but a new place was needed to tie on.  First time we heard ECHO ECHO ECHO onboard !!

[fstuff1]

5 hours ago, gold1953 said:

 The mooring posts ripped out of the concrete pier. 

First time we heard ECHO ECHO ECHO onboard !!

had to look that up.
echo = possible collision with another ship or ship adrift

Also, Delta= damage to ship 

 

And seems like italian contractors cut some corners in building the pier. 😛

[chengkp75]

10 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

had to look that up.
echo = possible collision with another ship or ship adrift

Also, Delta= damage to ship 

 

And seems like italian contractors cut some corners in building the pier. 😛

While not "common", I've been on much smaller ships that have pulled bollards out of piers.  It happens.

[gold1953]

11 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

had to look that up.
echo = possible collision with another ship or ship adrift

Also, Delta= damage to ship 

 

And seems like italian contractors cut some corners in building the pier. 😛

We were sitting at OVC and felt the ship shudder and power went out. I asked a crew member what happed and he said "problem in the kitchen" We were adrift for sure.

[fstuff1]

12 minutes ago, gold1953 said:

We were sitting at OVC and felt the ship shudder and power went out. I asked a crew member what happed and he said "problem in the kitchen" We were adrift for sure.

oh.. the ship's power cord got unplugged from the pier 😛

[gold1953]

4 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

oh.. the ship's power cord got unplugged from the pier 😛

lol.. sure did .. we were adrift with tugs pushing us