Home/D. Maryland/A/S Skaugaas v. The T/T P. W. Thirtle

A/S Skaugaas v. The T/T P. W. Thirtle

227 F. Supp. 281, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8025
CourtDistrict Court, D. Maryland
DecidedMarch 2, 1964
DocketAdm. Nos. 4469, 4474
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 227 F. Supp. 281 (A/S Skaugaas v. The T/T P. W. Thirtle) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
A/S Skaugaas v. The T/T P. W. Thirtle, 227 F. Supp. 281, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8025 (D. Md. 1964).

Opinion

THOMSEN, Chief Judge.

'These consolidated libels, cross-claims and petitions arise out of a collision in Fort McHenry Channel in Baltimore Harbor between the inbound ore-carrier Skaustrand and the outbound steam tanker Thirtle. At the time of the collision Thirtle was completing a right turn from Curtis Bay Channel into Fort McHenry Channel around the dredge Cartagena, which was spudded and anchored in the west1 (outbound) half of Fort McHenry Channel a short distance below Curtis Bay Channel. See attached sketch. The ■Court has found, on conflicting evidence, that Skaustrand and Thirtle collided bow-■on about 100 ft. east of the center line of Fort McHenry Channel, and 300 ft. south ■of the stern line of the dredge, projected cross-channel. Besides the issues usually raised in collision cases, novel questions are presented by the claim of Skaustrand that the dredge was partly to blame for the collision because of its location in the channel and the whistle signals which it gave and failed to give.

The parties have agreed that all issues of liability shall be determined at this time, but that evidence with respect to damages may be presented later.

Findings of Fact

The collision occurred at 18192 *****8 EST on February 4, 1963, in gathering darkness and clear weather, with a light breeze from the SW and a negligible current.

The entrance to Baltimore Harbor from Chesapeake Bay is by way of Brew-erton Channel, 292° true inbound, through Brewerton Angle (a 29° turn to starboard) into Fort McHenry Channel, which is the main access channel to the inner harbor, with connecting channels leading to the drydocks in Sparrows Point, to Curtis Bay, to Dundalk Marine Terminal, and to Port Covington.

Fort McHenry Channel is 600 ft. wide. Its axis runs 141° true outbound, 321° true inbound. The center line is indicated by range lights located near its northern end. The then current chart showed a depth of 33.5 ft. in the left outside quarter of the channel, 39 ft. in the left inside quarter, 36.6 ft. in the right inside quarter, and 34.6 ft. in the inside half of the right outside quarter, which had shoaled to 28.8 ft. along the edge.

Curtis Bay Channel leads into Fort McHenry Channel from the west on an outbound axis of 087° true. It is 400 [285]*285ft. wide, and is marked by lighted and unlighted buoys along its edges.

[284]*284

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
227 F. Supp. 281, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8025, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/as-skaugaas-v-the-tt-p-w-thirtle-mdd-1964.