This weekend saw another tragic shipping accident in the US involving a bridge. The Mexican navy’s sail training vessel ARM (Armada de la República Mexicana) Cuauhtémoc was departing from South Street Seaport in Manhattan in the shadow of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. This was a full ceremonial departure with the whole upper deck lit and many cadets aloft manning the yards. Minutes later the ship hit the bridge, causing masts to snap and, tragically, the deaths of two of the cadets. Many others were injured.

Inevitably, before these poor souls were even in hospital, accusations of this being an attack on the US were gathering traction. To be clear, this was not an attack – it was a seamanship incident of the sort that happens many times a year around the world, often going unreported unless captured on film – which this was, in gruesome detail. The fatalities, and the ease with which the disaster could have been prevented, make it particularly galling for past or present professional seafarers like me to watch.

The ship was initially berthed port side to, with her bows facing northwest. This is not uncommon for ships berthing at the South Street Seaport: bows photograph better than sterns, especially with the bridge in the background. So far, so normal. On sailing, there were three things that were of note, none of which on their own would be a concern, but cumulatively should have led to a change of plan.