Strong Winds Break Discovery Princess from Moorings in SF

The Discovery Princess broke loose from its moorings at San Francisco’s Pier 27 after powerful winds unexpectedly hit the area, causing a gangway to fall into the water. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among passengers or crew. 

The incident occurred when gusts reaching up to 34 mph caused three stern lines to snap, briefly pushing the 1,080-foot-long cruise ship toward Pier 23. Onlookers described a chaotic scene as the crew rushed to regain control of the drifting vessel. 

“I heard shouting and what sounded like gunshots—it was the Discovery Princess breaking away,” a witness recalled. “The crew responded quickly, and thankfully, there were no injuries.” 

To regain control, the crew released a thicker stern line to reduce the ship’s wind angle and engaged the ship’s engines to gently maneuver it back alongside the pier. 

Meanwhile, a passenger aboard the Koningsdam, another cruise ship docked nearby, said their vessel had experienced a similar issue the day before. According to the ship’s captain, one of the pier’s bollards failed after being used to secure the ship’s bow lines, resulting in a drift and detachment of the gangway. 

“With strong winds continuing, they made the decision to run thrusters to hold the ship firmly against the dock,” the Koningsdam passenger said. “That good decision was just reinforced—the ship next to us, Discovery Princess, just snapped her rear lines and started drifting.” 

Thanks to the quick response by both ship crews and port staff, no damage was reported and normal operations resumed shortly after the incident. The Discovery Princess has since been securely re-moored at Pier 27.