Can all yachts sit on their keels?

[srm]

That reminds me of when I was 2nd Engineer in m/v 'Gomba Victoria' and we carried a deck cargo of MOT-failed cars and lorries from Felixstowe to Barbados.

I wonder if they are still being driven around the island.

When I lived in Shetland the only MOT test stations were on the main island (Shetland Mainland). As a result cars kept on the smaller islands did not require test certificates, provided that they did not take the ferry to the Mainland. It also provided a way of passing on potential failures to the other islands.
I was on Fair Isle when one such vehicle arrived as deck cargo on the island's ferry. Once on the pier the new owner drove it away, only for the front suspension and steering to collapse after about 150 metres.

 

[Refueler]

When I lived in Shetland the only MOT test stations were on the main island (Shetland Mainland). As a result cars kept on the smaller islands did not require test certificates, provided that they did not take the ferry to the Mainland. It also provided a way of passing on potential failures to the other islands.
I was on Fair Isle when one such vehicle arrived as deck cargo on the island's ferry. Once on the pier the new owner drove it away, only for the front suspension and steering to collapse after about 150 metres.

The Baltic states have a constant stream of German Auction BMW's ... Audi's ... Merc's ... VW's coming in ... so much in fact that some years ago - Latvian Govt imposed a double duty on any of 10yrs or more .. to try reduce Latvia being the dumping ground for all the crap !!
When Latvia joined EU - that was of course deemed unfair ... so Govt had to find other ways to deter the import.

Luckily my Range Rover fell outside the acts ... but anyway - it was bought through reputable Auction dealer and with my independent inspector checking it out before payment.

Imports of foreign cars to Russia .... there used to be a healthy market for stolen to order cars ... black BMW's ... black Mercs ... etc,. were prime ... In fact my company had a black VW Golf stolen for most likely Russian market. The problem to import though - was tax. It was huge ... so the 'importer' would 'damage' the car ... smash a few windows or lights as example. Then it crossed the border 'For Parts' ... plus a bit of backhander to border guards ..
Not sure now - but that was common before.

Our VW that went ?? Glad to see back of it actually ... It was a German Auction car that one of m,y managers decided he wanted ... we then found out it had been rescued from the floods that Germany had ... water damage was extensive ... so I hope eventual owner had just deserves !!

 

[14K478]

There used to be a roaring trade in stolen to order Mercedes saloons and, separately or together, large dogs, from Hong Kong to Shenzhen. Usually exported using “snake boats” - very big open motor boats with up to seven outboards on the transom.

Only Mercedes because the word “Benz” transliterates as the Putonghua for “Lightning”.