http://gcaptain.com/u-k-warns-of-shipping-containers-in-english-channel/

[sailorman]

The U.K. Maritime and Coast Guard Agency is warning mariners to keep a close watch for shipping containers floating in the English Channel after hundreds of boxes fell from the deck of a Maersk cargo ship last week.
An update Friday from the MCA has requested members of the public and ships to report any containers seen floating in or near the English Channel after the containershipSvendborg Maersk ran into some nasty weather -as in 60 knot winds and 10 meter waves nasty- as it crossed the northern stretches of the Bay of Biscay.

 

[NUTMEG]

Just a thought. If I happened to hit one of these, damaging my boat, would I have a compensation claim against the shipping company? Assuming the offending container could be identified.

 

[mainsail1]

It is a scandal that shipping companies are not forced by International law to find and retrieve all containers that they lose at sea. Meanwhile smaller vessels play Russian Roulette with semi submerged containers.

 

[mcalan]

rumour is some are full of cigarettes!

 

[Thistle]

Meanwhile smaller vessels play Russian Roulette with semi submerged containers.

... and Cornishmen get to play at "Cigarettes Galore" as containers wash ashore.

 

[grafozz]

hopefully good and soggy by now !

 

[Appledore]

Most apparently either recovered or sunk. But one with 13-14 tonnes of cigarettes has been washed up on a Devon beach at Seaton. No cheap fags for the Cornish, LOL!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-guernsey-26313215

 

[dancrane]

Isn't it pretty impressive sailing, Biscay to Devon in a week? I mean, considering the vessel's rather boxy lines?

Christ knows how close Channel traffic came to the unseen container. I know the idea of AIS for each of 10,000+ containers on a ship has been laughed out of consideration, but how difficult or costly would a brine-initiated automatic pop-up strobe-light be?

If it's not only possible but probable that hundreds or thousands of these things will unpredictably be 'lost' adrift for weeks, months, not just in the open ocean but wherever wind and currents push them to, isn't it the shipper's duty of care to make its probable flotsam properly visible to mariners?

 

[theguerns]

Over the years I and my father before me made several attemps to make the shipping companies fit a device to either make the containers visable or a device to vent them and make them sink when lost at sea. As usual the companies say it is too expensive to do this and would push up the cost of shipping if they were forced o do it. In this day and age we all now a small GS device could be attached to the containers and at a small cost. This would then make the possition of the containers known to the authorities and they in turn could either recover the containers or make the companies responsable to do the same. As one chap said, if one was to hit one of these containers in the open sea the loss of a vessel let alone the loss of life is unacceptable. In 2005 while crossing the bay of biscay we had un fortunate experience to hit a container at 6 knots. It was around 02:00 hrs and blowing a F5. My wife took the helm and I got in the dingey and inxpected the bow. We were ready to abondon the boat but I found the damage to the bow was little so we continued to a safe haven (Camaret) On arival I made repairs to the bow and went below to check all was ok ,it was. The reason for the little damage is that we sail a Colvic Watson 32 motor sailor which I have strengthened in the bowin as much as I have reinforced the bow with 500 kilos of concrete backed by a steel plate which is attached to the forward crash bulkhead. I know we are probably safer than most yachts but it still scared the S*&^%t out of both of us. I think it is well time for the sailing and boating people of the world to have a go at the authorities and force them to take action before anyone else dies. I say this because I wonder how many boats have been lost without anyone knowing.

 

[Twister_Ken]

If it's not only possible but probable that hundreds or thousands of these things will unpredictably be 'lost' adrift for weeks, months, not just in the open ocean but wherever wind and currents push them to, isn't it the shipper's duty of care to make its probable flotsam properly visible to mariners?

I've never seen a stat on what percentage of containers are (and remain) buoyant, as opposed to those that go straight to another life as an artificial reef. It would be interesting to know how many of those that fall off are a threat to surface - as opposed to sub-surface - vessels.

 

[Evadne]

I've always found it amazing that any float at all. I think the stats are that many, if not tens of thousands are washed overboard each year, so only a very few can float for more than a few hours, as the air escapes and water comes in. Otherwise we'd be awash with them. They weigh several tons, as does their cargo, and they leak like sieves. There has to be several cubic metres of trapped air or buoyancy in a 40' container for it not to sink. Fridges and freezers will keep one afloat, apparently, as would toys or anything with lots of expanded polystyrene packing, or even wooden crates but cigarettes? I didn't realise cellophane was that impervious.

 

[dancrane]

In 2005 while crossing the bay of biscay we had un fortunate experience to hit a container at 6 knots. It was around 02:00 hrs and blowing a F5.

...we sail a Colvic Watson 32 motor sailor...I have reinforced the bow with 500 kilos of concrete backed by a steel plate which is attached to the forward crash bulkhead.

Cripes! If ever there was a boat in which to hit a submerged container, it must be yours.

Shipping companies' objection to the cost of something, be it a strobe or satellite signal, to make drifting containers detectable, is a pretty poor excuse.