Lost containers - the most surprising thing…

[Twister_Ken]

From the news pages

"The Maersk Svendborg lost over 500 containers after being battered by huge waves and 60-knot winds in the Bay of Biscay, about 75 miles south-west of Land's End.

Maersk, the owners of the 1138ft (347m) vessel, confirmed that 520 containers were lost but that most, around 85%, were empty. The full extent of the damage wasn't realised until the ship docked in Malaga, southern Spain, last week."

Staggering to think the crew could lose 520 containers, and not notice!

I guess we also know why prudent shipping went and anchored up in the lee of the Cherbourg peninsular, rather than playing with the waves off Ushant.

 

[lustyd]

From the new pages

"The Maersk Svendborg lost over 500 containers after being battered by huge waves and 60-knot winds in the Bay of Biscay, about 75 miles south-west of Land's End.

Maersk, the owners of the 1138ft (347m) vessel, confirmed that 520 containers were lost but that most, around 85%, were empty. The full extent of the damage wasn't realised until the ship docked in Malaga, southern Spain, last week."

Staggering to think the crew could lose 520 containers, and not notice!

I don't think it says they didn't notice but rather they didn't know it was 520 containers or what was in those that were lost.

 

[chinita]

I guess we also know why prudent shipping went and anchored up in the lee of the Cherbourg peninsular, rather than playing with the waves off Ushant.

Also a puzzle what they were doing out there anyway. I understand that Maersk has very sophisticated route/weather planning models to avoid this very thing.

Perhaps Minn will pop in to set us straight

 

[windlipper]

Any theories about where they may float to before finally sinking? I understand with some containers that can take up to 3 months, ouch!

 

[OceanSprint]

They should make all containers have a couple of small openings, say a few inches square, with covers which disolve in seawater after, say, a days immersion. Then containers would sink after a couple of days in the sea?

 

[Kelpie]

They should make all containers have a couple of small openings, say a few inches square, with covers which disolve in seawater after, say, a days immersion. Then containers would sink after a couple of days in the sea?

Unless the containers were full of fridges.

 

[chinita]

Unless the containers were full of fridges.

....or automatically inflating lifejackets.

 

[OceanSprint]

Well, it would at least get rid of the empty ones

 

[Twister_Ken]

The report says that 520 were lost and only three have been located. Many were empty. I suspect that the vast majority of them went straight down after a relatively short time - after all they're not exactly hermetically sealed.

 

[Danbury]

They should make all containers have a couple of small openings, say a few inches square, with covers which disolve in seawater after, say, a days immersion. Then containers would sink after a couple of days in the sea?

They are already designed to sink if they end up over the side... it's only if the contents are exceptionally buoyant that they don't... IIRC

 

[rwoofer]

They are already designed to sink if they end up over the side... it's only if the contents are exceptionally buoyant that they don't... IIRC

So wonder what made that cigarette filled one float?

 

[daveyw]

Deleted

 

[paul-essex]

So wonder what made that cigarette filled one float?

you have the question and the answer

 

[Danbury]

So wonder what made that cigarette filled one float?

All those filter tips ??

 

[prv]

All those filter tips ??

Fag-packets are sealed in plastic, aren't they? Each one like a little kapok cushion...

Tellies and other home appliances packed in boxes with lots of polystyrene are pretty buoyant too.

Pete

 

[harry potter]

Salvage ciggies

So wonder what made that cigarette filled one float?

Trouble is, once ciggies get immersed in sea water it renders them almost unsmokable.

 

[windlipper]

Trouble is, once ciggies get immersed in sea water it renders them almost unsmokable.

Its like when people use to drop their ends in the urinal, I always found them difficult to relight.

 

[windlipper]

Fag-packets are sealed in plastic, aren't they? Each one like a little kapok cushion...

Tellies and other home appliances packed in boxes with lots of polystyrene are pretty buoyant too.

Pete

Just goes to prove cigarettes are dangerous to life, be just like my luck to meet that container on my next Channel crossing.

 

[A1Sailor]

My end was never quite long enough to drop it in the urinal; and as for relighting it. Pfffff!

 

[CreakyDecks]

Let's hope those 520 weren't the ones the illegal immigrants chose to hide in!