Orwell Bridge, Likely Closure

[Kukri]

With operations at Felixstowe's container port suspended, why is it that they park the cranes with their jibs right up in the air? Wouldn't there be less windage with the jib lowered? Or is it a twisting stability issue?

Because of the risk that a ship may part her moorings. It does happen (and has happened at Felixstowe).

The Zen Hua 23, 29th February 2008.

Container gantry cranes have "storm locks" at defined positions on the quay and they are moved to them and secured once the forecast wind strength exceeds the magic number, which at Felixstowe is 40 knots.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Landguard is draughty

Time Speed Direction Gust
23/02/17 13:40 49.73kt 275.70deg 57.31kt
23/02/17 13:30 34.38kt 279.50deg 56.14kt
23/02/17 13:20 42.54kt 276.00deg 59.25kt
23/02/17 13:10 45.65kt 271.40deg 56.14kt
23/02/17 13:00 37.49kt 275.00deg 53.81kt
23/02/17 12:50 42.93kt 271.10deg 53.23kt
23/02/17 12:40 38.66kt 262.30deg 51.87kt
23/02/17 12:30 40.21kt 267.20deg 53.81kt
23/02/17 12:20 43.13kt 265.10deg 51.28kt
23/02/17 12:10 36.91kt 264.40deg 49.54kt
23/02/17 12:00 38.27kt 266.20deg 53.81kt
23/02/17 11:50

That's more like what i'm feeling here Roger. Some of the gusts have been fierce enough to move things in the boat.

Might need to clip on :ambivalence:

 

[pvb]

Because of the risk that a ship may part her moorings. It does happen (and has happened at Felixstowe).


The Zen Hua 23, 29th February 2008.

I remember the 2008 fiasco, but I thought that was a rather different scenario from an ordinary container ship. The Zhen Hua was carrying a number of brand-new cranes, and it was these which crashed into the shoreside cranes.

 

[sailorman]

I remember the 2008 fiasco, but I thought that was a rather different scenario from an ordinary container ship. The Zhen Hua was carrying a number of brand-new cranes, and it was these which crashed into the shoreside cranes.

There were 2 incidents
the 1 in the pix that had a prob with mooring letting go on the Languard
The other on T8 ?? a new crane was being commissioned a box ship cast off & the main engine failed ( i think) the pilot ran the thruster to swing her out & her funnel struck the lowered new crane.
This was later shored-up & eventually taken back to China for repair
This was that crane

 

[Leighb]

And I believe it was that crane, having been to China and back again after repair, that was one of those wrecked in the incident at Landguard!!

 

[sailorman]

another view

wasnt this bringing in the container tugs for the dockside

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

I understand that the main engine refused to activate the command to reverse direction. MAIB report indicated that a similar problem led to the grounding of a ship in Soton. Something to do with computer control of reversing cams not working at particular sequence of throttle control!

 

[ex-Gladys]

...snip MAIB report indicated that a similar problem led to the grounding of a ship in Soton. Something to do with computer control of reversing cams not working at particular sequence of throttle control!

The Soton one was interesting, it was a tanker that had heavy contact (as in demolishing!) with the berth at Fawley. It was a "modern" electronically controlled 2 stroke diesel, and through lack of engineering understanding of the way things should work, they ran out of air supply to restart. And the significance was that there was no gearbox, astern was stop engine, restart backwards!

 

[sailorman]

The Soton one was interesting, it was a tanker that had heavy contact (as in demolishing!) with the berth at Fawley. It was a "modern" electronically controlled 2 stroke diesel, and through lack of engineering understanding of the way things should work, they ran out of air supply to restart. And the significance was that there was no gearbox, astern was stop engine, restart backwards!

A Doxford engine ?????

 

[ex-Gladys]

A Doxford engine ?????

No, Wärtsilä-Sulzer RTA96-C family engine... biggest one is 108,000 bhp...

 

[Kukri]

A Doxford engine ?????

You take me back... I used to work for a company that was immensely proud of its all - Doxford fleet, and you are quite right - owing to its near perfect primary and secondary balancing a Doxford was particularly prone to starting in the direction that you didn't want it to go in.

The Zen Hua 23 like the others in their fleet was a converted tanker. Far be it from me to name the prominent Classification Society (not LR) who didn't change the Equipment Numeral when she became a crane carrier...

(And honesty compels me to admit that one of mine flattened a crane in Naples once...)