Are Modern Container Ships Not Fitted With Bow Thrusters?
- Thread starter mawnansmiff
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I'm not competent in captaining a ship myself, nor would I ever criticize someone doing a job I know nothing about. But, I did rent a catamaran in Pensacola a decade or so ago, and we freaked when it seemed like we were sinking. Then we realized we were on a sandbar. I jumped out and walked back to the beach to get help, with sharks all swirling about my legs. That's my only brush with ship wreckage.
I worked on a push boat for a Summer in High School between New Algiers and Pensacola in the inner canals. Hard assed way to make a living.
On a tour with some friends, we once grounded a small private yacht in a lake called Deep Lake... When I was in shipping, working as an office clerk, I was allowed to sail with our big ships for a week or so, a few times in the Mediterranean. I have the deepest respect for the people onboard and I can confirm that my bicycle has a better direct steering and faster reaction time than probably any modern container vessel....
High winds, yes. Blinding sandstorms alone - ie lack of visual targets- shouldn't have been a factor with pin point accuracy of navigational electronics.
Still having eyes on the vessel and the banks of the canal could have helped, but maybe not have prevented what did happen.
Still having eyes on the vessel and the banks of the canal could have helped, but maybe not have prevented what did happen.
Sounds like a lot of guessing going from 6000 miles away by people who aren't qualified to do so.
It sounds like tug boats and high tide did the magic. Tugs boats were where they started, seemingly with no effect. So off sails the Ever Given. Evergreen is the name of the overall shipping company, but it's painted in huge letters on the side of the ship, so media is permanently confused. Now the legal fun begins, which will go on for years over the lost profits of all of the ships lined up at either end of the canal for days. Fortunes have been lost, and the insurance companies will hit their re-insurers for zillions.
I think we won't know all the circumstances until a thorough investigation. One of the issues will be the ship's speed. Transit speed is supposed to be 8 knots, it's been reported the ship was doing 13 knots.
I hope the freighter crews come out well in all this. The unionized crews will probably do fine, and others not so good, maybe. Some of those crew people (probably some women) were sent around the Cape of Good Hope, and others were anchored or running a track for days. No time in port. Sounds like minesweeper duty in the South China Sea. We didn't make port, we just got on the in-haul line for underway replenishment from a Navy oiler.
"Rumor has it that alcohol may have been involved"
Interesting statement if true Zack. Evidence please.
Regards,
Jay ?.
Interesting statement if true Zack. Evidence please.
Regards,
Jay ?.
For the Yogi? From everything I've read it looks more like an insurance job. In 9 years the captain has never talked. It seems the official investigations never reached any conclusions.
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