Container at sea ??

[catchy_fishy]

Has anyone ever seen a floating container at sea ? I was told the story by a mate a while ago, but would honestly have thought they sank almost immediately ?

Mike

[cooky]

never seen one, but apparently thousands lost from cargo ships every year. I read an article about them once. Becoming more dangerous and no they don't sink (not all of them) - they usually sit under the water with not much showing. One of the biggest dangers to yachts around - many yachts hit them at night when on auto pilot. They will check radar, etc - know they're in the middle of now-where and go and have a shower, food, sleep, root - and BANG - rips the guts out of the boat.

[cooky]

ran a quick google search and scary


It is estimated that over 10,000 ocean containers are lost each year over the side in the world ocean trades -- the result of high seas perils, improper stow, fire & even pirates.
The yearly financial loss due to ocean shipping container misfortune has not been calculated -- but the estimates are staggering -- in the US$ Billions.

Here (above) the photo shows the empty cell guides from which the aft containers have been torn to the sea.


check this link http://www.cargolaw.com/2004nightmare_unstacked.html

or


"I saw one. (a floating container)....too late! Back in 1987, while returning to Newport, Rhode Island from Bermuda on my 42' racing sailboat. With a crew of 5, we were screaming along under spinnaker doing about 9 knots and surfing down the face of the waves at close to 12 knots when suddenly, KABOOM. We were stopped short, bounced once again into the unseen "immovable" object, then slid along side of what we could then see, a huge container!
The container was just low enough in the water that the forward part of the hull passed over it, but the keel what what slammed into it. We were not holed, the keel was still on the boat, but the force of the collision sprung the keel bolts and separated the keel from the hull somewhat, thus allowing a prodigious amount of water to come flowing into the boat. Fortunately, the three electric bilge pumps and the one manual pump were able to keep up with the incoming water. There was no way to stem the flow so we just kept up with it.

We retrieved the sails we had quickly doused and proceeded towards Newport with less speed but a greater sense of urgency. Fourteen hours later, we were in the slings at our marina, amazed at the amount of damage done to the keel.

The greatest damage, though, was done to my memory and mind. Ever since, while motoring or sailing offshore, about once or twice an hour, I think about hitting another container. This, as one might suspect, has put a little damper on my boating enjoyment ever since. As far as I am concerned, just ONE lost container was enough to ruin my day!"

[Blackened]

G'day
I've never seen one myself offshore. But it was the greatest fear of my old skipper. Imagine cruising at 25knotts in a 44' cat and then WHAM. Possible split hulls. They will float 3 to 4' under the surface they think.
Dave

[Ando74]

Have seen containers, palm trees standing upright (roots and dirt still attached), logs lost off wood ships, dead cows with their feet in the air.
If containers are lost (or anything else off a ship) a warning will be issued for the general area and for all merchant vessels to keep a good look out, not much for the rec guys though.

Mat

[Jonli]

Guys ,

This sportfishing boat hit a semi submerged container and look at what the damage ! :'(

Jon .

[Jeremy]

Guys ,

This sportfishing boat hit a semi submerged container and look at what the damage ! #:'(

Jon .

and it made it back home, or was that after salvage?

Jeremy

[Richo1]

Hi all,

a friend emailed me these photos of P&O's Flagship the Nedlloyd Barcelona in a big sea. The damaged recieved to the containers was conciderable. This ship is apparently over 200m long.

[Richo1]

Makes Moreton Bay look tame!

[Richo1]

Overboard :o

[Richo1]

:o

[Richo1]

How's this for wave action!

[Richo1]

Last one

[QldKev]

The sportsfisher was towed back to shore, bildges running #;D ;D

It was about 3 to 4 years ago from memory.

[coasty]

during the last big flood in the hawkesbury( about 20 years ago) i saw caravans , mobile homes and tanks floating down the river. wonder what happens to these things

[seabug]

Story goes that years back a boat out of Apollo Bay come across a floating container.

They thought they would salvage it
Hitched a rope on and started to tow to shore.

All went well untill the container suddenly sank.
Hasty bit of work with a knife saved them being pulled under stern first.

Seems a risky thing to try.

Regards
Seabug

[Streetkid]

Some of the blokes on those container ships must seriously fill their undies sometimes.

[catchy_fishy]

wow, so it must be true. Afraid I'll be worried forever :(

[Hoges]

These 60 lost or severely damaged 40 fooot containers were laden with everything from computers to tennis shoes -- each container with a value ranging from some US$20,000 up to the US$Millions! This loss/damage to 60, 40ft containers has yet to be calculated -- but expect a BIG number, with each container coming fully equipped with it's own maritime lawyer -- to plead the issue of whether either "fault" or "a peril of the sea" is to blame!



It is estimated that over 10,000 ocean containers are lost each year over the side in the world ocean trades -- the result of high seas perils, improper stow, fire & even pirates.

The yearly financial loss due to ocean shipping container misfortune has not been calculated -- but the estimates are staggering -- in the US$ Billions.

Read more here...
http://www.cargolaw.com/2004nightmare_unstacked.html

[Steve_Monckton]

G'day. About 15 years back we were fishing 6-7km out from Crowdy Head near Harrington central coast NSW and came across one corner of a steel shipping container sticking up out of the water by approx. 50cm. Reported it to the coast guard and tied a white foam bouy to it. I Did not have GPS back then so I could only give an approx. position by land marks. Any boat that hit one of these things would suffer severe damage. I'm not sure what happened to the container as I left the next day to drive 8 hours home.

[eugah]

They are not just lost off the ship, a captain has the right to push any cargo off the ship if he feels it is causing danger to the ship. I have heard of hundreds being pushed off a ship during a cyclone to make it safe by lowering the centre of gravity.


Adrian

[blaze]

they would have to be a scarey thought in the back of your mind around places where theres a lot of shipping when doing a night time run.
What about all you guys that head out to the banks and simular places, Do you always run with lights or just hope.
cheers
blaze

[Biff]

Just remember guys If you see something floating in the water that could do some damage #Don't just drive pass it and think lucky we miss that. #If you carn't get it out your self at lease call the coast gaurd to put out a all stations warning. #Just tell them #GPS position and the drift bearing it is going.

The coast gaurd will be only to happy to investigate and if they can get rid of the danger. #I saw a big tree in the water off the cold coast once and called them up they went out to tow the tree back in, I don't know how they went because this was a big tree.

# # # # # # # # # # #Gota love the coast gaurd and VMR #:)
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #Biff