cruising cockroach Posted January 2, 2019 #1 Posted January 2, 2019 Be grateful you weren't sailing in the North Sea the past few days. Guess the lashing rods aren't that strong. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/dutch-islands-tvs-ikea-furniture-cargo-ship-containers-north-sea-a8708711.html
cruising cockroach Posted January 2, 2019 Author #2 Posted January 2, 2019 p.s. the Zoe is ~100' longer than an Oasis-class ship and just as beamy/beamier depending on where you measure
bob brown Posted January 3, 2019 #3 Posted January 3, 2019 I've often wondered how secure those stacked container's are, in rough seas. I suppose they could make them more secure, but like everything, it's a calculated cost analysis, as whether it would 'pay' to do that or not. Making a stronger latching system, besides the cost, would probably also take a lot longer to load and unload, and the cost of port time, the use of the crane's and their skilled operator's would probably cost a lot more than the occasional loss of some of those container's...
donaldsc Posted January 3, 2019 #4 Posted January 3, 2019 2 hours ago, bob brown said: I've often wondered how secure those stacked container's are, in rough seas. I suppose they could make them more secure, but like everything, it's a calculated cost analysis, as whether it would 'pay' to do that or not. Making a stronger latching system, besides the cost, would probably also take a lot longer to load and unload, and the cost of port time, the use of the crane's and their skilled operator's would probably cost a lot more than the occasional loss of some of those container's... Check out this link where the loss of a container of rubber ducks was used to track ocean currents - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendly_Floatees DON
cruising cockroach Posted January 3, 2019 Author #5 Posted January 3, 2019 Lots go overboard every year. No one will 'fess up to how many they lose so it's all an estimate. Containers are secured and unsecured by dockers. I rode on a container ship, huge by standards of 10 years ago but almost half the size of this particular ship (11,000 vs nearly 20,000 TEU). On that ship (CMA CM Libra) ,the bottom three rows of containers above deck are held down by lashing rods two at each end IIRC, as well as locked pegs at each corner. Containers above those are locked only by he locking pegs (or whatever they are called). What I am surprised by on the MSC Zoe is whole columns of containers collapsing so the lashing rods clearly broke (assuming they were used). Must have been some combination of wind, waves and momentum as the containers weigh ~5-10- tons empty IIRC.
bob brown Posted January 3, 2019 #6 Posted January 3, 2019 Unless those container's going overboard present some kind of environmental hazard, it is probably cheaper for the insurer's to just write them off, rather than require better securing procedure's...
GUT2407 Posted January 3, 2019 #7 Posted January 3, 2019 A ship off NEWCASTLE Aus, list about 83 (I think that was the final number) containers last year, still gettin reports now and then about junk washing up on beaches.
chengkp75 Posted January 3, 2019 #8 Posted January 3, 2019 5 hours ago, cruising cockroach said: Lots go overboard every year. No one will 'fess up to how many they lose so it's all an estimate. Containers are secured and unsecured by dockers. I rode on a container ship, huge by standards of 10 years ago but almost half the size of this particular ship (11,000 vs nearly 20,000 TEU). On that ship (CMA CM Libra) ,the bottom three rows of containers above deck are held down by lashing rods two at each end IIRC, as well as locked pegs at each corner. Containers above those are locked only by he locking pegs (or whatever they are called). What I am surprised by on the MSC Zoe is whole columns of containers collapsing so the lashing rods clearly broke (assuming they were used). Must have been some combination of wind, waves and momentum as the containers weigh ~5-10- tons empty IIRC. And as you see, many are still locked together in columns by the "twistlocks" in each corner of the container. In addition to lashing rods, when you get above a certain stack height (and those stacks certainly qualify), you are supposed to use "bridge fittings" that hook into the corner castings of adjacent containers, binding the stacks together at the top, making one mass instead of separate columns. These, however, are difficult to use, and time consuming as they are threaded and need to be individually tightened with a wrench, and also need to have the ship's officers get on top of the stacks to ensure they are installed and tightened. One thing I notice is that there appear to be stacks tipped both directions in the midships jumble, leading me to suspect there was an "open" cell (no containers in a stack) that allowed the stacks on either side to start moving, and didn't allow for lashing or bridging. This is a poor load plan, which while determined by shoreside, should have been questioned by the Chief Officer. The fact that the majority of stacks stayed in place tells me there was an issue with securing those containers, not an issue with the securing equipment, though when used enough, lashing rods will fatigue and can fail. On the issue of insurance, cargo is covered by the shipowner's P&I (Property & Indemnity) insurance, which is a non-profit, mutual insurance owned by the group of shipowners it covers. So, the ships are self-insured. P&I "Clubs" set premiums based on the historical expenses the ships have racked up over the years (breakdowns, cargo loss, environmental problems, etc), and each owner pays in that much. If expenses are lower than anticipated, the owners get some money back, if they are higher, they have to pay more. Each group determines who they let into the "club", based on their insurance risk, and the operators with high claims are forced to join "clubs" with other members with similar claims and pay higher rates. 3
Krazy Kruizers Posted January 3, 2019 #9 Posted January 3, 2019 Thank for the pictures and reports. I have also wondered what happens to many of those cargo ships in rough seas.
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