Eastern Railroad Discussion > More containers Lost in the Pacific

https://gcaptain.com/maersk-eindhoven-loses-containers-overboard-pacific/?subscriber=true&goal=0_f50174ef03-aa0dce8730-169901073&mc_cid=aa0dce8730&mc_eid=f5c4910692

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

Seems to be more common, looking at some of these ships, you can see why??

Bob

Facinating article, you  hear about containers being lost but the averave number is much higher than I would have guessed. It is nice to see actual figures to keep the right perspective.

Thanks for sharing this since it comes from a source I doubt many of us would find.

This shows how the vast breadth of experience TO members have helps all of us learn more.

Bruce Stikkers
St. Joseph, IL

robj Wrote:
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> Seems to be more common, looking at some of these ships, you can see why??

It sure looks like the stack height has grown enough to overwhelm the strength of the typical aged / used box connectors - especially as the ship rolls in a storm.

Brian

The containers are secured by more than IBCs. Lashing bars are also used on containers carried above maindeck level. Losing the engine to crankcase overpressure would cause the ship to turn crosswise to the waves and the rolling would tear the stacks apart. Lucky they did lose the whole ship.

SOO6617 Wrote:
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> The containers are secured by more than IBCs.
> Lashing bars are also used on containers carried
> above maindeck level. Losing the engine to
> crankcase overpressure would cause the ship to
> turn crosswise to the waves and the rolling would
> tear the stacks apart. Lucky they did lose the
> whole ship.

Yes.  The Wall Street Journal had a graphic this week on how this situation unfolds.

Many marine engineers believe a wave hitting the ship at a 45 degree angle may cause the ship to roll, and a series of waves will increase the roll. When the tall stacks of containers lean into the roll, they create an effect which causes them to break loose from their lashings and connections. As the ship continues to roll, and containers begin to fall from the top of the stacks, the weight / balance on the ship is disrupted. Which increases the roll, and tipping of containers.

In their model, the unbalanced ship is in mortal danger, as you note.

Here is a question for anyone that might know. So a container sinks to the bottom of the ocean. How long before the container corrodes to the point where the contents inside are released?

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

webmaster Wrote:
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> Here is a question for anyone that might know. So
> a container sinks to the bottom of the ocean. How
> long before the container corrodes to the point
> where the contents inside are released?

Depends, likely it will crush like a pop can. Most likely that will create openings in the container. It may even pop the doors open.

There's been a number of articles describing the contents of containers lost at sea washing up on specific beaches over the decades. Ships tend to use the same routes across the ocean and get into trouble in the same general places as storms cross their path, so the stuff shows up on the same beaches. Apparently 'tennis shoes' or perhaps describing them as high priced basketball shoes with foam soles are most common.

webmaster Wrote:
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> Here is a question for anyone that might know. So
> a container sinks to the bottom of the ocean. How
> long before the container corrodes to the point
> where the contents inside are released?
Todd, here's a long answer but informative, https://containerauction.com/read-news/shipping-container-materials-cor-ten-steel

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

How about chemicals, medical supplies and other Hazardus materials. Poor fish and anything else that lives down there.

steamloco Wrote:
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> How about chemicals, medical supplies and other
> Hazardus materials. Poor fish and anything else
> that lives down there.

Anything toxic is probably stacked low so as to minimise release on accidents.

webmaster Wrote:
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> Here is a question for anyone that might know. So
> a container sinks to the bottom of the ocean. How
> long before the container corrodes to the point
> where the contents inside are released?

Kind of a 'how long is a piece of string' question. As others have mentioned, pressure is likely to rupture containers in deep water quite quickly. Significant corrosion would probably take years, assuming pressure didn't rupture the box. But then it would also depend on the age/condition of the box etc etc... 
A freshly manufactured/painted box in water not so deep to crush it would probably take decades to corrode through, if not longer.

exhaustED Wrote:
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> steamloco Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > How about chemicals, medical supplies and other
> > Hazardus materials. Poor fish and anything else
> > that lives down there.
>
> Anything toxic is probably stacked low so as to
> minimise release on accidents.

Anything high value or hadzardous will be near the bottom center.

What is in a container that falls off a ship and the container floats instead of sinks?

There was a daily Shipping Casualty Report on the web a few years a go, they made it clear that floating shipping containers were a ' hazard to navigation ' and had caused damage to ships at sea. Often their positions would be listed on the report and I've heard them called out on Coast Guard Marine Channel alerts.

Container seals are not hermetic, but the load itself may be bouyant.

Ray

TCnR Wrote:
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> There was a daily Shipping Casualty Report on the
> web a few years a go, they made it clear that
> floating shipping containers were a ' hazard to
> navigation ' and had caused damage to ships at
> sea. Often their positions would be listed on the
> report and I've heard them called out on Coast
> Guard Marine Channel alerts.

The Wall Street Journal article showed a Japanese tug pulling two floating containers into port.

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