Puerto Rico Ping! Please Freepmail me if you want on or off the list.
Posted on 10/02/2015 9:01:12 AM PDT by halo66
IMO Their only hope was to dump the containers overboard. They are a huge sail, way too top-heavy and no power?? Very bad situation.
I will. My husband sounded like they are in a panic. Probably the last I’ll hear from him until late tonight.
As strange as it might seem, modern ships are safer at sea during a hurricane than in port. This is especially true for ships with a large sail area (that means a large area on the sides for the wind to push against).
In port the wind can push against all that surface area and risk snapping the mooring lines. From there the ship becomes a danger to everything else in port. It can ground and block the channel and/or leak fuel into the harbor.
At sea with all watertight hatches dogged down there is little chance of the ship taking on water as long as they stay pointed into the wind and waves.
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As big as that ship is, they probably do it routinely...maybe foolishly, since a failed engine could be a death sentence...but I bet they didn’t go into the hurricane ‘by accident’.
How stupid were they to leave at 7:30 thursday mornign?
we were hearing about this hurricane all week....
I lost my engine in the Niagara River once- a few miles downstream is Niagara Falls...
I have nightmares about it- I dont like to go there too much
Lucky they didn’t fine you for polluting the river. Oh, you mean it quit on you? Or did you actually lose it. In any case, you’re safe now. Now, stay off that river.
Not a sailor, but I remember my Navy brother saying they got excited with rolls over 17 degrees, Don’t remember the panic level figure , but his ship wasn’t as top heavy as a loaded container ship.
A fully loaded container ship has an extremely high wind profile. During a full force hurricane the side wind forces are up to maximum design parameters. Add full force hurricane winds in addition to severe wave actions, you have a very dangerous situation.
Worse yet, if the top cargo shifts, it’s even worse...and finally if you lose propulsion, it’s TERMINAL.
If this ship doesn’t founder it will be a miracle.
God help all souls on board.
Thanks for your story...I would be puking my brains out! LOL
How does an engine quit? Can it also decide to run decide to run. Or did you mean it stopped running?
“How does an engine quit”
Water in the fuel tanks. A huge gulp of water down the air intake.
Corporate office wont allow that and don’t give a rats butt about the crew.Sad reality
as they stay pointed into the wind and waves
Yup but ya need power to achieve that if not yer a cork in a washing machine
Stopped running would be my guess. :>}
“Worse yet, if the top cargo shifts”
With no propulsion, a shift would be fatal for sure. Reports said the ship had a 15 degree list and was taking on water. It could have easily capsized. Prayers up for the crew.
Taking or ordering a ship to sail into the path of a cat 4 hurricane is a criminally negligent action IMO.
Puerto Rico Ping! Please Freepmail me if you want on or off the list.
Has a Sat beacon been detected?
Sediment on the bottom of fuel tanks can get stirred up in big seas and can get picked up and enter the fuel line to the engine.
This will plug the fuel filters and stop the engine.
The filters would have to be replaced; the engine primed; and restarted.
On some boats this is a long process.
That is just one of the likely things that can happen.- Tom
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