The world's biggest ship - for 53 days

BBC ^ | 8 January 2015 | Justin Parkinson

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The Rock Cut, down from Superior, can be a bitch.

[Vince Ferrer]

I’ve heard that in parts of Lake St. Clair, the keel rides a foot or two above the lake bottom.

San Francisco Bay has ocean shipping ports in Oakland and San Francisco, but for the most part the bay itself is very shallow. Its actually turning into a marsh in the southern part, and most of it is not deeper than 20-30 feet. They dredge channels to the ports and the big ships must stay in the channels.

[IronJack]

Not gonna take that. I imagine they've got every conceivable safety device on board, and their captains know that if they run into killer seas, it's probably better to seek port than to risk losing the cargo.

But it's just a matter of time ... I would bet that no one thought the Costa Concordia would breach on a rock shelf either. Then there was that Titanic thing ...

[IronJack]

1,000 ft ore carriers have been plying the Great Lakes for decades.

And there is a lot of tonnage at the bottom of the Great Lakes too.

There is no such thing as an unsinkable ship.

[IronJack]

Is that just about the ugliest human being you’ve ever seen? Skeletor got nuthin’ on him.

[moose07]

Fair enough :)

[cyclotic]

Biggest is the Edmund Fitzgerald. I think is was about 750 ft. Divers often find undiscovered wrecks.

[Straight Vermonter]

Is that just about the ugliest human being you’ve ever seen? Skeletor got nuthin’ on him.

Our guys didn't call the Somalis "skinnies" for nothing.

[PapaBear3625]

And can be converted into a Chinese-flagged aircraft carrier in how many months?

The Brits converted a container ship to a helicopter/Harrier carrier real fast during the Falklands war.

[Jimmy Valentine]

The Baltic Dry Index is way down and the owners of this ship may have a problem finding enough cargo

900 million tins of baked beans? Yikes!

[Jimmy Valentine]

The unions pushed for “container Rules” which said that cargo packed outside a certain number of miles had to be “re packed” before shipping. Don’t know if they are still in effect

[IronJack]

The “Fitz” is the largest ship sunk on the Great Lakes to date. But it is relatively small by today’s standards.

[cyclotic]

Very true. We now live in MD. I’d hazard a guess that we are the only family in the state with a print of the Fitz on our living room wall. Painted by James Clary.

[IronJack]

My wife is from Duluth/Two Harbors. In-laws still live there. I see the big lake freighters come and go a lot during the summer. But thanks to Gordon Lightfoot, the Fitz is still the most talked-about boat to ply Superior's waters.

Next time you're in Duluth, tour the William A. Irvin. Great example of a pilot-forward 1,000-footer.

[IronJack]

Take that back. The “Irvin” is only 610 feet, not 1,000.

[steve86]

I’d hazard a guess that we are the only family in the state with a print of the Fitz on our living room wall. Painted by James Clary.

Directly on the wall? Not on some kind of framed canvas hanging there? That is impressive! Definitely the only family!

[cyclotic]

Living in MD, Duluth isn’t really on my radar. Ever been to the Shipwreck Museum in Whitefish Point? I think Lightfoot is on a constant loop. It’s a cool museum.

Check out James Clary’s art. This is the one I have. http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/2963351

It’s a stunning print when you think what happened a minute later when she might have split up or she might have capsized, she might have broke deep and took water.

[cyclotic]

Everybody’s a literalist.

[IronJack]

Now all that remains are the faces and the names ...

[cyclotic]

Of the wives, the sons and the daughters