Container ship breaks in half and sinks

[robpage]

With no lives lost , and both halves still afloat so the cracks can eventually be inspected by metallurgists , and expertly deliberated on , The Insurers , and the classification society experts will be able to deliberate and determine the cause ., then , I have no doubt that there will never be a published answer . The Truth is never easy to find in these cases

[Tony Wilding]

Latest news is both halves floating in a stable condition in adverse weather, Tugs still en route, Patrol Vessel standing by, MOL have started discussions with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries , her Builders.

[John Pruden]

she is still afloat parts are 19 miles apart tugs expected monday?jp

[Tony Wilding]

hi John, they must be coming from a long way off, ordered 2 days ago and 3more to go, at 10 knots thats 240 miles a day x5 =1200 miles,

[happy daze john in oz]

hi John, they must be coming from a long way off, ordered 2 days ago and 3more to go, at 10 knots thats 240 miles a day x5 =1200 miles,

Well Tony, you are stillgood at maths, more than can be said for some of the younger ones of today.

[Tony Wilding]

hi, and i never use a calculator, my head only, unlike schools today, cant beat the old ways of learning, same as modern navigation, imagine if all the electronics go down and no sextant,and no one able to use one, ?

[Ivan Cloherty]

hi John, they must be coming from a long way off, ordered 2 days ago and 3more to go, at 10 knots thats 240 miles a day x5 =1200 miles,

Know you're only joking Tony, but no sense in sending the wrong tugs with inexperienced crews, the right tugs are usually fully employed on other tasks and gone are the days worldwide when ports around the world had 'Stand By' salvage tugs. Will take a lot of expertise to get a tow line aboard those monsters. Gone are the days when you could come alongside the stricken vessel, heave aboard a grappling hook (if no crew aboard) and scramble onboard to start the process of heaving in messenger ropes and eventually the tow rope. Those two halves have one hell of a freeboard to overcome as the first obstacle even climbing up the internals will be one hell of an adventure and need a very brave man/men. Most modern salvage tugs now have a free running speed of 15/17 knots so probably enroute from Singapore, so looking at approx. 2000 miles

[Tony Wilding]

HI IVAN, was wondering myself how they would board her, then as you say the Obstacle Course to contend with, did not realise Tugs were not Stationed as of old, , certainly quite fast now compared to the old ones, also the Sea is still quite rough, so difficulties all round, lets hope no Accidents, all have to be manually done to connect up, heavy work, i dont envy them. just have to watch and wait . on the Aft section Boarding right Aft looks the best bet, but how on the FWD section, ?

[Ivan Cloherty]

HI IVAN, was wondering myself how they would board her, then as you say the Obstacle Course to contend with, did not realise Tugs were not Stationed as of old, , certainly quite fast now compared to the old ones, also the Sea is still quite rough, so difficulties all round, lets hope no Accidents, all have to be manually done to connect up, heavy work, i dont envy them. just have to watch and wait . on the Aft section Boarding right Aft looks the best bet, but how on the FWD section, ?

Would agree aft section right aft looks easy compared to for'd section and power should still be available aft on aux engines. With the advent of larger ships, one ship replacing 10 -15 older type ships the pickings for salvage became less, the tugs required became much larger and more expensive to build, so letting them lay idle as in the old days in the hope that some poor sod somewhere would require their services became uneconomical. Also Government which used to finance the Stand-By tugs in Dover and Glasgow withdrew their funding, as has happened in other parts of the world.

Could remember a time when United Towing of Hull had large tugs stationed all over the world on standby for salvage duties, the most famous one being the 'Yorkshireman'

[Roger Dyer]

Perhaps Rick R. or Ivan can answer this one for me..........During my time at sea (1957 -1966) I formed the impression that when it came to deep-sea salvage/towage the Dutch were the
people to see and, by all accounts, were very good at it. Just wonder, if they are still held in such high regard or has modern communications, technology and the almighty dollar leveled the playing-field ?

...........Roger