Another cruise ship mishap

[vic mcclymont]

It has been reported that the Carnival Sunshine had a failure with a stabiliser at the weekend.
Frightened passengers reported that the ship heeled over so far that items were falling from shelves and that they could not stand upright.
Carnival have stated that the ship had a problem with one of the stabiliser fins.
Some passengers have refused to continue the cruise and are being flown home.
Sounds like the fin has got locked in one position.
Vic

[robpage]

I work with brown Brothers stabilisers on ships for 20 years and I used to take a hammering on the cross channel service but in all that time and in whatever sea they were presented with I never remember them failing.

[vic mcclymont]

Now claiming it was an electrical switchboard malfunction, strange only one staliser affected.
Vic

[Tony Taylor]

I work with brown Brothers stabilisers on ships for 20 years and I used to take a hammering on the cross channel service but in all that time and in whatever sea they were presented with I never remember them failing.

Back in the 90's an acquaintance of mine was an engineer with Brown Bros. Never got into any in depth discussions with him, but he was never home, virtually always away on a job.

[j.sabourn]

Wouldn’t even know what a stabiliser looked like except from photographs. The only stabilisers I ever sailed with were bilge keels or as some called them rolling chocks. A ship rolled or worked in a seaway comfort wise the way she was loaded be it stiff or tender. Stabilisers must have been invented for the sole use of passengers comfort. Is the only reason I can fathom out. Certainly not there for seamen’s well being. Seamen’s accomodation took a big uplift in comfort on the introduction of the female sisterhood appearing on ships. Doubt it would ever have changed otherwise. Although today with same sex toilets etc. it may convert back to some of the old times .cheers JS

[robpage]

on a ferry they reduce roll , and therefore car on car damage , as well as keeping a 1000 punters , shopping , eating and drinking

[j.sabourn]

Just as said Rob not for a seaman’s comfort. Have sailed on car carriers - no stabilisers but has seamen who could secure properly. Eating and drinking never affected a seaman if in bad weather unless on first trip. JS

[robpage]

cars on ferries held on handbrake only

[John Arton]

The only ship I sailed on with active stabilisers was the Empress of Canada and although the were effective in reducing rolling they induced a strange pitching motion.
Later, on container ships, we had the cheaper alternative of passive anti roll tanks which were reasonably effective. The mega sized container ships of today with deck stacks of 7 or more high most likely have found tanks or similar systems fitted to reduce rolling and thus lesson the stress on the deck stow lashings. The container ships I was on we only went 3 high on deck with loaded containers, if 4 high then the top tier would be empties. I'm guessing those Hugh car carriers are also fitted with some sort of devices to reduce rolling.
Rgds
J.A.

[j.sabourn]

#8 ... used to carry 600 cars on 5 decks in two holds on a 6 hold ship. Each car had a Spanish windlass. On each wheel. Checked daily on long sea passages. On passage Vancouver to Hawaii although a deck Derrick carried away in bad weather the cars never budged. They had been loaded in Emden in Germany many weeks before. Cheers JS