Interesting:
The plot thickens.
They’ll dredge out the sand and gravel from around the bow and stern where she’s aground and maybe lighten her by pumping off ballast and possibly fuel.. then it’s just a matter of a bunch of tractor tugs pulling her back into the center of the canal.. once she’s free she’ll probably be towed the 5 miles back down to the south end of the canal and taken out to anchor.
I have the fix!
to see!
No one is talking about it so maybe it's a non issue, but when your bow is in the sand, your stern is in the sand, and the tide is going up and down in the middle, you have to be concerned about the bending moments.
Absolutely agree. Other than simply knowing that shipping is the spine of the world's economy, I've rarely thought more than a minute about the complexities of global shipping; all of that changed when my son applied and was nominated to USMMA. (He has 2 KP nominations, and we remain in a holding pattern waiting to hear if an appointment will be directing his next steps. The wait is killing me, more than him! He has back up plans in place.) There is SO much to learn, and it's both reassuring and inspiring to know that there are still so many willing and competent young men & women, prepared to receive the torch from midshipman before them! I am brand new to this forum and appreciate the community I sense here.
@beyond, you raise a very good point about stress on the hull.. there are upward forces on the extreme grounded ends that during the change in tide may not be supported by buoyancy near the center of the hull. I'm sure they had a very good idea of the bending moment prior to taking the strand and if I was to take an educated guess I would say she was more than likely in a hogging condition.. I'm sure the naval architects and the salvors are calculating everything from the ground reaction to the freeing force necessary to pull her off the bottom. There's a full moon tomorrow, so with spring tides they may have a good shot at getting her free.. I wonder what the towing bitts on the bow are rated at? We might find out what their breaking strength is if one of those tugs really leans into a pull and either parts the tow line or parbuckles those suckers right off the deck..
Good point about the bitts. On tankers, bits and chocks are designed with strengthening under deck (its significant). This is because so many tanker ports now conduct active tethered escorting. I have no idea if this is done for container ships.@beyond, you raise a very good point about stress on the hull.. there are upward forces on the extreme grounded ends that during the change in tide may not be supported by buoyancy near the center of the hull. I'm sure they had a very good idea of the bending moment prior to taking the strand and if I was to take an educated guess I would say she was more than likely in a hogging condition.. I'm sure the naval architects and the salvors are calculating everything from the ground reaction to the freeing force necessary to pull her off the bottom. There's a full moon tomorrow, so with spring tides they may have a good shot at getting her free.. I wonder what the towing bitts on the bow are rated at? We might find out what their breaking strength is if one of those tugs really leans into a pull and either parts the tow line or parbuckles those suckers right off the deck..
as of tomorrow.. 1.7 meters..
Maybe. . . . .And theres even a couple of Mass. Maritime Grads that might know a thing or two
Well, not directly. . . . https://www.businessinsider.com/toi...cts-delayed-suez-canal-blockage-impact-2021-3
I happened to be looking at MarineTraffic when it was freed. Fascinating. Says that it is underway at 7.1kn--or is it being towed?
@azmilmom, my guess is she's being towed.. In that the rudder and propeller have likely contacted the bottom, they probably don't want to use them until a thorough underwater survey is done of the stern aperture.
The whole class thing ... including alternative compliance...has become very commercial and competitive among Classification Societies. USCG has opened up to many of the know Class Societies.
When I worked as a field surveyor for ABS, more than half of the ships I surveyed were not US flag.