As resident ocean expert, part of KC's research involved tracking down pictures of, and info on, container ships. A few entries ago, Becca gave us a banana-flavored preview of these vessels. Now, a little more information, complete with greatly impressive and immensely beautiful pictures:
According to the Guinness World Book of Records, the Orient Overseas Container Line Shenzhen of Hong Kong is the world’s largest container ship (see above).
The Norwegian ship-building company Ulstein has redesigned their container ships to incorporate what they call a Ulstein X-BOW (above), a pointed style of bow inspired by Viking ships from over 1000 years ago.
Above, a container ship moving through Miaflores Locks of the Panama Canal.
Super Panamax ship built in Denmark. It carries 15,000 containers, requires a crew of only 13, and consumes 317,000 gallons of diesel per year as it travels back and forth across the Pacific. This is the equivalent of 3,041,400 pounds of CO2.
“Container ship APL Panama ran aground just south of Ensenada, Mexico on Christmas Day 2005, because the captain didn’t wait for port pilot and tugs. The captain was irritated that the port pilot was 1 hour late, so he decided to steer the ship into port himself.
Tug boats after tug boats were dispatched to free her, but the ship was too heavy: first, 30,000 tons of cargo must be unloaded, using a sky crane helicopter:
Finally, 2 months later (remember, this whole thing happened because the port pilot was 1 hour late), with the help of an armada of tug boats, the APL Panama was finally freed.”
Above, a container ship in Montreal.
Holy cow, the Ulstein ship is beautiful!