Boat Hits Container 1Km Off Botany Bay Head

[Captin]

As we were launching at Botany Bay this morning, we overheard a "MAYDAY" call, and apparently the captain had hit a container which was submerged in the water, 1km off Botany Bay heads.

Nothing more was heard from him after the call, so i hope he was alright and managed to get picked up by a passing boat.

Has anyone heard any more?

[johnds]

heard stories like this from other mates and boaties

it would be horrible hitting these containers at high speed off shore

heard nothing too major as yet

[DGF]

whoa, anyone hear anything else about that :/ thats worrying

[cameldownunder]

That is Worrying indeed.

Did you relay the call ?

What I've heard in this case the thing to do is wait on the emergency channel to hear if the Coastguard acknowledges the message, and eventually relay the message again.

Did you call the coastguard? By phone? Now ? Even if its just to see if they got heard.

Thats what I would do !!!

[Gremlin]

One of my really good mates work for the Port Authority and I've asked them but they haven't heard a thing about it today, they are going to ask tomorrow at work to find out what they can, I'll post up their response if they find out something

but hitting a container like that would be terrifying! it scares me just thinking about it... I really hope the guys are fine and the damage to the boat is reparable!

[defyet]

A container submerged in the water? Like ones that have fallen off a ship and you cant see it in the water?

[Piss'n'Broke]

Hmmm this is very worrying. It does happen regularly, a mate of ours hit one approx 8kms offshore outside Port Stephens 4-5 yrs back, cracked the hull, and he was lucky to make it back ashore. Hope the mayday call was relayed to authorities.

Dan

[gummybusta]

there was a story in the papers just last week i think where someone had sent out a fake mayday in vic waters and it sounded very simular

i would defintly be ringing coastgaurd to find out if it was heard and if it was for real or now

gezz i wouldn't be able to sleep

[Captin]

A container submerged in the water? Like ones that have fallen off a ship and you cant see it in the water?

Yes like 40ft container you see on a container ship, apparently when there sealed properly, there air tight and float.

They are known to submerge just below the water line and can't be seen if there's a bit of swell and chop around.

[customcasting]

Yes like 40ft container you see on a container ship, apparently when there sealed properly, there air tight and float.

They are known to submerge just below the water line and can't be seen if there's a bit of swell and chop around.

A Bad Day Fishing Beats A Good Day At Work, Not if you hit a submerged container

[gummybusta]

there was a story in the papers just last week i think where someone had sent out a fake mayday in vic waters and it sounded very simular

i would defintly be ringing coastgaurd to find out if it was heard and if it was for real or now

gezz i wouldn't be able to sleep

this is what i'm going on about

Police are on the hunt for a hoax caller who sparked a massive sea and air search earlier this month for a yacht with five people aboard that he said was sinking in the Gippsland Lakes.

The bill for the search is believed to be around $100,000.

The "distressed" caller made the mayday call on March 17 claiming to be one of five people, which included two children, on the five-metre boat that was sinking about seven kilometres off Loch Sport in the Gippsland Lakes.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/1032658/police-hunt-hoax-caller

sadly does happin and in way it is better that it ends like this than someone lost out there

[idolz]

The Hoax caller needs to be used for burley.............

[Day's Fishin]

There is a lot of containers floating around our coast line. A mate of mine who is on a navy ship down south told me they use them for target practice when they locate them. He said that some of the containers are that water tight that they can float just under the surface for years before the salt water finally eats its way in. Regards Jeff

[Catchin Jack]

Also apparently in big seas/storms ships have been known to unlatch the top containers and let them drop off the ship to get rid of the "top heavy weight".

This was years ago but i wonder if this practice still goes on.

Cheers,

Leo

[gummybusta]

Also apparently in big seas/storms ships have been known to unlatch the top containers and let them drop off the ship to get rid of the "top heavy weight".

This was years ago but i wonder if this practice still goes on.

Cheers,

Leo

i wondered this sort of thing myself and i can not see how it could be

sure one or two may fall off but i dout as many as it is lead to belive

who would ever move things by shipping if there was a chance of your cargo getting dumpped in a storm and could you think of the insurance no insurance company would ever touch this was of shipping

i spend some time on the water and may even say i spend more than the average does and never seen a container nor have any of the pro fishermen i know

just can't see it happening that much as that would mean they lose money something no compainy likes doing

[Flightmanager]

There are allegedly over 10,000 containers floating around international waters. These are mainly out at sea , and usually the result of severe storms etc. But , there is always the possibility that some may be lurking close to our shores ,these containers are very rarely reported.

Ross

[Anroco]

I guess a shipping line couldn't tell you how many containers they have lost in 1 year let alone since their operation...They simply..."FALL OFF"... i guess

Each journey you could say they lose multiple containers (20"GP,40"GP, refrigirated containers, flat racks etc etc) thats what insurance is for i take it...

Worlds biggest container ship is the EMMA MAERSK.

EMMA MAERSK

Here are some stats on her...

* 14 Cylinder RT FLEX pushing out 109,000 horse power

* 397m long

* 56 meters wide

* able to carry 11,000 Tonne

The amount of money made by a shipping line would be HUGE per trip if you do the math of how many conatainers 1 ship could hold...(See attach pic below and start counting...LOL)

EUGEN MAERSK - LOADED

Hope this gives a bit of insight on the shipping industry..

Nothing for it nor nothing against it, but with ships that big, i guess you can't always see everything that is going on and don't know what you have lost until you begin unloading.

CHeeRS

Antun

[cameldownunder]

From Wiki:

The world's largest container ship, the M/V Emma Mærsk has a capacity of 15,200 containers.

So if they loose say 10 , thats less then 0.1% ...

From another source

"it is estimated that over 10,000 containers are lost at sea each year."

Another interesting one: "But be patient—some items won't wash ashore for another ten years"

And "Containers filled with lightweight, low density and buoyant cargoes can float for years -

even when holed and waterlogged."

So they float even when not water tight, and only if the content manages to get out they sink

And a last one

"Another recalls how the Navy was called out to shell some containers lost overboard

from a cargo ship in the English Channel, which were floating and creating a danger to

shipping."

"However, these methods are not allowed any more – due to risk of pollution - and the

containers have to be towed on to the shore, which is not something the shipping lines

particularly like, because they then have the recovery and salvage costs!"

So be prepared to see more floating containers around !!!