1. How does one stop a mega container ship when moving in restricted waters if an engine and rudder failure occurs?
Short answer: one can't.
Short answer: one can't.
2. A mega container can be just as large as some of the tallest building in any major city, 360+m. It can weigh over 100K tons, and when gathering speed, even minimum speed, develops so much momentum as it moves through the water that it takes large distance to come to a stop...
3. They have no "brakes" Its anchors, depending on the speed, type of bottom, and other factors, can only help in taking some of the speed off. Or worst, if the ship is moving a bit too fast, the anchors might be ripped away and end up lost in the bottom.
4. With the engine and rudder unoperational, a mega container is out of control. It keeps advancing, in whatever direction it was already moving, and/or at the mercy of the elements.
5. On a ship, when the Pilot or the Captain says "Stop Engine", it literally means that. For a moment the ship becomes a dead floating structure. But, why do Pilots need to order the engine to be stopped?
Simple, in restricted waters it would be unsafe NOT to do so.
Simple, in restricted waters it would be unsafe NOT to do so.
6. Besides, unlike a car, most commercial ships propulsion systems consist of a single engine and a propeller for which a fix set of rpms is set to a fix set of speeds. Normally "dead slow", sometimes 8kts, is too fast to dock a ship. The pilot stops, and starts the eng several
7. ...and reverse the engine if necessary. But reversing the engine can cause the ship to "twist" its stern to port and its bow to starboard due to the prop rotating now in the opposite direction, counterclockwise, spoiling the pilot's plan. However, tugs are good to correct...
8. ...the ship's heading and to control the speed. Since there is very little that can be done to have naval architects to design engines that can propell ships at very low speed, the best choice to safely maneouver a ship in restricted waters is by attaching strong tugs ...
9...believe me, one can be a hell of a trained and experienced pilot, and still find oneself between a rock and a hard place,
and just by having the assistance of 1 or more of these little guys, one can save the day, and millions of dollars, the enviroment, and... human lives.
and just by having the assistance of 1 or more of these little guys, one can save the day, and millions of dollars, the enviroment, and... human lives.
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