Photo:AMSA
It would appear to be a sign of times. Surgical masks have been washing ashore on the beaches of New South Wales, Australia. Not pandemic aid from King Neptune, but the result of containers of medical supplies among the at least 40 containers which were lost off the APL Europe in rough seas on Sunday.
The ship had been en route from Ningbo, China to Melbourne when the ship briefly lost propulsion and rolled violently in high seas. The rolling resulted in approximately 40 containers falling into the ocean southeast of Sydney, Australia. Following the loss, the 5,510 TEU Singapore-flagged vessel diverted to Brisbane.
The containers lost overboard are said to contain a wide range of goods including household appliances, building materials, and medical supplies. In addition to the at least 40 boxes lost, 74 containers have been damaged. Six containers are reported to be protruding from the starboard side, and three from the port side of the ship. Australian officials conducted a seaworthiness inspection to check “the structural and operational condition of the ship following the collapse of container stacks on the deck” before allowing the ship to dock in Brisbane.
Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) officials received reports of face masks “washing up between Magenta Beach and The Entrance” north of Sydney. Additionally, plastic takeaway containers and air-conditioning ducts have also washed ashore. Several popular Sydney beaches have closed due to the debris.
AMSA General Manager of Operations Allan Schwartz said that “modeling suggests that debris such as this could continue to wash-up over the coming days.”
According to the Australian authorities, the APL England previously lost 37 containers in the Great Australian Bight in August 2016 due to heavy rolling in rough seas.
Why don’t they make containers like Lego bricks?
That way you could have some going cross-ways and some overlapping like bricks. I’m surprised nobody has thought of this before!
The containers slide into tracks of sorts in the hold. Tho yes a
“running bond” is more structurly sound. It is probably a logistical nightmare to redesign the ship to allow a running bond. Also containers have to have some way for inspection. If a running bond was used it would probably hamper the inspection of the containers.
Granted the containers that are falling off are the ones above the central hold of the ship. Perhaps it would be better to extend the tracks that are used to align the containers.
Actually, the corning castings on containers give them LEGO-like attachment points. If you look at the photo in the post is shows three containers in a single block leaning over the side of the ship held by corner castings. The problem often starts when boarding water hits a bottom container on which other containers are stacked. Once the bottom box is crushed the boxes on top have to fall.