Shipping containers

[james_tigerwoods]

Reading this story - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7611214.stm - made me wonder, I read somewhere that quite a lot of shipping containers fall overboard and end up in the ocean. What, ultimately, happens to them - and how many are there out there?

In fact, roughly how much rubbish is dumped into our oceans?

[Munter]

Theres loads of them. Often they bob about for a good few weeks just at or under the surface, then eventually they sink to the bottom. While they are bobing around they can be hit by shipping and cause trouble...

You'll probably like this story too: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-464768/Tho...

Edited by Munter on Friday 12th September 09:48

[V8mate]

They are quite a big problem to shipping, but especially to yachts. Even the North Sea shipping lane is littered with them. As has been said before, they do 'bob' just under the wave line; if you're really lucky you may catch a glimpse of a corner as you approach, but hit them in a fibreglass yacht and you'll be sunk without trace pretty much instantly!

[Simpo Two]

So all containers need a water-activated flag erector on top...?

[thebluebus]

james_tigerwoods said:

In fact, roughly how much rubbish is dumped into our oceans?

Haven't you seen that Smirnoff ad?

There's like, Spitfires and milkfloats and all sorts down there.

[devonshiredave]

Simpo Two said:

So all containers need a water-activated flag erector on top...?

more bother than its worth - the volume shipped via container these days is massive and constantly growing

it would also pose problems stowing them i should imagine.

[Sheepy]

devonshiredave said:

Simpo Two said:

So all containers need a water-activated flag erector on top...?

more bother than its worth - the volume shipped via container these days is massive and constantly growing

it would also pose problems stowing them i should imagine.

Or if it rained!!

[devonshiredave]

Sheepy said:

devonshiredave said:

Simpo Two said:

So all containers need a water-activated flag erector on top...?

more bother than its worth - the volume shipped via container these days is massive and constantly growing

it would also pose problems stowing them i should imagine.

Or if it rained!!

haha indeed, top of the vessel would look very strange!

[james_tigerwoods]

devonshiredave said:

Sheepy said:

devonshiredave said:

Simpo Two said:

So all containers need a water-activated flag erector on top...?

more bother than its worth - the volume shipped via container these days is massive and constantly growing

it would also pose problems stowing them i should imagine.

Or if it rained!!

haha indeed, top of the vessel would look very strange!

Aren't they mostly activated by sea water??

[schmalex]

I know a of a yacht that hit one at 15kts plus in the middle of the night during an offshore race. The crew all managed to get off, but the boat went down pretty quickly....

[Munter]

james_tigerwoods said:

devonshiredave said:

Sheepy said:

devonshiredave said:

Simpo Two said:

So all containers need a water-activated flag erector on top...?

more bother than its worth - the volume shipped via container these days is massive and constantly growing

it would also pose problems stowing them i should imagine.

Or if it rained!!

haha indeed, top of the vessel would look very strange!

Aren't they mostly activated by sea water??

Old proverb No1: Big ship at sea make lot of spray.
Old proverb No2: He who stand on deck of big ship become big drip.

[esselte]

Simpo Two said:

So all containers need a water-activated flag erector on top...?

It'd make a drive up the M1 in the rain more colourful I suppose...