The Grand Age Of Travel

I can attest to the grandeur of the Panama Canal.

Taken from an observation deck at the Miraflores Lock in 2017, ships headed north to the Pedro Migel Lock, then Lake Gatun, then the Gatun Lock, then on to El Caribe.

View attachment 388265
Great pic, brings back memories. Worked on all three locks. Torrijos showed up one day at Pedro Miguel, drunk as a skunk with just a driver and no bodyguards. Alone, walked across a closed set of gates hanging on to the handrails for dear life, afraid to look down. Threw supervision in to a panic.
After that, whenever the news media referred to him as a strongman dictator, it gave a chuckle.

@sgt_zim , Did you seen any crocs in Miraflores lake? There are some big ones in it.
 
didn't see any dinosaurs when I was there.

are we talking American crocs, or caiman?
 
1612783806092.png
Photo posted by @mark-hunter
Could you imagine if you decided to get your trophies shipped by sea due to the air prices, and this happened?? That was my first thought seeing this!
 
@Cam Moon
I think I would not be the only who never received his trophies.
 
American, salt water crocs.
 
View attachment 388293Photo posted by @mark-hunter
Could you imagine if you decided to get your trophies shipped by sea due to the air prices, and this happened?? That was my first thought seeing this!

We had friends in Alaska whose entire household went overboard in a container during a move up there. Not as uncommon as the carriers would like you to think.
 
@WAB
Out of couriosity, did they get insurance for loss of their property?

But in the line of this discussion, most probably it was not due to ship breaking in half. (althoug possible)

its a matter of stowage.
During rolling, strong inertial forces appear, on stacked boxes, on extreme sides, (biggest radius of roll) which may cause a seaside line of containers to collapse, and start domino effect on the rest of stowage stacks.
Or, a container in lowest part of column, simply collapse, by inertial pressure from top side boxes (tons of cargo on top, pushed inertially downwards during upward roll) crashed by them. Lashing doesnt hold, and entire stack is washed overboard..
If it happens in the hold, lowest container is crashed, others not, but jammed in cargo bay.

Comapny Mearsk was the first to implement "pyramid" stowage, where seaside stack of containers was not more then 4 or 5 boxes in height.
Inner stack, one more, etc.
This kept seaside stack safe, and it kept other more to the center secured.
Later, other companies followed. Sometimes.
But, the consequence is losss of cargo space in seaside stacks. (loss of freight)
Reward, a safe carriage of cargo.
First photo below: pyramid stowage
2nd photo below, box stowage, consequence.

Genrally, loss of cargo can be prevented by smart stowage, or by smart navigation (avoiding storm, reducing speed, skilled manouvering in high swell, etc), or combination of both.

As a user of trasnsport service, sending your container overseas, basically you have no influance. Hope for the best.
1612802169823.png

1612801935495.png
 
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@Cam Moon

Why do you always choose the worst picture?

:Facepalm:
 

Yes they were paid out. It was a corporate move so everything was insured. I was responsible for four terminals in Alaska over the years. Lots of interesting events particularly around ice flows.
 
I had a very interesting voyage in a mixed cargo/passenger ship, many years ago.

The SS Circassia of Anchor Line, 11.170 GRT, around 300 passengers.

The ship was doing the Liverpool-Bombay service. We boarded In Karachi, docked in Aden, then went up the Red Sea, Gulf of Suez, through the Suez canal, docked in Port Said, then at La Valetta, in Malta, and on to our final destination which was Gibraltar. About 14 days of pleasant sailing, except for two days of bad storm we encountered in the Mediterranean.

The ship had an interesting history, launched in 1937, it started its regular Liverpool-Bombay service. in 1940 it was fitted as an Armed Merchant Cruiser, in 1942 as Troop Ship, and in 1943 as an Infantry Landing Ship. After the war it went back to civilian service, its last voyage was in 1966.
 
I had a very interesting voyage in a mixed cargo/passenger ship, many years ago.

The SS Circassia of Anchor Line, 11.170 GRT, around 300 passengers.

The ship was doing the Liverpool-Bombay service. We boarded In Karachi, docked in Aden, then went up the Red Sea, Gulf of Suez, through the Suez canal, docked in Port Said, then at La Valetta, in Malta, and on to our final destination which was Gibraltar. About 14 days of pleasant sailing, except for two days of bad storm we encountered in the Mediterranean.

The ship had an interesting history, launched in 1937, it started its regular Liverpool-Bombay service. in 1940 it was fitted as an Armed Merchant Cruiser, in 1942 as Troop Ship, and in 1943 as an Infantry Landing Ship. After the war it went back to civilian service, its last voyage was in 1966.
An interesting trip Nyati, did you get any pictures?
 

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