Ugly boat on the Thames

[Robbo]

OK, I'm not a ship designer and complicated maths is way beyond me but why doesn't that Maersk container ship just roll over? And why don't all the containers fall off? years ago I used to rope and sheet lorries and if I loaded that great big thing I would use miles and miles of rope but I can't see even a piece of string holding that lot on. Perhaps that's why my LED lamps from China never arrived, the container fell off.

 

They using lashing rods and turnbuckles on ships as you can see in this pic...

 

Edited November 15, 2016 by Robbo

[Bee]

Ah, that makes sense, not just miles of that blue polypropylene rope that I use on the roof rack then.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Bit big for both of those - I'd guess it to be at least a 30-38m luxemotor, but could easily be more. This is the best I can do with the image:

 

Ugly boat.i.jpg

 

 

Whilst its not the prettiest looking design, on top of a lovely hull, it serves a functional/practical purposes.

Therefore I like it.

 

 

The real ugly boats are those with pretences to be pretty but are just aesthetically shite.

?

[mango]

Or you could have this, of course!....

 

 

 

 

 

Not enough tumblehome for my liking.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Not enough tumblehome for my liking.

If it weren't for the french doors, i'd quite like that.

[mango]

If it weren't for the french doors, i'd quite like that.

It seems odd to have ones with curves at the top when everything else is decidedly angular.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

It seems odd to have ones with curves at the top when everything else is decidedly angular.

There looks to be a hatch at the back too.

And I think a chimney on top.

Edited November 15, 2016 by Goliath

[DHutch]

Whilst its not the prettiest looking design, on top of a lovely hull, it serves a functional/practical purposes.

Therefore I like it.

 

 

The real ugly boats are those with pretences to be pretty but are just aesthetically shite.

?

Can't fault that.

 

Daniel

[spadefoot]

It seems odd to have ones with curves at the top when everything else is decidedly angular.

Like I said in an earlier post, it's an artistic statement. it's having a pop at the twee cottagey modern narrowboats with pretensions of being something more than what they are.

[Bee]

What's happened to the world? Brexit. Trump. Now that container thing on some sort of 'hull' Everything has gone mad.

[Peter-Bullfinch]

For the life of me I couldn't remember the word " turnbuckle" when I wanted to order four stainless ones. To jog my memory I typed "adjustable shackles" to try and assist my slow brain. That turned up some interesting and informative sites in an area of human recreation that I am apparently woefully ignorant.

[PaulG]

 

Post all screwed up - mods please delete!

OK, I'm not a ship designer and complicated maths is way beyond me but why doesn't that Maersk container ship just roll over? And why don't all the containers fall off? years ago I used to rope and sheet lorries and if I loaded that great big thing I would use miles and miles of rope but I can't see even a piece of string holding that lot on. Perhaps that's why my LED lamps from China never arrived, the container fell off.

They don't roll over because there is a lot of ship underwater that you can't see.

Containers are carried in the hold as well - the ones you can see are just the deck cargo, which makes the ship look top-heavy.

By brother-in-law was skipper of a panamax-sized container ship for quite a few years, and they had computer programs to work out the loading order and the weight distribution so that the ship was stable and trimmed correctly.

If memory serves me right, his ship (s) carried containers eight deep in the holds and in stacks of five high on deck

Edited November 16, 2016 by PaulG

[IanM]

Could be worse...

 

AP7A5212 by Cotswold Canals Trust, on Flickr

[bargemast]

Just about a week ago I was reading about the huge reduction in Ocean crossing container transports, and that a couple of the biggest container terminals in China haven't got much to do anymore.

 

Peter.

[Tam & Di]

Whilst its not the prettiest looking design, on top of a lovely hull, it serves a functional/practical purposes.

Therefore I like it.

 

 

I'm not sure what the purpose is. I'm pretty certain they are not containers on that one. It's accomodation of some kind I think - office premises in dockland? It's looks to be built right out so there are no side decks left, and if so it's definitely not meant for cruising any more.

[magnetman]

I'll have a look round for it - if its in Docklands somewhere I should be able to find it.

 

In the original photo it is being towed by the tug in the picture. I've seen them towing large gravel barges up and down the River like that with the tug tied alongside near the stern. Looks a bit "awkward" but seems to do the job no problem.

Maybe its a hospitality unit for something to do with the tideway tunnel?(the Super sewer).

 

Or

 

Is it a prison ship

Edited November 16, 2016 by magnetman

[Tam & Di]

I did suggest the tug might be towing it abreast - it is certainly a possibility. If the 'load' were containers they would be a variety of colours, but the things that look vaguely like windows do seem too regular for that. That why I put the image on, hoping that someone knew what it actually is.

[bargemast]

 

 

Much bigger container ships use the Thames:

 

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/pictured-biggest-ship-ever-on-thames-docks-at-london-gateway-10071307.html

 

Tim

 

It's hard to compare an Inland waterways containerbarge with an Ocean going container ship.

 

You don't happen to have photos of a bigger inland container barge on the Thames in your extensive photo collection, have you ?

 

The one in the Standards article is certainly amongst the longest container ships but there are a few that are able to carry even more TEU.

 

Peter.

[Mike Todd]

Just about a week ago I was reading about the huge reduction in Ocean crossing container transports, and that a couple of the biggest container terminals in China haven't got much to do anymore.

 

Peter.

But see https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/555338/port-freight-statistics-2015.pdffor a different perspective.