# Boxes lost at sea



## non descript (Nov 18, 2005)

Courtesy of today's Tradewinds:
_
Boxes lost at sea 

Salvors are attempting to recover over 200 containers that went overboard from three ships caught in a typhoon off South Korea. 


The path of Typhoon EwiniarPan United Shipping’s 866-teu containership Easline Tianjin (built 1985) has reportedly lost 171 containers en route from China to Busan. 

The containers were lost overboard at around 0700 local time on 10 July as the ship sailed south of Korea’s Jeju Island. 

Some three hours later the 3,029-teu containership Zim Japan (built 1991) is said to have lost 24 containers overboard in similar cir***stances. 

The 1,368-teu Wan Hai 213 (built 1993) lost 11 containers overboard five miles south of the southern Korean city of Yosu. 

The incidents happened as southern Korea was being struck by Typhoon Ewiniar, which brought winds of up to 120 km/hr. 

At the time the Easline Tianjin ran intro trouble of Jeju the centre of the typhhon was about 100 km southwest of the island. _ 

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## benjidog (Oct 27, 2005)

*Sink or swim?*

I wonder if these "lost" containers tend to float or sink. You would think they would sink but I guess it depends on the content. For example a container fully of televisions would have a huge amount of expanded polystyrene packaging which would tend to make them bouyant.

What happens guys? How many sink/how many float?

In the meantime you'd better watch out if you are waterskiing in those parts just in case!

Brian


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## hawkey01 (Mar 15, 2006)

Afternoon Tonga,
I do hope that there are lots of very good lookouts onboard the shipping in those areas. A lot of floating objects to avoid. 
A few clamps and chains wont deter the vengance of an angry sea. So many cases of vast damage by just one wave let alone a Typhoon in full flow. Box boats always look such an easy target for a big wave to me!
I am sure our box boat collegues will assure me otherwise.
Hawkey01


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## non descript (Nov 18, 2005)

Brian,
A twenty foot box weighs about 2.2mt, so there is a reasonable chance that with enough buoyant material inside, there could be some that continue to float, but in general most of them tend to sink; but just the thought of one floating almost beneath the surface is quite enough to scare most mariners into a nightmare vision of steaming at full speed through a veritable mine-field of stationary steel boxes.
Mark


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## non descript (Nov 18, 2005)

Hawkey,
You are absolutely spot on – the bigger the ship the more fall off and of course the more claims that can be made.
Mark


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## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

Who pays insurance for loss or is it force majeur.


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## non descript (Nov 18, 2005)

_Force Majeure _ is like the Yeti; we all know it exists and we all know someone who has seen it, but when it comes to getting a claim settled, it turns out to be a figment of imagination. (*))


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## bob johnston (Oct 4, 2005)

*Lost containers at sea*



Tonga said:


> Courtesy of today's Tradewinds:
> _
> Boxes lost at sea
> 
> ...


It is interesting to read this post is there a web site that has information on lost containers and as to how long it takes for a container to break up and rust ?It would be interesting as to how far the contents travel with currents and how many years after bits and pieces land on the beach.

How does one track a container is there a national manifest and serial number for each container so one can track eactly where and when it was packed and which ship it came off as I have no idea how it all works.

I would imagine depending how deep the water the container is lost it would be worth alot of money to salvage companies.It must be a hell of a shock to be in a storm and find you look aft and see half your containers sliding into the ocean!!

Do some of the containers float for a while or just go straight to the bottom. I read somewhere that 10000 containers a year fall off ships is that true does anyone know or am I imagining that figure as it sounds alot.


All very interesting would love to find out more information so if anyone can help would be great.


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## John Rogers (May 11, 2004)

I read somewhere that last year several containers fell into the sea off the coast of Scotland,they contained scotch for export. More likely they will end up in the nets of fishermen.
John


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## exsailor (Dec 18, 2005)

A small insight as to why containers fall off ships (not all the answers) may be gained from www.tmcmarine.co.uk/tmc_art_03.html


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## Keckers (May 18, 2008)

Lost 11 containers off the Asiafreighter once - and had several opened like tins of sardines whilst crossing the North Atlantic in the late 70's.


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## David Davies (Dec 11, 2006)

1977, Broad Fourteens,running through the night under full sail, 7 to 8 knots passed within 30 feet of partly submerged container sighted by lee lookout who shouted "rocks ahead". Very un-nerving at 3 in the morning. The only part of the container above the water was one corner, and the apex did resemble the point of a rock. On arrival we were told that a ship had lost several boxes but not in the Broad Fourteens. A real hazard to small craft all over the North Sea.


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## billyboy (Jul 6, 2005)

John Rogers said:


> I read somewhere that last year several containers fell into the sea off the coast of Scotland,they contained scotch for export. More likely they will end up in the nets of fishermen.
> John


I do hope they do catch some on their nets. The trawler men of today deserve a free scotch for the conditions they have to put up with to provide us with our fish & chips...LOL (Thumb)


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## tunatownshipwreck (Nov 9, 2005)

Imagine those boxes in the way of a boat the same size. Scary stuff.


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## VTR1000 (Feb 24, 2007)

I was on the Encounter Bay some time ago crossing the Tasmin Sea when we ran into some dodgy weather and ended up losing a load of boxes, both overboard and inboard. Hell of a mess to clear up too.

Also found this that might be of interest: http://www.munichre.com/en/ts/entrepreneurial_risks/spectacular_container_losses_on_the_high_seas/default.aspx


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## MikeK (Jul 3, 2007)

We lost a forty footer one night (always seems to happen in the dark!) in NW'ly gales off the Dutch Islands. When we checked in the daylight, the twistlocks were still attached to the box below, along with the strengthened beams of the missing box running between the twistlocks ! (so it definitely sank !) When I checked the manifest to see what it contained, it said so many cartons hi fi equipment and one BMW car. Usually a car inside a box was someone's personal effects being shipped home etc, so although extremely unfortunate for the poor owner, it did not seem to be a too high in value box. WRONG ! When the insurance dept started to sort the claim out it transpired that this Beemer was the top of the range model bound for the Helsinki Motorshow, so somewhere under the TSS lies the stuff of dreams !!

Mike


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## Iain B (Apr 28, 2007)

R58484956 said:


> Who pays insurance for loss or is it force majeur.


In simple terms:-
The owners of the lost cargo will claim on their cargo insurance policy who will pay. The insurers will then claim against the carrier under the bill of lading.

The carriers (owners of the ship or the bill of lading issuers) will try to put together a defence - this will be greatly assisted if they can find that the container was overloaded, overweight, incorrectly stowed or anything like that.

Container boxes have very little strength in them and they usually brake up pretty quickly. If the container is stuffed to the brim with light buoyant goods then they can float, but most brake up very quickly. As we all saw on the Napoli a few light containers made it and floated a few yards to the beach, but most of them broke up and were recovered from around the wreck site in pieces.

The legal defence force majeure is not the one you mean for this sort of claim. Force majeure is for situations where the contract has been frustrated due to cir***stances that are out of the control of one of the contracted parties. (there is more to it than that, but that's what keeps our learned friends in fine claret)

The defence I think you mean is peril of the sea, and yes a successful peril of the sea defence is about as rare as a Yeti sighting!

Iain


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