# Massive Containership Take 40 Degree Rolls in North Atlantic



## Geoff Gower (Sep 8, 2011)

Last year the Massive 2,992 TEU, 245 meter, containership OOCL Belgium was caught in the middle of the North Atlantic this week experiencing first-hand winter storm “Hercules“, a huge low pressure system that forecasters say could be creating waves of over 20 meters tall. Not The Perfect Storm but certainly impressive. In this video, the OOCL Belgium is shown rolling more than 40 degrees!
Those are the type of rolls where you look out the port or starboard bridge wing and see nothing but the waves directly next to the ship, and then the next moment, all you see is sky while you try to hang on to something… and where chairs, people, food, and dishes become flying objects inside staterooms and galleys.

I wonder who calculates the "GM" for the ship before she sails ??


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## James_C (Feb 17, 2005)

I'd be very, very surprised if the calculated stability of any large containership comes anywhere near close to the actual condition. Mis-declaring of weights (amongst other things) is a chronic problem in the industry.
The ships I was in previously (Ro-Ro container) regularly ran around with a GM of 3 metres or so, and that's with all double bottoms empty and as much weight up top as possible. Rolling to 40 plus degrees either side of the vertical was not unknown by any means in poor weather, particularly winter North Atlantic.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Isn't period more indicative than amplitude?


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## James_C (Feb 17, 2005)

Varley said:


> Isn't period more indicative than amplitude?


It is indeed. To be brief:

Rapid rolling period - stiff vessel (large GM).
Slow rolling period, but potentially going further over - tender vessel (small GM).
Most Ro-Ro's are quite stiff vessels and for that reason are fitted with FLUME type tanks high up, or to use their Sunday name: passive anti-roll stabilisation tanks. Basically a load of water in a tank which (usually) runs the width of the vessel, these tanks are not pressed up and have a series of baffles or other such obstructions which restrict how quickly the ballast therein can flow from one side to the other, thereby dampening the roll. 
Accordingly, with this lump of weight up high (in some cases in a tank above the upper deck), the GM is reduced; this increases the rolling period even though the vessel may roll further. The idea is that it puts less stress on lashings and cargo, ergo reducing the risk of a shift or damage.
They do work to a degree, if used correctly.


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## Alfred Ford (Aug 5, 2010)

#1
"In this video, the OOCL Belgium is shown rolling more than 40 degrees!"

Can't see video - is it me or my PC??


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## Mad Landsman (Dec 1, 2005)

The first one is the link from G-Captain as pasted at #1

The second video is on youtube. 

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e56_1389058712

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx9FmEq5D6A


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## woodend (Nov 23, 2009)

I can't see it either but I would be interested to see it.[=P]


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## woodend (Nov 23, 2009)

Thanks! Look at the time line, they crossed.[=P]


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## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

James_C said:


> It is indeed. To be brief:
> 
> Rapid rolling period - stiff vessel (large GM).
> Slow rolling period, but potentially going further over - tender vessel (small GM).
> ...


I wonder if the Northlink vessels have those fitted cos when I broke my ribs the Hrossey had rolled to 50 degrees, yet the vehicles (my car included) hadn't shifted. (I saw her as they wheeled me onto the anbulance on the car deck)


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## Hugh Wilson (Aug 18, 2005)

I would hardly call 2.992TEU and 245 metres a MASSIVE container ship. Sounds more like a feeder to me.

I see Maersk have just ordered a further 18 of their Triple-E Class vessels from DSME


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## TOM ALEXANDER (Dec 24, 2008)

I don't know if my angular perception is playing tricks on me, but that roll looked more like 30 degrees to me - something quite common, but the period of roll - somewhere about 15 seconds? is mighty quick suggesting a very large GM and dishes launching off the table rather than sliding off.


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## JET (Oct 22, 2005)

Jim,
I can remember an event on the Geestbay (fitted with Flume tanks), running before the storm with heavy seas on the aft quarter and she rolled slowly to Port, slow enough to allow the contents of the tanks get to that side and she hung there (45 degrees + on the inclinometer). Long enough to activate numerous alarms and trips which resulted in the main engine shutting down.

John


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## Supergoods (Nov 25, 2007)

James_C said:


> It is indeed. To be brief:
> 
> Rapid rolling period - stiff vessel (large GM).
> Slow rolling period, but potentially going further over - tender vessel (small GM).
> ...


The original OCL Bay boats were fitted with passive flume tanks. They were designed to work with a certain optimum GM, however this GM was not commonly attainable as the design was for a two high deck load which had become a three high forward and four high aft by the time I left in the early '70's. We did have some spectacular rolls between Cape Town and Fremantle.
There was some research done on the hull forms of the last fast conventional ships which reveal that the changes in the waterplane caused some of the violent rolling.
Ian


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## James_C (Feb 17, 2005)

Supergoods said:


> The original OCL Bay boats were fitted with passive flume tanks. They were designed to work with a certain optimum GM, however this GM was not commonly attainable as the design was for a two high deck load which had become a three high forward and four high aft by the time I left in the early '70's. We did have some spectacular rolls between Cape Town and Fremantle.
> There was some research done on the hull forms of the last fast conventional ships which reveal that the changes in the waterplane caused some of the violent rolling.
> Ian


The ships that I was in which had them fitted had all sorts of graphs and diagrams displaying the ideal operating envelope of FLUME tanks, based on a three axis system which included DWT, GM etc. with suitable guidance as to soundings in the tanks. Even when we went outside that envelope we filled them regardless (to about 60% I think) as they did make a noticeable difference.


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## kypros (Feb 13, 2010)

I recall homeward bound RMS HUBERT early sixties hitting one of those Hurricanes off the Southern states,twelve to four watch,the Captain chief mate and 2nd mate all on the bridge I was helmsman pitch black the skipper decided to turn her about into the wind.Halfway through the evolution the weather on the beam the Captain asked the 2nd mate to sing out the readings on the inclinometer on the bulkhead behind myself on the wheel,she seemed to hang at 38 degrees for at least twenty minutes, never forget the his face as white as sheet.The Hubert was built shallow drafted for the Amazon run upperstructure looked a bit top heavy accommodation for about four hundred passengers the screams from those passengers is a sound I will never forget no flume tanks in those days being a seaman hoping the cargo was stowed securely.The next night on watch the 2nd mate came over to me and said you know she was only tested to a 35 degree roll happy days.KYPROS


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## duquesa (Aug 31, 2006)

That ship was more than 2292teu


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## NoR (Mar 24, 2008)

TOM ALEXANDER said:


> I don't know if my angular perception is playing tricks on me, but that roll looked more like 30 degrees to me - something quite common, but the period of roll - somewhere about 15 seconds? is mighty quick suggesting a very large GM and dishes launching off the table rather than sliding off.


I agree, it didn't look like 40° to me either. I've experienced 30° on a few occasions and it felt as if the deck was nearly vertical.


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

There were two clips of the video.... one of them show a roll around to about 3o and another over to 40.... this from the inclinator. 

Euroliner... N Atlantic the inclinator showed rolls over to the max at 45... four heavy rolls.


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## howardws (Aug 15, 2009)

Supergoods said:


> The original OCL Bay boats were fitted with passive flume tanks. They were designed to work with a certain optimum GM, however this GM was not commonly attainable as the design was for a two high deck load which had become a three high forward and four high aft by the time I left in the early '70's. We did have some spectacular rolls between Cape Town and Fremantle.
> There was some research done on the hull forms of the last fast conventional ships which reveal that the changes in the waterplane caused some of the violent rolling.
> Ian


On the maiden voyage of the Flinders Bay in '69 we were rolling our way across the Southern Indian Ocean while the Flume tank rep was messing about with his tank levels. We were taking the mickey and telling him that they were useless, whereupon he suggested that we pump them out to see what happened. We did and she became most uncomfortable! 

The P&O Normandy Ferries Dragon had a flume tank but judging by the fact that it was kept completely full I don't suppose that it worked. I did sail with a Chief Engineer who worked for Flume at one time and he claimed that the tank had been fitted in the wrong position in the ship.


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## John N MacDonald (Apr 1, 2008)

They got the figures a bit mixed up for teu. The OOCL is 2992 teu.


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