These sure are interesting times.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/totally-electric-cargo-ship-sails-silently-and-autonomously/ar-AANJDE0?ocid=msedgntp
GrampThese sure are interesting times. https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/totally-electric-cargo-ship-sails-silently-and-autonomously/ar-AANJDE0?ocid=msedgntp
Guess it won't need port area pilots or docking assistance. How about navigating the Panama and/or Suez canals?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Somehow I don't think that this vessel will quite live up to its advance billing. I'd like to know how long a battery recharge would take or how the developers propose to stash replacement batteries at various ports of call.
It won't be leaving Norwegian waters. Look at that freeboard. Think M.V. Golden Ray.
CSSHEGEWISCH Somehow I don't think that this vessel will quite live up to its advance billing. I'd like to know how long a battery recharge would take or how the developers propose to stash replacement batteries at various ports of call.
Given that it will take X time to load/unload, I suppose a recharge in ports of call would be feasible.
I noticed they said that the ship would cruise at 13 knots, but I didn't see where they said how long or how far...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Even though this is geared to European short sea shipping lanes. This vessel already has a number of deficiencies. It can only carry 103 containers (I imagine batteries are eating up additional container stowage), with a supposed max speed of 13 knots (I imagine it will be lower).. So it won't be able to out maneuver any weather systems.. The same issue with slow steaming.. I expect a number of GPS accuracy issues as well in ports and river systems. Collision eminent..
I don't know about this one. I don't see how it's going to be allowed into or leave a foreign port without a harbor pilot aboard and a crew to follow his commands. No ship gets into a port without a pilot, it doesn't matter who or what you are. (Small craft and yachts excepted.)
If it never leaves home waters there might be an exception granted, but that's a very big might.
This really flys in the face of long-accepted maritime practices and regulations.
The article claims the ship doesn't pollute. The electricity has to come from somewhere.
tdmidgetIt won't be leaving Norwegian waters. Look at that freeboard. Think M.V. Golden Ray.
Saw where they are starting the final cut on the Golden Ray. With luck them might have the vessel removed before the 2nd Anniversary of it's capsizing. Understand that they pumped out 1500 tons of ballast water before setting sail.
They removed the ballast because the cargo was now heavier. They were supposed to load smaller vehicles and at the last minute they were changed to larger, heavier cars and SUVs. All this was on the upper decks making it top heavy. Car carriers are prone to capsize anyway due to the huge sail area and loading it top heavy was the straw that broke that back.
tdmidget It won't be leaving Norwegian waters. Look at that freeboard. Think M.V. Golden Ray.
I've seen some vessels with so much freebord (high sides out of the water for those who don't know) that quite frankly they scare the hell out of me!
Ships like this, for example:
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-car-carrier-ship-tug-boat-fleet-global-shipping-company-eukor-accompanied-thames-estuary-near-tilbury-image35348041
Hopefully the things are ballasted beyond belief or I can't imagine how they'd handle in a rough sea or a high wind across the broadside.
Flintlock76 tdmidget It won't be leaving Norwegian waters. Look at that freeboard. Think M.V. Golden Ray. I've seen some vessels with so much freebord (high sides out of the water for those who don't know) that quite frankly they scare the hell out of me! Ships like this, for example: https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-car-carrier-ship-tug-boat-fleet-global-shipping-company-eukor-accompanied-thames-estuary-near-tilbury-image35348041 Hopefully the things are ballasted beyond belief or I can't imagine how they'd handle in a rough sea or a high wind across the broadside.
All the Ro-Ro vehicle carriers I have seen appear to be grossly top heavy.
It seems like Ro-Ro ships look top heavy because of their high freeboard but the vehicles that they haul aren't really that heavy, for the space that they take up. I'd be more concerned with container ships.
BaltACD Flintlock76 tdmidget It won't be leaving Norwegian waters. Look at that freeboard. Think M.V. Golden Ray. I've seen some vessels with so much freebord (high sides out of the water for those who don't know) that quite frankly they scare the hell out of me! Ships like this, for example: https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-car-carrier-ship-tug-boat-fleet-global-shipping-company-eukor-accompanied-thames-estuary-near-tilbury-image35348041 Hopefully the things are ballasted beyond belief or I can't imagine how they'd handle in a rough sea or a high wind across the broadside. All the Ro-Ro vehicle carriers I have seen appear to be grossly top heavy.
Remember Ro-Ro carriers have multiple decks with a variety of vehicles and dimensional loads onboard. You may have a load of Hondas on the top decks. On the lower decks you may have loads of transformers on skids or SPU's, farm equipment, dozers, etc..
SD60MAC9500 BaltACD Flintlock76 tdmidget It won't be leaving Norwegian waters. Look at that freeboard. Think M.V. Golden Ray. I've seen some vessels with so much freebord (high sides out of the water for those who don't know) that quite frankly they scare the hell out of me! Ships like this, for example: https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-car-carrier-ship-tug-boat-fleet-global-shipping-company-eukor-accompanied-thames-estuary-near-tilbury-image35348041 Hopefully the things are ballasted beyond belief or I can't imagine how they'd handle in a rough sea or a high wind across the broadside. All the Ro-Ro vehicle carriers I have seen appear to be grossly top heavy. Remember Ro-Ro carriers have multiple decks with a variety of vehicles and dimesnional loads onboard. You may have a load of Hondas on the top decks. On the lower decks you may have loads of transformers on skids or SPU's, farm equipment, dozers, etc..
Remember Ro-Ro carriers have multiple decks with a variety of vehicles and dimesnional loads onboard. You may have a load of Hondas on the top decks. On the lower decks you may have loads of transformers on skids or SPU's, farm equipment, dozers, etc..
From our viewpoint we can not see how much more of the ship is beneath the waterline to be able to stabilize what we see above the waterline.
Golden Ray may have had sufficient 'ship' below the waterline, however, that part of the ship wasn't ballasted sufficiently to keep that part of the ship stable below the waterline once the Golden Ray began to turn.
Backshop I'd be more concerned with container ships.
Those bother me as well.
The thing is, cargo ships are lost at sea more often than you'd imagine. They tend not to get much press coverage, if at all, because they're not "glamourous," for lack of a better term, like cruise ships or "sensational" like oil tankers.
If a ship like the "Costa Concordia" piles up it's big news, if an oil tanker grounds and leaks it's big news, but cargo ships? It's like the press doesn't care, and most likely they don't.
One other thing about container ships, it's not unusual for them to lose improperly secured containers during a crossing in dirty weather. Drifting containers (they don't all sink) are a navigational hazard and constant worry to small craft owners operating offshore.
Backshop It seems like Ro-Ro ships look top heavy because of their high freeboard but the vehicles that they haul aren't really that heavy, for the space that they take up. I'd be more concerned with container ships.
Container ships have stowage cells below the deck. Once filled, deck covers are reinstalled and loading can continue on the deck.
BaltACD SD60MAC9500 BaltACD Flintlock76 tdmidget It won't be leaving Norwegian waters. Look at that freeboard. Think M.V. Golden Ray. I've seen some vessels with so much freebord (high sides out of the water for those who don't know) that quite frankly they scare the hell out of me! Ships like this, for example: https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-car-carrier-ship-tug-boat-fleet-global-shipping-company-eukor-accompanied-thames-estuary-near-tilbury-image35348041 Hopefully the things are ballasted beyond belief or I can't imagine how they'd handle in a rough sea or a high wind across the broadside. All the Ro-Ro vehicle carriers I have seen appear to be grossly top heavy. Remember Ro-Ro carriers have multiple decks with a variety of vehicles and dimesnional loads onboard. You may have a load of Hondas on the top decks. On the lower decks you may have loads of transformers on skids or SPU's, farm equipment, dozers, etc.. From our viewpoint we can not see how much more of the ship is beneath the waterline to be able to stabilize what we see above the waterline. Golden Ray may have had sufficient 'ship' below the waterline, however, that part of the ship wasn't ballasted sufficiently to keep that part of the ship stable below the waterline once the Golden Ray began to turn.
Could've been improper ballasting, incorrect stowage or a combination of the two.
Backshop The article claims the ship doesn't pollute. The electricity has to come from somewhere.
Assuming it is charged in Norway, no. They are one of the few, maybe the only, countries that have effectively eliminated emissions from their power grid. Almost 96 percent of their power is hydroelectric, with wind and solar accounting for 2 percent. The only coal fired plant is on Svalbard, due to the remote nature of the place, and there's only one gas fueled plant, that is there on a standby basis. Hydro is cheaper than gas anyhow.
NittanyLion Almost 96 percent of their power is hydroelectric
No snail darters to worry about I suppose.
One thing comes to mind: assuming these are lithium batteries, at least if you have a fire, you have a virtually unlimited supply of water nearby to dump on them. Of course I don't know what effect the salt would have.
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
It just occurred to me that if you do have a fire, there would be nobody on board to fight it. I guess they could have robot firefighters take care of it.
Paul of Covington One thing comes to mind: assuming these are lithium batteries, at least if you have a fire, you have a virtually unlimited supply of water nearby to dump on them.
One problem with small boats on fire is that it doesn't take long to fill them up with water, resulting in total extinguishment of the fire. And a salvage job to get what's left of the boat off the bottom.
That could be a problem with a big boat, too.
On You Tube there are various videos of container ships breaking apart and dumping the boxes into the ocean. A lot of them are lettered for Hanjin and China shipping. The comments on YT run like this: "Since all that cheap Chinese made crap ends up in the ocean anyway, this is a way to cut out the middleman."
Flintlock76 NittanyLion Almost 96 percent of their power is hydroelectric No snail darters to worry about I suppose.
Glass Eels, apparently.
Although they are pretty big, so when they show up, they scoop up vast numbers of them. Throw them in a truck, drive upstream, dump them out. Wait until they show up to swim downstream, and repeat the process.
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