Have you ever hit a shipping container ?

[JohnGeo]

I am writing an article about shipping containers as a potential sea hazard.

As a result, HAVE ANY OF THIS FORUM'S MEMBERS EVER HIT, OR ENCOUNTERED, A FLOATING SHIPPING CONTAINER WHILE SAILING?

I'd very much like to hear your story.

[Fortytwo]

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...cean-8036.html

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ion-11373.html

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ard-16706.html

[HopeFloats]

Had a close encounter with 6 of them floating 2ft under the water after a 3 day gale sailing from Cape Town, South Africa to Rio deJ, Brazil. Morning sunlight reflected their silhouettes in the big swells, dodged through them, missing them by the skin of my teeth. Not my happiest moment at sea.

[knottybuoyz]

I was on a 2000 tonne icebreaker/buoytender in the early 80's. We were standing by a wrecked container ship. These things kept popping up!





We hit this one head on at about 12 kts. Scratched some paint. It was full of Cheez Whiz!

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by knottybuoyz

It was full of Cheez Whiz!

I think it is just Whiz in Philly!

[capta]

Yes.
Sailing out of Newport for Bermuda we hit one in a gale in the Gulf Stream.
As we were coming back from heeling on a gust the boat hit the container (or it hit us??) just forward of the shrouds, at the waterline. It threw the boat (nearly 65,000 pounds sailing at 6 knots or so) back on her side, with enough force to move everything (including myself) not secured for that kind of shock, to leeward. What a mess below!
Didn't know for sure what it was until I got in the dink in St. Thomas & found a large chip of paint knocked out of the boot stripe that was a perfect fit for a corner of a container.
Good boat.
I wouldn't have wanted that experience on a production boat of today.