Worst Case Scenario: Hitting A Sunken Container - What To Do!??

[hellosailor]

"Containers have a dissolvable plug"
First time I 've heard of this after seeing many onlines discussions about the concept. Is this scuttlebutt, or common practice now? Since when?

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"Containers have a dissolvable plug"
First time I 've heard of this after seeing many onlines discussions about the concept. Is this scuttlebutt, or common practice now? Since when?

It occurred to me that a dissolvable plug might make the situation worse while that container is floating,say, 3' below the waterline ... I don't think they'll all sink fast. As someone pointed out, most packing materials make great flotation devices.

[Teknav]

Just my luck! I'd hit a floating container and it spills its contents! Lotsa brand new toys start to float by the boat...radars, epirb, vhf/uhf/SSB/HAM radios, SatNav, SatPhone, SkyComm Internet with antennas...well you get my drift... You guys are not optimistic enough!

Mauritz
Going to behave now!

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Teknav

Just my luck! I'd hit a floating container and it spills its contents! Lotsa brand new toys start to float by the boat...radars, epirb, vhf/uhf/SSB/HAM radios, SatNav, SatPhone, SkyComm Internet with antennas...well you get my drift... You guys are not optimistic enough!

Mauritz
Going to behave now!

You make a good case for a long fishing net ...

[Teknav]

Hiya Flames! ++

Mauritz
Knows All, Sees All...Age, Weight & Fortune...only a Duck...errr...a Buck!

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

I'm going to ask again -- what's the state of flotsam in the Pacific from the tsunamai in Japan?

I noticed you asked twice. I Googled it:

Tracking marine debris from Japanese tsunami

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Teknav

Hiya Flames! ++

Mauritz
Knows All, Sees All...Age, Weight & Fortune...only a Duck...errr...a Buck!

The most I've fished out with mine is an old hat. May you have better luck!

[Stu Jackson]

nonm, I may have suggested this in another one of your "yikes" threads:

Singlehanded Sailing by Richard Henderson.

[Capt Rottnest]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

It occurred to me that a dissolvable plug might make the situation worse while that container is floating,say, 3' below the waterline ... I don't think they'll all sink fast. As someone pointed out, most packing materials make great flotation devices.

A container couldn't do that, its either floating flush with the surface or on the ocean floor. Needs to have its buoyancy constantly controlled like a submarine to sit at "3' below the waterline". Its no sub.

[bazzer]

Has anyone ever picked up a container as a target on Radar? I'm sure that one could do some damage to a large ship steaming at 20knots.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Capt Rottnest

A container couldn't do that, its either floating flush with the surface or on the ocean floor. Needs to have its buoyancy constantly controlled like a submarine to sit at "3' below the waterline". Its no sub.

Maybe, maybe not. IIRC, in the looong discussions about containers, someone mentioned/noticed that what's INSIDE the containers could provide that neutral buoyancy, like a bunch of nerf balls!

[Teknav]

The large ship would probably lift the container out of the water; early Christmas for the captain and HER crew!

Mauritz
Going to be serious now!

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Capt Rottnest

A container couldn't do that, its either floating flush with the surface or on the ocean floor. Needs to have its buoyancy constantly controlled like a submarine to sit at "3' below the waterline". Its no sub.

It's going to be there at some point while it's sinking, and it may sink slowly. I think, as someone else pointed out, that the obstruction can be below the surface. So could a whale.

I don't think there's any solution for losing the keel, is there? (Unless you're in a pub ...)

[hellosailor]

"Has anyone ever picked up a container as a target on Radar?"
ROFLMAO.

All you need is a downlink from an E6B AWACS circling overhead with pattern-recognition enabled surface-scan radar, that can actually see rectangular objects awash in the surface of the ocean.

Conventional shipboard radar just ain't gonna read through surface clutter.

Figure the AWACS will cost you about ten grand an hour, if you can get anyone to admit they have the equipment and loan it to you. Good business opportunity for a drone-maker, though.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Maybe, maybe not. IIRC, in the looong discussions about containers, someone mentioned/noticed that what's INSIDE the containers could provide that neutral buoyancy, like a bunch of nerf balls!

Yes, and lost in this has been the suggestion about forward-scanning sonar. Now it's pretty expensive, but like most technology, its price will probably drop.