If you are waiting for the release of an electronic gadget that has been delayed or you have simply shopped for clothes in China or another country and your order has not yet arrived, the reason can be quite bizarre. Your products can be at the bottom of the sea in containers, literally.
Recently, the YouTube channel made a super complete video showing us how to handle containers that are transported all over the world via land and sea, as well as the challenge of recovering such robust containers when they are losing one on the ocean floor. It is worth checking!
In addition, there is an estimate that over 3,000 containers have fallen from cargo ships since early 2021, in at least six separate incidents.
According to data obtained from the World Shipping Council, an entity that takes care of the transport of goods by sea, this is more than double the number of containers lost annually between 2008 and 2019.
Still, among the possible reasons for this are the weather, the increase in the volume of imports linked to the pandemic, and even a phenomenon known as parametric balance. The first two reasons are easy to understand together.
The high demand means that crossings are made in sub-optimal navigation conditions. In addition, there are currently many empty containers in North America waiting to return to Asia. Because of this, it is possible that carriers have put older, used containers into service, which are more likely to have faulty or corroded latches.
Add to that the fact that the ships are coming to Brazil and other countries are very crowded. This increases the chances of a phenomenon known as parametric balance.
This happens, in a nutshell, when the size and time interval between two waves “fit” the shape of the ship, disrupting its hydrodynamics and affecting its stability.
On board, this movement resembles a cradle swing that goes from side to side, with inclinations that can reach up to 35 or 40 degrees in each direction.
And you, what did you think of the video about containers?
Photo by Tom Fisk