[pilowsky]

So, on top of everything else, someone jammed a ship the size of the Empire state building into the Suez canal.
Mind you, how hard can it be to steer one of those boats? You try! Steer through the Suez


I don't know what all the fuss is about.

[kenberg]

pilowsky, on 2021-March-28, 04:04, said:

So, on top of everything else, someone jammed a ship the size of the Empire state building into the Suez canal.
Mind you, how hard can it be to steer one of those boats? You try! Steer through the Suez

I don't know what all the fuss is about.

I intended to try but it does not seem to be working. I can bring up the site and when I am on it I can change the rudder angle but that seems to be it. There are spots labeled ship power and other such things but I can't get them to do anything.


My father taught me to drive when I was 15 (he tried to do so when I was 14 but that resulted in a ticket and a fine so we waited until I was of legal age). One Sunday morning, after a night of snow, he had me drive to this area where the streets were hilly and twisted, and people were coming and going to church. When I coped with that we decided I was ready to take the test for my license. No problem.

So I thought I would give this a shot but so far no luck. I am using Chrome if that matters.

If it all works I might send it the link off to some grandkids. They range in age from 1 to 28, but some are in the 8 to 18 range. We shall see. Or maybe I should just ask the grandkids to show me how to make it work.

[LBengtsson]

2019 Hamburg collision from wikipedia

On 9 February 2019, the ship struck and heavily damaged a 25-meter-long HADAG ferry boat at Blankenese, near the harbour of Hamburg. Two minutes after the collision, a traffic ban on the Elbe river was issued due to high winds.

[pilowsky]

In 1975, I arrived in Hobart (Australia - obviously) to compete in an Australian Junior Chess Championship.
Hobart sits on the Derwent River with the Tasman Bridge connecting the mainland to the Island where the tournament was being held.

Quote

The Tasman Bridge disaster occurred on the evening of 5 January 1975, in Hobart, the capital city of Australia's island state of Tasmania, when a bulk ore carrier travelling up the Derwent River collided with several pylons of the Tasman Bridge, causing a large section of the bridge deck to collapse onto the ship and into the river below. Twelve people were killed, including seven crew on board the ship, and the five occupants of four cars which fell 45 m (150 feet) after driving off the bridge. Hobart was cut-off from its eastern suburbs, and the loss of the road connection had a major social impact. The ship’s master was officially penalised for inattention and failure to handle his vessel in a seamanlike manner.

Travelling to Australia in 1966, we stopped in Capetown, where I watched the "Seafarer" crash into rocks and break into three pieces.

Quote

The stranding of the S.A. Seafarer on Friday 1st July 1966, is all but forgotten, except by the affected few, but it has been referred to as “a tragic milestone” in South African maritime history.
It would have been worse but for a handful of S.A.A.F. men flying Aloutte helicopters who battled against strong winds to lift off the passengers and crew of the stricken vessel.

I've never been to the Suez canal.

[thepossum]

Thanks for the challenge Pilowsky. Struggling with it so far. It reminds me a bit of my early attempts at hang-gliding

How strong a wind and which direction are we supposed to be testing

EDIT Just realised if I get past the first corner that wind and stuff appears

EDIT 2 I may be naive but I rather assumed that steering a ship the size of a skyscraper would have smarter systems than this

[kenberg]

Now it is floating, and we can thank a full moon.

All credit to Selene.

[Winstonm]

I credit kenberg for giving it a go 🛳👍

[pilowsky]

About 20 years ago I saw one that allowed you to try open-heart surgery.
Every time I tried it the patient died.
I checked a moment ago but the only version I could see needed Flash.

[thepossum]

pilowsky, on 2021-March-29, 13:41, said:

About 20 years ago I saw one that allowed you to try open-heart surgery.
Every time I tried it the patient died.
I checked a moment ago but the only version I could see needed Flash.

I tried it in Chrome and Edge and managed to get 4% of the way through so far. I thought Flash had been disabled

I'm trying to learn whether you need more or less speed and momentum to compete with the wind

[kenberg]

I have a question. I have seen several reports that the financial loss from this blockage has run into the billions but I have not seen even a rough breakdown of where the losses come from. Freeing the ship costs a lot. Some ships have live cattle, hopefully still alive. They have to be fed and somedie. Some ships re-routed to go around the bottm of Africa. I am not doubting that there was a great financial loss but I have no idea of where the greatest costs came from. Has anyone seen any breakdown?

[pilowsky]

kenberg, on 2021-March-30, 09:36, said:

I have a question. I have seen several reports that the financial loss from this blockage has run into the billions but I have not seen even a rough breakdown of where the losses come from. Freeing the ship costs a lot. Some ships have live cattle, hopefully still alive. They have to be fed and somedie. Some ships re-routed to go around the bottm of Africa. I am not doubting that there was a great financial loss but I have no idea of where the greatest costs came from. Has anyone seen any breakdown?

My understanding is that the problem arises (in part) because of a (usually) excellent technique used by all large manufacturers called JIT (Just in Time) stock control.
Two examples.
When I was in training, there was a huge motor vehicle assembly plant (Mitsubishi motors) opposite the hospital where I worked (and first played social Bridge as a student).
Mitsubishi employed thousands of people. Next door was a shock absorber factory called Monroe-Wylie.
Sometime in the mid-1980s, the shock absorber factory workers went on strike. Mitsubishi only purchased enough shock absorbers to keep its plant operating for a few days. The cost of the large operation being "squeezed" by the smaller one was magnified.
Last week I went to my local electronics retailer - JB HIFI - a great shop except they are famous for using JIT. I tried to buy a new phone - no stock - they sent me to another suburb - no stock. Finally, I had to get the phone from a Telstra shop.


The Suez and the Panama canals are engineering marvels, but you have to take a pilot on board before they let you through in the Panama canal.
Every time a ship goes through, Egypt is paid about $400,000. So the loss to the Egyptian economy is huge.
You can imagine that if people are willing to pay $400,000 to use the canals, the value of what they carry must be much higher.


Air freight is charged by weight, Sea freight is charged by volume. The two things are not interchangeable. That's why ships became bigger and bigger.
When the Suez was built, they probably didn't expect the Empire state building to sail through it in a strong wind. Pari passu, the Twin towers were engineered to withstand an impact from the largest aircraft of the day.


So, when the Suez is blocked (described as both the Jugular vein and a major artery of world trade by CNN) all of the manufacturers and retailers that use JIT stop.
Immediately, people are laid off around the world. Hundreds of ships pile up on both sides of the canal, which in turn costs the operators a fortune. Unlike aeroplanes, ships don't have an 'alternate' - they just stop.


Sailing around Africa or America is no simple task either. The trip is also very dangerous.

[pilowsky]

On the off-chance that BBO is looking for a new web design company, I recommend this outfit.
https://userinyerface.com/game.html


They seem to have sorted out all the "rpoblems" .

[pilowsky]

Well, if you think a skyscraper in the Suez is a problem,
Think what went through this guys head when he saw 1202 and 1201. Here's a one hour video about it.
What is this thing for?


What is this woman doing?

Here's the game - it took a few moments to load, but it worked.
Don't worry about inserting coins - it works when you click on "play now".

Spoiler

http://bit.ly/LandOnMoon