Winter in the North Pacific is notorious for bringing extreme weather and heavy seas, and large container ships are traveling at maximum speeds, Clive Reed, founder of Reed Marine Maritime Casualty Management Consultancy, said in an interview. Problems with rolling and bad weather can be overcome by the shipmaster slowing down, he said.
“However, current freight rates are high, and there is commercial pressure on the ships to arrive on time and consequently make more voyages,” Reed said. “These tight schedules leave the master little room to literally maneuver.”
Reed said recovering containers mid-ocean is an “economic non-starter.”
“It is close to impossible to retrieve containers lost overboard,” he said. “The majority will sink within a relatively short period of time.”
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