The Ghost Ship

Coyotemike said:
Why no salvage op?

Officials decided to sink the ship, rather than risk the chance of it running aground or endangering other vessels in the busy shipping lanes between North America and Asia.

The ship had no lights or communications system and its tank was able to carry more than 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel. Officials, however, didn't know how much fuel, if any, was aboard.

"It's less risky than it would be running into shore or running into (maritime) traffic," Webb said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency studied the problem and decided it is safer to sink the ship and let the fuel evaporate in the open water.

The ship was at Hokkaido, Japan, and destined for scrapping when a magnitude-9.0 earthquake that struck the country in March 2011 triggered a tsunami.

Canadian_Coat said:

From what I read on a CBC article, It's too expensive to launch a salvage operation because they won't get much in return and the one
Canadian ship that tried couldn't tow it. And apparently it's too dangerous to let people on board.

How much of the information the CBC got was true, I'm not sure, that's just what I read though.


Edit: I just read an update. Apparently it's now on fire on one side, not sunk and floating towards Alaska

RudieCantFail said:

Usually when ships are moth-balled, hazardous materials and/or valuable materials/components are removed relatively soon after it's taken out of service. Therefore, the Ryou-Un Maru was probably already prepped for scuttling. There's just not enough value in the scrap metal of the hull and remaining structure to make it worthwhile to try to salvage or tow such a vessel in safely. It was just cheaper and easier to use it for target practice, as if they were sinking a ship to seed a coral reef.

Canadian_Coat said:
They must be crappy shots if it's still floating

Calico said:
I'd rather a Ghost Ship than Ghost Chips...

Cassiel said:
The Coast Guard has fucking cannons?

Aaron said:

Yes but they look like this:



Not this:

Cassiel said:

The Coast Guard needs swag. Don't ruin it for them.