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What a ship -- no wonder "Made in China ' is displacing North American made
goods big time. This monster transports goods across the Pacific in just 5 days!!
This is one of three ships presently in service, with another two ships commissioned
to be completed in 2012.
These ships were commissioned by Wal-Mart to get all their goods and stuff
from China . They hold an incredible 15,000 containers and have a 207 foot deck
beam!! The full crew is just 13 people on a ship longer than a US Aircraft Carrier
(which has a crew of 5,000)
With it's 207' beam, it is too big to fit through the Panama or Suez Canals .
It is strictly transpacific. Cruise speed: 31 knots.
The goods arrive 4 days before the typical container ship (18-20 knots) on a
China-to-California run. 91% of Walmart products are made in China .
So this behemoth is hugely competitive even when carrying perishable goods.
The ship was built in five sections. The sections floated together and then welded.
The command bridge is higher than a 10-story building and has 11 cargo crane
rigs that can operate simultaneously unloading the entire ship in less than two
hours.
Additional info:
Country of Origin - Denmark
Length - 1,302 ft
Width - 207 ft
Net cargo - 123,200 tons
Engine - 14 cylinders in-line diesel engine (110,000 BHP)
Cruise Speed - 31 knots
Cargo capacity - 15,000 TEU (1 TEU = 20 cubic feet)
Crew - 13 people
First Trip - Sept. 08, 2006
Construction cost - US $145,000,000+
Silicone painting applied to the ship bottom reduces water
resistance and saves 317,000 gallons of diesel per year.