The Irish Coastline is open to all.

Rhys Essien

So a 250ft abandoned container ship drifts closer and closer to Ireland and washes up on the South Coast only to be discovered by a fella out jogging. This is truly shocking. This happened only a few miles from the main Naval base in Cork harbour yet it wasn’t picked up by radar or sea patrols etc. This ship could have been carrying anyone or anything.

It makes you wonder how many smaller boats are coming ashore here without any fear of being caught. Other articles talk about how Ireland and Europe is awash with drugs. It’s easy to see why.

skallywag

It kind of goes with the territory of being a small island nation.

kippy

Rhys Essien wrote: »

So a 250ft abandoned container ship drifts closer and closer to Ireland and washes up on the South Coast only to be discovered by a fella out jogging. This is truly shocking. This happened only a few miles from the main Naval base in Cork harbour yet it wasn’t picked up by radar or sea patrols etc. This ship could have been carrying anyone or anything.

It makes you wonder how many smaller boats are coming ashore here without any fear of being caught. Other articles talk about how Ireland and Europe is awash with drugs. It’s easy to see why.

How do you know it wasn't picked up by radar or sea patrols?

HeidiHeidi

I'm more amazed that it was allowed to drift from mid-Atlantic all the way to the Cork coastline for 15 months without being hit by something!

PaulieC

kippy wrote: »

How do you know it wasn't picked up by radar or sea patrols?

And what is the connection between an abandoned ship washing ashore in a storm and Europe's drug problem ?

Darc19

They knew about this ship a long long time ago.

Abandoned.

The last known point was about 200 miles off the coast last week.

Seems they knew generally where it was and what it was until the last few hours.

As it had been noted as abandoned and not in working order, it was not going to have a shipment of drugs.

Graces7

Agree fully with you

Many years ago now in a different county, I was picking blackberries down a narrow lane that led to the shore and a pretty quay. I went there often, parked the car by the quay and it was always deserted and quiet

This time however when I parked and got out of the car? There were two cars parked, one half hidden, and some men, and a small boat heading in. The place was totally hidden from any public view.

When I was seen? The man on the shore and the man on the boat got on their phones to each other, very agitated and glancing at me . I was scared! Tried to act normal so started picking berries, praying hard and hoping no one was going to have to tell my family I had met a sticky end. Thought that if I got back in the car and drove off they might react badly?

One of the cars headed off at speed and the boat went off..

I waited a while then did likewise; one car was left hidden in trees,

I did not know what to do; they could have taken my car number. I went to the local village Post Office and told what had happened and from the reaction? Do not involve, was the strong advice.

Could have been drugs, an illegal entry?

when I told family they said I did right just to leave. So easy with such a coastline

Odyssey 2005

Rhys Essien wrote: »

So a 250ft abandoned container ship drifts closer and closer to Ireland and washes up on the South Coast only to be discovered by a fella out jogging. This is truly shocking. This happened only a few miles from the main Naval base in Cork harbour yet it wasn’t picked up by radar or sea patrols etc. This ship could have been carrying anyone or anything.

It makes you wonder how many smaller boats are coming ashore here without any fear of being caught. Other articles talk about how Ireland and Europe is awash with drugs. It’s easy to see why.

Truly shocking

TheValeyard

Darc19 wrote: »

They knew about this ship a long long time ago.

Abandoned.

The last known point was about 200 miles off the coast last week.

Seems they knew exactly where it was and what it was until the last few hours.

True. They've been tracking it for sometime ever since the crew abandoned her over a year ago, even British vessels investigated a while back.


Although, the OP does have a point. I think we should be greatly increasing our naval capacity to ensure the security of our coastline and prevent smuggling of drugs, people, weapons, etc.

Edit: nice catch Corner of Hells

Rhys Essien

kippy wrote: »

How do you know it wasn't picked up by radar or sea patrols?

I would like to think if the Navy knew about it they would put out a warning and maybe a few tugboats could have been sent out to it.

What would happen if this had collided with a ferry or if it floated into Cork harbour and collided with the refinery jetty.

HeidiHeidi

TheValeyard wrote: »

True. They've been tracking it for sometime ever since the crew abandoned her over a year ago, even British vessels investigated a while back.


Although, the OP does have a point. I think we should be greatly increasing our navel capacity to ensure the security of our coastline and prevent smuggling of drugs, people, weapons, etc.

Nice thought, I agree wholeheartedly, but highly unlikely in the short term....

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/naval-staff-shortage-may-see-ship-tied-up-while-ireland-awash-with-drugs-981933.html

Tabnabs

I'm curious, how have they been tracking it?

corner of hells

TheValeyard wrote: »

True. They've been tracking it for sometime ever since the crew abandoned her over a year ago, even British vessels investigated a while back.


Although, the OP does have a point. I think we should be greatly increasing our navel capacity to ensure the security of our coastline and prevent smuggling of drugs, people, weapons, etc.

My belly button is fine , thank you.
Doesn't need an increase in capacity.

Darc19

Rhys Essien wrote: »

What would happen if this had collided with a ferry or if it floated into Cork harbour and collided with the refinery jetty.

What do you mean "what if"

You can't go through life thinking "what if"

The ocean is gigantic. Ships have radar. Very easy to avoid mishaps.

This ship has been wandering around for a couple of years. It hasn't hit any ships in that time.

Graces7

Darc19 wrote: »

They knew about this ship a long long time ago.

Abandoned.

The last known point was about 200 miles off the coast last week.

Seems they knew generally where it was and what it was until the last few hours.

As it had been noted as abandoned and not in working order, it was not going to have a shipment of drugs.

That is not the point. They did not know it had come here; any boat could come and go unseen with any cargo.

salmocab

It came ashore during a storm, There’s probably not a lot could have been done about it.

TheValeyard

TheValeyard wrote: »

True. They've been tracking it for sometime ever since the crew abandoned her over a year ago, even British vessels investigated a while back.


Although, the OP does have a point. I think we should be greatly increasing our navel capacity to ensure the security of our coastline and prevent smuggling of drugs, people, weapons, etc.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/thatsmaths.com/2013/12/12/irelands-fractal-coastline/amp/
Our coastline is very long - how much would it take to adequately patrol it?

super_furry

It's grand. The Ghostbusters knew all about it.

Rhys Essien

Darc19 wrote: »

What do you mean "what if"

You can't go through life thinking "what if"

The ocean is gigantic. Ships have radar. Very easy to avoid mishaps.

This ship has been wandering around for a couple of years. It hasn't hit any ships in that time.

It’s not really a good look when it takes a lad out jogging to FIND a 250ft ship here when the lads cross channel can track a 20ft rib coming towards the sound coast of England with a few illegals on board. My point of the tread is that it’s a bit of a serious own goal by the lads meant to be keeping watch on our coastline.

tabby aspreme

I doubt if this was being tracked at all, if it was, it wouldn't have been allowed drift randomly up through a busy shipping area off the south coast and into the Irish sea, and unless it had power and was emitting a signal it would be difficult to track.

FrancieBrady

There is an unknown quantity of large stuff floating around out there, from boats to containers that have fallen off ships.

E mac

Would love to explore it I know there's probably nothing of value on it but just to see the state of it after drifting this long

smurfjed

Does the jogger have salvage rights ?

salmocab

smurfjed wrote: »

Does the jogger have salvage rights ?

I’d like to think he spent a while wondering if it was there yesterday

whisky_galore

Rhys Essien wrote: »

It’s not really a good look when it takes a lad out jogging to FIND a 250ft ship here when the lads cross channel can track a 20ft rib coming towards the sound coast of England with a few illegals on board. My point of the tread is that it’s a bit of a serious own goal by the lads meant to be keeping watch on our coastline.

We haven't had coastwatchers since the "Emergency".

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Sensationalist headline is sensationalist.

The coast is far from open. It's patrolled by the navy and they a bloody good job of it too despite being undermanned.

Graces7

Graces7 wrote: »

That is not the point. They did not know it had come here; any boat could come and go unseen with any cargo.

It's difficult to dock etc.

whisky_galore

Sloane Purring Fluoride wrote: »

Sensationalist headline is sensationalist.

The coast is far from open. It's patrolled by the navy and they a bloody good job of it too despite being undermanned.

Ah Jaysus, 9 ships to patrol something like 3000km of coastline. They can't be everywhere at once.
Some of them can't even go out they're so undermanned. Jokeshop.

JohnnyFlash

This hunk of junk gets through, but my shipment of half a ton of high-quality Peruvian blow was intercepted.

Typical.

Darc19

Rhys Essien wrote: »

It’s not really a good look when it takes a lad out jogging to FIND a 250ft ship here when the lads cross channel can track a 20ft rib coming towards the sound coast of England with a few illegals on board. My point of the tread is that it’s a bit of a serious own goal by the lads meant to be keeping watch on our coastline.

Over 1,000 migrants a week are estimated to arrive in Britain undetected.

You’ll hear about the odd capture here and there. But the dozens of ribs that land undetected simply don't make the news.

Not exactly something to aspire to by the authorities here.

magic_murph

I wish I had enough free time to spend some of it worrying about little things like this.

BarryD2

salmocab wrote: »

It came ashore during a storm, There’s probably not a lot could have been done about it.

Could it not have been scuttled when out in the deep, to remove it as a hazard?

the dark phantom

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I'm more amazed that it was allowed to drift from mid-Atlantic all the way to the Cork coastline for 15 months without being hit by something!

What better place than Ballyrotten for it to lay. it'll become a very suitable tourist attraction for the area

whisky_galore

the dark phantom wrote: »

What better place than Ballyrotten for it to lay. it'll become a very suitable tourist attraction for the area

We could do with another Fr Ted wreck.

salmocab

BarryD2 wrote: »

Could it not have been scuttled when out in the deep, to remove it as a hazard?

I presume it would have to be fired on by a naval vessel. As it was a storm when they last knew it’s whereabouts it may have been in someone else’s water or it may not have been heading our way.

corner of hells

Could we not just drag it back out to sea and let it go on its way or maybe paint it up a bit and sell it to the Libyans, sure what could go wrong .

Tacitus Kilgore

Darc19 wrote: »

Over 1,000 migrants a week are estimated to arrive in Britain undetected.

You’ll hear about the odd capture here and there. But the dozens of ribs that land undetected simply don't make the news.

Not exactly something to aspire to by the authorities here.

Look, if a load of boys can make it from France to Ireland on a rib, they can stay - and get jobs in the Naval service. :pac:

seamus

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I'm more amazed that it was allowed to drift from mid-Atlantic all the way to the Cork coastline for 15 months without being hit by something!

The ocean is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to the ocean.

The odds of this thing drifting and colliding with another ship are tiny. Boat traffic tends to travel in very defined routes, and very hard to not see an object of this size from several KM away.

It's a bit like dropping a rock from the ISS and worrying that it would hit a plane on the way down. The odds of such a thing would actually be tiny.

pure.conya

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I'm more amazed that it was allowed to drift from mid-Atlantic all the way to the Cork coastline for 15 months without being hit by something!

the atlantic isn't a one way street ya know

Redneck Reject71

I do find it fascinating of the ship's journey,recently I was reading about all the sunken shipwrecks you have here.It's a shame I don't know how to dive.

McCrack

seamus wrote: »

The ocean is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to the ocean.

The odds of this thing drifting and colliding with another ship are tiny. Boat traffic tends to travel in very defined routes, and very hard to not see an object of this size from several KM away.

It's a bit like dropping a rock from the ISS and worrying that it would hit a plane on the way down. The odds of such a thing would actually be tiny.

Have you heard of sea fog?

salmocab

McCrack wrote: »

Have you heard of fog?

Fog doesn’t make the ocean smaller though. The amount of vessels compared to the size of the ocean would make a collision a very unlikely event in the open ocean.

Rhys Essien

Rhys Essien wrote: »

So a 250ft abandoned container ship drifts closer and closer to Ireland and washes up on the South Coast only to be discovered by a fella out jogging. This is truly shocking. This happened only a few miles from the main Naval base in Cork harbour yet it wasn’t picked up by radar or sea patrols etc. This ship could have been carrying anyone or anything.

It makes you wonder how many smaller boats are coming ashore here without any fear of being caught. Other articles talk about how Ireland and Europe is awash with drugs. It’s easy to see why.

How is this the first thing you think of. Your mind is poisoned.

whisky_galore

Redneck Reject71 wrote: »

I do find it fascinating of the ship's journey,recently I was reading about all the sunken shipwrecks you have here.It's a shame I don't know how to dive.

Most are in bits unless in very deep or sheltered areas, storms break them up in a few decades.

McCrack

salmocab wrote: »

Fog doesn’t make the ocean smaller though. The amount of vessels compared to the size of the ocean would make a collision a very unlikely event in the open ocean.

I know but just in response to the Marine and everything else expert telling us that it's hard not to see an object this size for several Km away

HeidiHeidi

McCrack wrote: »

I know but just in response to the Marine and everything else expert telling us that it's hard not to see an object this size for several Km away

Never mind fog, has he ever heard of night time?

It can actually be extremely difficult to see obstructions such as this, especially unlit ones, at sea, depending on conditions.

corner of hells

McCrack wrote: »

I know but just in response to the Marine and everything else expert telling us that it's hard not to see an object this size for several Km away

Just short of 5km is as far as the eye can see or if you believe the earth is flat hundreds of km.
I'm an expert in bull**** or something like that.

salmocab

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Never mind fog, has he ever heard of night time?

It can actually be extremely difficult to see obstructions such as this, especially unlit ones, at sea, depending on conditions.

The point wasn’t about visibility it was about the chances of two objects happening to collide in the ocean. It’s absolutely tiny chance regardless of how well lit the objects are

HeidiHeidi

salmocab wrote: »

The point wasn’t about visibility it was about the chances of two objects happening to collide in the ocean. It’s absolutely tiny chance regardless of how well lit the objects are

You could say the same about rocks and reefs and small islands, yet they see fit to put lights on them despite the minuscule chance of hitting them. If there's stuff there, ships have a way of finding them!

Graces7

salmocab wrote: »

The point wasn’t about visibility it was about the chances of two objects happening to collide in the ocean. It’s absolutely tiny chance regardless of how well lit the objects are

hmmmm, was there not a rather large ship once collided with an enormous iceberg....

thomil

salmocab wrote: »

I presume it would have to be fired on by a naval vessel. As it was a storm when they last knew it’s whereabouts it may have been in someone else’s water or it may not have been heading our way.

Adding to this point, even if it was spotted at the right spot to sink it, unless the ship had some vapours left in its fuel tanks, or other similar volatile materials aboard, you'd have to put quite a few rounds on target to send it to the bottom. As long as their hulls and bulkheads are somewhat intact, ships are surprisingly uncooperative when it comes to sinking.

Then there's the erratic movement of a ship without any power, steering or crew, which will make targeting it with a deck gun quite "interesting", and you'd probably end up annoying a large part of the local fish population by way of near misses before enough damage was caused for the ship to sink. Granted, a Harpoon, or a Mark 48 would do the job quicker, 200+ kilograms of military grade explosive can be quite "persuasive", but that would open up a whole new can of worms, namely targeting, avoiding civilian casualties, etc.