That's just sad! Hopefully no one got hurt.

 

I can attest to this first hand as I own cargo ships. You would be surprised how many ships have decrepit poorly functioning fire fighting systems and poorly trained crew members. I can’t tell you how many port state inspections I’ve attended where there is virtually no water pressure from the vessels fire lines and when there is, how many holes there are in the piping and flexible lines.

the real issue, at least Imo, are these car carriers. They are inherently unstable and what compounds the problem is poorly secured loads which shift underway causing the vessel to list in a manner that can’t be compensated with ballast and then eventually capsize. In regards to fire fighting, I can’t imagine, it must be like fighting a fire in a closed parking garage with no windows or ventilation.

In regards to ev’s, I know when we’re shipping any vehicles we have to remove all the fuel and disconnect the batteries. I’m not sure what the protocol is for ev’s?

 

I know that Porsche;s show up at dealers with low charge levels..but the charge doesn't matter unless its got enough charge to where a physical failure in the battery construction shorts it out internally..then you have a torch in progress...then even dead cells next to that will eventually catch as its a lithium problem with air and heat, not a cell construction one.

The entire ship could be full of dead batteries..and it would be ok...unless one had enough charge and failed internally..then they're all on fire.

They're going to have to redesign ships after this..hard physical separation on the decks..and high volume foam arresting systems to fight any fire..even without foam, a battery fire will run like thermite through the ship.

 

I was thinking along the same lines but I expect insurance on vessels carrying EV's to surge to the point where shipping them becomes far more expensive than it is now. This will provides a heavy advantage for EV's that are produced locally and to vessels with advanced fire suppression systems.
I found some interesting info here.
https://www.ship-technology.com/feat...ty-on-vessels/

 

Every time I watch a documentary on a ship fire or capsize it always comes back to lack of training, absent or decrepit fire suppression systems, and poorly secured heavy objects like cars or shipping containers

That or the updating was done in a way that added weight and raised the center of gravity a la the MV Sewol disaster.

I just hope that the industry can take this as a learning experience (like all the other ones ) and hopefully push mass updates of fire suppression systems in general, and special care for EVs with foam systems in place.

 

 

A friend had a Charcoal exterior and Burnt Umber interior car with smoke tinted windows on the Felicity Ace...

Is that going to be a problem?

 

He could say that was the only survivor from the ship fire.