Container ship APL Panama ran aground just south of Ensenada, Mexico on Christmas Day 2005, because the captain didn't wait for port pilot and tugs. The captain was irritated that the port pilot was 1 hour late, so he decided to steer the ship into port himself. Tug boats after tug boats were dispatched to free her, but the ship was too heavy: first, 30,000 tons of cargo must be unloaded, using a sky crane helicopter: Finally, 2 months later (remember, this whole thing happened because the port pilot was 1 hour late), with the help of an armada of tug boats, the APL Panama was finally freed. A fantastic count-by-count story at Countryman & MCDaniel's Gallery of Transport Loss: Link (scroll down) | San Diego Union-Tribune Gallery |
Wow, it's hard to even comprehend such a large ship so close to shore. I wonder if you could swim out and sit on that thingy that sticks out the front of the ship. Or if that would be an astoundingly stupid thing to do. Also note that, on the website, it notes that the pilot wasn't an hour late, the ship was an hour early. The captain had called ahead with his change in plans but apparently not soon enough to rejigger the pilot's schedule.
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Patience people, patience!!
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sucked in they had to wait two months before the boat was freed
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