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Volume 115, Issue 1
Page 24
Philadelphia: Huge Ships + Small Boats = Increased Awareness
By Richard R. Young 1 , VFC and FSO-PA, Flotilla 19-04 (Lancaster)
For USCG Auxiliary District 5 Northern Region, mid-February was a momentous time. As the Port of Philadelphia
continues to grow with two of the four new large container gantry cranes already in place at the Packer Avenue Terminal, the
C/S Shuba B arrived from the west coast of South America to discharge its containerized cargo, much of which was fresh
produce that will be distributed throughout the greater mid-Atlantic region.
The C/S Shuba B, operated by Mediterranean Shipping (MSC), is the largest containership to have ever called at
Philadelphia, but with the current expansion she will not be the last nor can we assume that she will remain the largest. At
12,200 TEUs 2 the Shuba B is approximately four times larger than the largest such vessels of 25 years ago, but is still dwarfed
by newly launched vessels mostly plying the Pacific that are more than 50% larger—that’s 18,000+ TEUs!
While containerships are not new to the Delaware River, as they have called for years at Packer Avenue, Chester,
Wilmington, and South Jersey, larger ships will become more commonplace now that the Panama Canal has been widened
and deepened to accommodate them—the Shuba B would not have been able to call at Philadelphia previously.
The message here for recreational boaters is that ships of this size pose some serious challenges for the unaware. This ship is
1100 feet long with more than a 50 foot beam. Her as-built draft exceeds 50 feet, the bridge is more than 200 feet above the
water, and has a cruising speed of more than 13 knots—speedy, but also intimidating for a ship of 130,000+ deadweight
tons. All of this means that there is huge amount of water being disturbed by a vessel that cannot easily maneuver and
operated by a crew that is unlikely to be able to see small boat traffic. So with that in mind here are some points that
recreational boaters will find worth remembering:
• Be familiar with those channels used by commercial shipping and remain on the lookout for their presence. Some vessels
will have a USCG imposed security zone as well that you do not want to violate.
• You might be able to maneuver, but ships of this size have little ability to alter course or turn because of the channel width
and depth
• At their average cruising speed, such vessels can be expected to take up to two nautical miles to stop
• The bow and stern of large vessels have accompanying pressure zones that can wreak havoc with the ability to control
small boats that venture too close. Amidships they set up suction where you can be drawn closer.
• Be aware that large vessels make for large wakes, which may pose even greater threats when channels become shallower
• Recreational vessels have far more agility, hence don’t create dangerous situations thinking that commercial shipping is
equally agile. It isn’t!
We should welcome the success that Port of Philadelphia has
continued to have because of the economic vitality it means for
the region, but it does mean that the recreational boater needs to
be more cognizant than ever before.
1.
2.
The author is also accepted to practice before the U.S. Federal
Maritime Commission
A TEU means 20’ equivalent unit.