The cargo ship Maersk Shanghai is warning mariners of navigation hazards after about 70 cargo containers fell off of a cargo ship Saturday night, about 17 miles off Oregon Inlet, North Carolina. The vessel was en route to Charleston.
The cargo ship Maersk Shanghai contacted watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Carolina’s command center via VHF-FM marine radio channel 16, notifying them that they lost approximately 70 to 73 cargo containers due to high winds and heavy seas.
The Coast Guard urges all mariners to transit this area with caution.
The containers would have been lost at the edge of the Gulf Stream, which normally lies about 12 to 15 miles from the Outer Banks. The stream tracks north and east. However, surface waves driven by brisk easterly winds may also be affecting the track of the lost containers, helping to drive them toward shore, as shown on this Monday morning buoy report.
Maersk may know precisely where some of these containers may be, however. Here’s Maersk’s description of its program for tracking cold containers:
A groundbreaking innovation in refrigerated technology, Remote Container Management (RCM) allows you to monitor the conditions inside your container from the moment your goods are locked inside, right up to delivery at their final destination. Remote Container Management brings you peace of mind when shipping fresh, frozen or pharma cargo – eliminating the risk of unexpected surprises when the container is opened upon arrival.
