Behemoth sea monsters might not actually exist – but if they did, even creatures like the mighty Kraken would duck for cover when they saw this giant ship blazing a trail towards them.
Launched in November of last year, the monstrous CSGL Globe, which hails from Hong Kong, has the envious title of being the world’s largest container ship. And sure, although there is a contender for that crown, in the form of the MSC Oscar, it’s the Globe which is making waves at the moment. Quite literally, as it happens, as it seeks to replenish stock around the world after the mad Christmas rush.
Back in December, it left Shanghai on its maiden voyage. A month later, on January 7th, it docked in Felixstowe, like a belated Santa Claus, bringing with it all sorts of consumer goodies – in 109 containers, or around 57,000 tonnes of it, including furnishings, books, clothing and toys.
The ship has some pretty impressive statistics to its name, as you’d expect for being the world’s largest. It measures a colossal 1312ft (or 400m), which makes it the size of more than four football pitches laid end to end! And in case you were considering picking one up with one hand tied behind your back, be aware that it weighs 187,541 tonnes. With a cruising speed of just over 10 knots, when the Globe’s going flat-out, you can expect 22 knots.
Ah, but what about the most important factor – the number of containers you can pack on the ship? This is where the MSC Oscar beats the Globe. While it’s certainly smaller than the Globe, Oscar can carry 19,224 units, compared to the Globe’s 19,100. Which we still think is very cool for a ship with just 31 crew members.
So why the big push for big ships? This is mainly due to the cost. How much do you reckon it costs to send a freight container from the UK to Hong Kong? Just £3,500. So the bigger the ship, the more containers on board, the cheaper it is!
Here at Flintham Cabins we understand just how important freight shipping is, even in a world where we can travel around the world at super-sonic speeds. That’s why we specialise in storage containers and site units in London. For more information about our products and services, please contact us on 0208 459 6972 or email info@flinthamcabins.com and our staff will be more than happy to assist in every way possible.
