[raleedy]

INTEGRITY has cast off and is headed from Zeebrugge to Southampton on schedule.

[MorpheIS]

Originally Posted by raleedy

INTEGRITY has cast off and is headed from Zeebrugge to Southampton on schedule.

Full steam ahead! Hoping that this will make it here in time for a GREAT Xmas present. Now, I just need to find my wife an awesome gift that occupies her while I'm tooling around with my new toy in the garage on Christmas morning!

[MAZNG]

Originally Posted by MorpheIS

Full steam ahead! Hoping that this will make it here in time for a GREAT Xmas present. Now, I just need to find my wife an awesome gift that occupies her while I'm tooling around with my new toy in the garage on Christmas morning!

LOL - Exactly!

Not sure if mine is on the Integrity, but the order tracker has said "awaiting transport" since the 21st and now it says "En Route". So, maybe I am on board


EDIT: YIPPEE - Just confirmed that I am on board as well


Cargo Status History
Wallenius Wilhelmsen spacer
Cargo Id : WBAWB73548P156398
Wallenius Wilhelmsen spacer
Booking Number : Bill Number : DE693573
Wallenius Wilhelmsen spacer
Vessel: INTEGRITY Port of origin : BREMERHAVEN
Wallenius Wilhelmsen spacer
Voyage : EB748-ITG Port of Destination : CHARLESTON,SC
Priority : Customer Ref. Nbr:
Wallenius Wilhelmsen spacer
This information includes the status, status dates, and location of cargoes during transit with WWL and does not indicate availability of cargoes for delivery.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen spacer

Status Port Time(dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm)

LOADED ON VESSEL CHARLESTON,SC 26/11/2007 09:00
RECEIVED AT TERMINAL CHARLESTON,SC 23/11/2007 09:00
BOOKED CHARLESTON,SC 21/11/2007 09:00

[slant83]

The Integrity is in Southampton as of 8am EST (bottom right)

[raleedy]

INTEGRITY is under way headed for the North Atlantic as of 8:15 PM GMT December 1.

[slant83]

Confirmed!!!Next stop NYC on 12/10/07

[MorpheIS]

Thanks for the update guys. My wife made me a bet that I couldn't go the weekend without checking on the current location of the boat.

Looks like I lost.

[MAZNG]

Originally Posted by slant83

Maybe Cipher5 can bet on the exact arrival date in Vegas

PS..it took 3 days for the WW site to officially list my VIN on the boat! There are only 859 of us on the boat according to the Bill of lading

And only a hand full of obsessive compulsives on here checking the status of said boat and reporting in on a daily basis. Myself included, of course.

3 more weeks before mine wil be in South Florida.:sad0147:

[cipher5]

Finally reaching the opening of the Atlantic, near the coast of France. (I am at Las Vegas airport posting this, this is how anxious I am. LOL. )

[MorpheIS]

Hope the crew of the Integrity stocked up on their croissants and berets... 'cause France is now in the rear view mirror!

[raleedy]

Interesting course: must be avoiding a storm farther north -- I would have expected a course straight across the 50th parallel, but they seem to be following the sailor's general reckoning guide for a crossing of the Atlantic to the west: go south until the butter melts, then turn right.

[cipher5]

As long as they get there on time or earlier I don't care how they get there.

[MorpheIS]

Originally Posted by raleedy

Interesting course: must be avoiding a storm farther north -- I would have expected a course straight across the 50th parallel, but they seem to be following the sailor's general reckoning guide for a crossing of the Atlantic to the west: go south until the butter melts, then turn right.

I believe you're correct. There's a storm just to the north, moving dead east.

[fucema]

Oh noes... please don't let our cars sink!

Seriously though, this wait is *killing* me. I have this general feeling of anxiety for the past 2 weeks knowing that my car is being assembled/delivered. It's a bit irritating.

[MorpheIS]

Originally Posted by fucema

Oh noes... please don't let our cars sink!

Seriously though, this wait is *killing* me. I have this general feeling of anxiety for the past 2 weeks knowing that my car is being assembled/delivered. It's a bit irritating.

Nah, no chance of sinking. At worst, we'll just have cars with really squeaky suspensions from being bounced around on the choppy surf!

[raleedy]

Many years ago I remember a story about a boatload of Mercedes Benzes on which one of the cars broke loose in heavy seas and destroyed all the rest of them. I don't know how the cars are secured after they're driven on board, but I don't think we'll see a sinking or damage here -- that's why the big detour (and I'll take a day's delay, thank you, or more if necessary to keep the vessel and its crew and cargo safe). On the other hand, on my browser, some of these vessel tracking pages also include a headline that reads VESSEL SINKS. Turns out it's an ad for some plumbing fixtures.

[MorpheIS]

Latest sailwx status. One thing comes to mind. A watched pot never boils.

[Bostonian]

Originally Posted by MorpheIS

Nah, no chance of sinking. At worst, we'll just have cars with really squeaky suspensions from being bounced around on the choppy surf!

If you haven't already seen it, this is a great site showing what goes on at the VPC: http://www.offworld.com/e46/images.html

Pretty cool that this fellow got to see his E46 onboard the RoRo.

Of note, cars are shipped on board RoRo carriers with shipping blocks to preserve the suspension while they're tied down to the deck:

[MorpheIS]

Originally Posted by Bostonian

If you haven't already seen it, this is a great site showing what goes on at the VPC: http://www.offworld.com/e46/images.html

Pretty cool that this fellow got to see his E46 onboard the RoRo.

Of note, cars are shipped on board RoRo carriers with shipping blocks to preserve the suspension while they're tied down to the deck:

Thanks for the link. That was an amazing read!

[ManyMoonsAgo]

Awesome link! I wonder just how many cars are damaged in transit. I have to believe a high percentage are, these cars are transported in an environment where time and space are the top two priorities.

As my new baby sits on a cargo ship at this moment, it bums me out to think she will be damaged, but that is tempered by the thought that the VPC will correct whatever issue occurred in transport.

On top of this, it is far easier to swallow cosmetic damage than structural or mechanical damage. I imagine virtually all instances of damage are of the cosmetic nature.

[MAZNG]

^^^ I remembered the accident too.


Sh!t does happen... Fortunately, it's quite rare!


Ship With Luxury Cars Sinks in North Sea


Published (NYT): December 15, 2002

The Tricolor





A Norwegian-registered ship sank in the North Sea today after it collided with a container ship in a thick fog, taking with it a multimillion-dollar cargo of luxury cars.

All 24 crew members were rescued after the collision, in the early morning hours at the entrance of the Dover Strait between Britain and France.

The ship that sank, the Tricolor, was carrying 2,862 cars, including BMW's, Volvos and Saabs, worth $40 million to $50 million, a spokesman for the Norwegian shipping company, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Lines, said in Oslo.

The car carrier had about 2,000 tons of oil on board, according to Lloyd's Casualty Reporting Service.

The Tricolor was also carrying tractors, crane parts and escalators in 77 roll-on-roll-off containers.

Belgian coast guard representatives said that there was a slight leakage, but the Belgian sea rescue service said that it was not aware any oil had spilled.

Lloyd's said the Tricolor had sunk in water about 82 feet deep.

The Survivor (Kariba)




See more and read about the salvage from this disaster. HERE

[MorpheIS]

^^^ Keeping fingers crossed that this doesn't happen.

It's interesting how they salvaged the ship by cutting it in pieces. Check out this link with photos of the salvage operation. http://www.tricolorsalvage.com/pages...?f=06Scrapping

Look at these poor cars!