Ship grounding
Encyclopedia
Ship grounding is a type of marine accident that involves the impact of a ship on the seabed
Seabed
The seabed is the bottom of the ocean.- Ocean structure :Most of the oceans have a common structure, created by common physical phenomena, mainly from tectonic movement, and sediment from various sources...

, resulting in damage of the submerged part of her hull and particularly the bottom structure, potentially leading to water ingress and compromise of the ship's structural integrity and stability. Grounding induces extreme loads onto marine structures and is a marine accident of profound importance due to its impact:
  1. The environmental impact, especially in the case where large tanker ships are involved.
  2. The loss of human life.
  3. Financial consequences to local communities close to the accident.
  4. The financial consequences to ship-owners, due to ship loss or penalties.


The grounding, depending on the maneuvers of the master before the impact, may result in the ship being stranded. Depending on the nature of the relief of the seabed at the location, i.e. being muddy or rocky, different measures have to be taken to release the ship and carry it to a safe harbor.

See also

  • Beaching (nautical)
  • Exxon Valdez oil spill
    Exxon Valdez oil spill
    The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989, when the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker bound for Long Beach, California, struck Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled of crude oil. It is considered to be one of the most devastating human-caused...

  • Spectacle Reef Light
    Spectacle Reef Light
    Spectacle Reef Light is a lighthouse eleven miles east of the Straits of Mackinac and is located at the northern end of Lake Huron, Michigan. It was designed and built by Colonel Orlando Metcalfe Poe and Major Godfrey Weitzel, and was the most expensive lighthouse ever built on the Great Lakes...

  • MS Riverdance
    MS Riverdance
    The Riverdance was a RORO ferry formerly in service with Seatruck Ferries on the Irish Sea. Riverdance was hit by a wave on the 31 January 2008 which caused her cargo to shift and she was eventually beached at Blackpool, very close to the border with Cleveleys. Attempts to refloat her failed, and...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK