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U.S. NEWS Friday 12 May 2017

‘It takes up the whole river!’ US ports welcome giant ship

By RUSS BYNUM Gerald R. Ford. It can carry Its arrival on the East Coast in 2015 but won’t be fin- quirements needed to start
Associated Press 13,000 cargo containers shows shippers aren’t wait- ished for about five more digging, said Jim Walker,
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — measuring 20 feet (6 me- ing for the seaports scram- years. The Port of Charles- navigation policy director
The largest cargo ship ever ters) long apiece. That’s bling to deepen their har- ton, South Carolina, where for the American Associa-
to visit ports on the U.S. East 30 percent more capacity bors so the larger ships can the big ship will head next tion of Port Authorities.
Coast is so long the Statue
of Liberty and Washington
Monument could fit end-
to-end along its deck and
still leave room for Big Ben.
The COSCO Development
arrived Thursday at the Port
of Savannah after cruis-
ing past dozens of onlook-
ers who cheered and took
photos of the mammoth
vessel from Savannah’s
downtown riverfront. Its first
East Coast voyage marks a
new era for U.S. ports that,
despite years spent antici-
pating the supersized ships,
will struggle to accommo-
date them without major in-
frastructure improvements.
“It takes up the whole riv-
er!” Andrew Evans, who
served as a ship’s officer in
the 1960s, exclaimed to his A crowd of well-wishers along River Street welcome the container ship COSCO Development, Thursday morning, May 11, 2017, in
Savannah, Ga, as the vessel sails up the Savannah River to the Port of Savannah. The ship is the largest vessel ever to call on the
wife as the ship slowly lum- U.S. East Coast.
bered into view, the cargo (Steve Bisson/Savannah Morning News via AP)
containers stacked on its
deck towering above trees than the last record-break- pass fully loaded at low before returning to Hong Meanwhile, the largest
on the shore. ing ship that sailed into Sa- tide. Kong, plans to start its own ships using the Panama Ca-
“The largest ships I was on, vannah last summer. The Port of Virginia, where dredging this fall. nal must carry lighter loads
you could fit 10 of them The big ship, flagged out the ship docked earlier this Overall, 15 U.S. seaports on or wait for higher tides be-
on that ship,” Evans said. of Hong Kong and owned week, is one of only four the East and Gulf coasts are fore calling on most U.S.
“Maybe more.” by China-based COSCO East Coast ports with the seeking $4.6 billion after be- ports on the East Coast.
At 1,200 feet (366 meters) Shipping Lines, is also the desired 50 feet of depth ing authorized by Congress “Maybe it’s a warning shot
bow-to-stern, the COSCO largest to pass through the at low tide. A $973 million to make room for bigger that these U.S. ports need
Development is longer Panama Canal following a deepening of Savannah’s ships. Only three of those to get these improvements
than the aircraft carrier USS major expansion last year. shipping channel started have cleared the permit re- finished,” Walker said.q

Helicopter crew warns paddle-boarders about nearby sharks

DANA POINT, Calif. (AP) — Point. Southern California after crease in shark sightings cally . and toward the end
A sheriff’s helicopter crew “You are paddle-boarding shark sightings this week was similar to an influx seen of the summer, they disap-
warned a group of paddle- next to approximately 15 — including at San Ono- at this time last year. peared.”
boarders to get out of the great white sharks,” Dep- fre State Beach, where a Marine safety officials have Nearly a year ago, a wom-
ocean after spotting more uty Brian Stockbridge an- woman was bitten by a attributed the activity to a an was bitten by a shark
than a dozen great white nounced over the helicop- shark April 29. She is recov- “thriving aquatic ecosys- while swimming off Corona
sharks along the Southern ter loudspeaker to people ering from wounds to part tem” in the area and esti- del Mar, about 15 miles (24
California coast. in the water. of her upper thigh mated that 10 to 20 juve- kilometers) to the north of
Video posted online by “They are advising you exit Sightings are not uncom- nile sharks swam near Long the Wednesday sighting.
the Orange County Sher- the water in a calm man- mon along the coast, but Beach daily. Experts estimated the shark
iff’s Department shows a ner. The sharks are as close attacks are rare. The sharks “were around was at least 10 feet (3.05
school of sharks swimming as the surfline.” Fire Capt. Cameron Abel most of the summer,” Abel meters) in length, judging
near several people in the Advisories were posted for of the Marine Safety Unit told the Los Angeles Times.
water Wednesday at Dana beaches up and down in Long Beach said the in- “We’d spot them periodi- from the bite marks. q