The Cargo That Can Sink Ships Within Minutes : Bauxite Liquefaction | Chief MAKOi Seaman Vlog

When we hear "dangerous cargo" we immediately think of explosive or toxic substances. But for dry cargoes such as bauxite, the real danger is liquefaction or dynamic separation.
Chief MAKOi
Seaman Vlog

[@jolson5008]

My dorm mate in manila was one of the crew of that vessel. He was still a cadet and it was his first vessel. I remember video chatted with him before they depart from port. I was in corpuz cristi in texas that time sailing for new orleans. We were really shocked and sad because he was a quiet young man and full of hope from his family to be able to sail around the world and earn money

[@BrentMalice]

:( ♥

[@gpants3633]

So sorry for the loss of your friend.

[@maj0072]

Feel for your loss.

[@shawngalvin2209]

May your friend rest in peace along with the rest of the crew that passed on that day.

[@nunyabiznes33]

RIP

[@kpdvw]

My Hat is off to the Competent Captain who saw the danger and stopped loading and by so doing saved the lives of the crew and the ship! Thank you for this comprehensive Video Chief MAKOi!

[@DJea-ni2yk]

ABSOLUTELY!!!

[@YourDadsBoyfriend]

Did we watch the same video?

[@heids418]

Did you miss the part where there was only one survivor? And that the ship sank?? What the heck are you talking about?

[@tabcreedence6553]

@@heids418 at 11:00 he talks about his own ship's captain that refused a load of wet bauxite although they pressured him to load anyway. His actions very likely saved the lives of the crew of that vessel.

[@jonandmoni2]

@@EricDMMiller The captain and cook were cut off from the other crew members, who were all supposed to leave in the lifeboat. If you're at the point of jumping into the sea and swimming away before your ship sinks, I don't think you can be blamed for what happens to the others. Maybe the others were waiting for the captain and cook to arrive, but it wasn't their fault that they were prevented from doing that.

[@ge0arc244]

Very very informative. As an OTR Driver that will often carry Hazardous cargo, Heavy loads and Irregular shaped off center industrial equipment I always supervise each loading or do it myself. I have had MANY Heated exchanges with Shippers, Customers and Booking agencies about Unsafe off balanced or Over Weight loads. I tell them this: If I allow this to go the way it is and if an accident happens because of it, I'm RESPONSIBLE 1ST AND FOR MOST so NO! Lost a few Customer's and some places won't work with me. But in all my year's of Trucking I've never had an accident that was my fault and never lost cargo because of UNSAFE Loading. Don't be afraid to say NO Especially when Innocent Lives are involved, That is the Mark of a Real Professional.

[@harryalcantara1756]

You are very right.

[@2degucitas]

Why can't the bauxite be put in smaller containers, then those are loaded separately with leveling in mind?

[@fritzfxx]

@@2degucitas it could, but it would cost more money, thus impossible

[@lstarrb]

Thanks for sharing Ge0 Arc. I love your comment.

[@RagbagMcShag]

sad that others wont care because they are greedy animals...

[@jesusabueno1701]

As an ex offshore oil rig scaffold superintendent, commercial pressure is real. Document everything and in an extreme case, be prepared to pack your bags, get you or crew sent home. Worse of all possibly slandered or blackballed. Stand for safety, because if you are killed, the job continues without you. If successful, the expectation is one will normalize accepting dangerous conditions. 13 years offshore, no men hurt. But was willing to get uncomfortable standing up to demanding customers to ensure safety. Great video Captain.

[@blackbuttecruizr]

Mad respect for your Captain standing up to that pressure.

[@zzzxxzzz3248]

What do you think about the supply chain stoppage on the west coast of the USA ? About 40 cargo ships can't unload causing millions of dollars being charged for every day this stoppage continues ! Designed to wreck the USA economy ?

[@philipm3173]

@@zzzxxzzz3248 You can't wreck something that's already busted. What's causing the stoppage? Striking dockworkers and truckers. Workers from other countries don't even have that luxury as they are treated as replaceable. Perhaps you've heard of the Filipino slave crews that get thrown overboard if they don't work? Corporate greed will always place profits over life and safety, they get a slap on the wrist if held accountable at all. Demand just compensation and do not enable corruption claiming more lives or we will all be under the boot while the few plunder the profits of our labor.

[@nobrainsnoheadache2434]

The captain's word is law for a reason, he is responsible for every sailor on board, and for fulfilling his contract

[@AeroGraphica]

"CAN test " sounded like some acronym for a high-tech lab test no one ever heard about. At the end it is just an actual can that you strike on the ground 😄

[@dedamarsovac]

"Controller Area Network" test, obviously :D

[@Roseworthy39]

But reliable and simple tests are the best engineering practice.

[@AeroGraphica]

@@Roseworthy39 Absolutely !

[@rayoflight62]

The CAN bus in todays' cars is the bane of all vehicle maintenance operators...

[@user-xj8wy4uu1q]

Lol

[@davidpowell5437]

I remember, about 40 years ago, noticing that there had been a number of bulk carrier sinkings reported. Knowing virtually nothing about maritime matters I concluded that these fairly new vessels had simply been overloaded by greedy owners. (I was very young) I can see now that reality was more complicated. Its always good to learn - Thanks!

[@squelchedotter]

I mean, they were still sunk by greedy owners willing to risk their crews...

[@CanadaJarod]

Not overloaded, but improper cargo inspection procedures

[@xcyoteex]

@@squelchedotter not at all, commie. The managers even told them to test the load.

[@AnarexicSumo]

@@xcyoteex How does assuming risky onloadong procedures make you communist? Also why do you claim to know about the string of sinkings 40 years ago when literally no other information was given?

[@xcyoteex]

@@AnarexicSumo because they weren't commenting on 40 years, they were comparing 40 years ago to now and blaming the sinkings on greedy owners. Then THE PERSON I WAS ACTUALLY RESPONDING still calling the owners greedy. That outlook has been inculcated today by communist teachers constantly blaming anything bad on capitalism. Try testing your reading comprehension.

[@mikebell2112]

The ball bearing example is another illustration of the fact that multiple pendulums will always synchronize if they are linked together. Metronomes on a table (especially if the table can move a little) will all synchronize due to the motion transferring through the table. Never thought that could sink a ship.

[@Grivlir]

This was my first thought too when I saw the ball bearings example.

[@2adamast]

Random metronomes won't, they must be nearly in tune in the first place.

[@laa0fa502]

@@2adamast if the table can move they can be started at opposite ends and will eventually sync up

[@AnarexicSumo]

@@2adamast Laa0fa is correct. If any motion can be transferred they will sink up. It's called constructive and destructive interference and they're fundamental properties of wave harmonics.

[@MarkH10]

Metronome synch. Exactly what I thought too. There are some great videos about that phenomenon in Physics. It is not segregated to shipping or cargo only.

[@diabet3]

This video was thorough and very educational. The topic was discussed in such a way that even non-mariners like me understand it. Kudos! I just love your content. I look forward to your next vid, Chief! Godspeed!

[@topmastermind]

Same here

[@nonsequitor]

You'd be surprised how many "experts" could benefit from well explained factual stuff like this 😲 Btw, check out datawave marine systems channel if you like marine technical. It's more full on than the good chief but if you're ever curious about a technical aspect it's a great channel too

[@maj0072]

Absolutely agree. I'm more of an aircraft man myself but love engineer and technical stuff of all types. Its the engineer in me ........

[@bigwu100]

Learned a lot. Thank you

[@ramimlamnun9452]

Excellent narration, Chief! I'd cherish the Master's experience sharing his story and an examplary display of good and professional decision-making by the Master (Captain). Good video for my Master & Chief Mate class.

[@seanworkman431]

Good production. Rice was a dangerous cargo for early timber vessels as it wants to get wet and expand, the result being the planking would give way. Guano (bird shit) was also dangerous as the fumes would rot the hemp rigging and sailors feared it.

[@UnitSe7en]

Guano is not specifically bird feces - It includes that of bats, and it's also not just shit. Guano is the _accumulated_ droppings - Weeks, months old. To say that guano is merely "bird shit" is akin to saying that diamonds are merely carbon.

[@paavobergmann4920]

I think, barley was also a feared cargo, as it flows more quickly than other grains, and this effect is believed to have sunk the "Pamir", as it was loaded with loose barley instead of its intended cargo due to complications in port.

[@seededsoul]

@@UnitSe7en Diamonds are merely carbon

[@WralthChardiceVideo]

Wait why would you carry bird shit as cargo

[@paavobergmann4920]

@@WralthChardiceVideo Nitrate. before the invention of the Haber-Bosch Synthesis, natural nitrate deposits, aka "bird shit", was an extremely valuable ressource, as it was the main source for industrial fertilizers and explosives. Sailships would race each other from europe to Chile and back, I think the record is under 60 days.

[@nixamr3265]

I'm supposed to board that ship during its stay in Canada and I was so excited to be reunited with my good mentor and friend BSN Jony. 2 months before that tragedy happened, my visa was delayed so I wasn't able to book the flight. I was so frustrated and depressed that I have to wait for few more months only to find out it sank on January. I am stilI shocked and sad to this day and I still thank God that my visa was late. Sometimes, denials and missed opportunities are just God's way to point us to a better direction. I will forever remember your laughter boss Jony. I know that you and the rest of the crew are at peace now. ❤️

[@jefffuhr2393]

The DIGNITY and RESPECT you bequeathed this ship's story, and her crew, is very moving. Thank you, Chief Makoi. Good content in the comments too.

[@kenopsia9013]

what kind of tool says “bequeathed” shut up mate

[@jakebrakebill]

I just retired from truck driving after 45 years. I hauled a few different things, Gasoline, Propane, General Freight, Sand and Gravel and wet cement I didn't think I'd find this interesting. But after watching the whole thing, I'm glad I did. Just one more thing I've learned. I should have known better, all Makoi videos are educational and interesting.

[@casteretpollux]

I once saw an hgv carrying gravel flip over going around a bend, uphill at normal speed. Fortunately the driver was ok but very very shaken.

[@jakebrakebill]

@@casteretpollux I bet that was a sight to see live

[@magnemoe1]

Obviously same is true for trucks but they have the option to stop if handling get bad. Ships don't have that option.

[@ke6gwf]

As a tank truck driver, I am familiar with the issues involved here, to a limited degree! The difference being that my load was always a liquid, so I had to drive accordingly. When I was driving dump truck, if my load of dirt suddenly turned to liquid while going around a corner, I can see how that would be very bad. When I was driving water truck for construction sites, if my windshield was getting dirty, after filling the truck I would just hit the brakes hard and a wall of water would spout out the manhole on the top of the tank and wash my windows, the pedestrians within 30 feet, and everything inside the cab if my window was open lol Another excellent video, and now I know how to check for safe moisture levels in bauxite ore! Lol

[@ShainAndrews]

Wet sand. It happens. Particularly when nobody is paying attention to the scales.

[@darylcheshire1618]

I understand that liquid tanks have baffles inside then to prevent the whole volume of liquid moving in one go.

[@pennise]

@@darylcheshire1618 Only some have baffles - petroleum, certain industrial gases like CO2; however, food grade commodities and quite a few chemicals move in smooth bore tanks.

[@ke6gwf]

@@ShainAndrews I hauled quite a bit of sand and never ran into that, maybe because it was in California and it doesn't get as wet in storage as some places lol Or maybe different sizes of sand?

[@ke6gwf]

@@darylcheshire1618 non-potable water trucks like fire trucks, construction water trucks, etc, will have a couple of baffles, but while that helps, you still get a lot of slosh, it's just in 3 sections instead of one big one, and the baffles don't do anything to reduce side to side slosh on curves. You can still have the truck pushed into the intersection if you stop fast, because you still have 3000 gallons sloshing, just with less distance to get a run at the back of your head lol It's really fun when you get into food grade, or chemical tankers, because they have to get washed out between loads and baffles would make it impossible to fully clean them, so you can have 40 feet of smooth bore tank to gather momentum. They are generally smaller diameter than a water truck, so may have less side to side slosh. So yes, having baffles helps, but it doesn't eliminate surge.

[@fredschmitz5270]

this is an extremely important video. I had worked with a chemical company where safety was not even a second priority and men died. They did not attempt to see that ordinary safety procedures were followed. Chief, thank you for this video.

[@johndinsdale4454]

My late father worked for Alcan here in the Northeast of England and as a kid we used to watch the bauxite being unloaded from the ships. Had no idea it was so dangerous. Fantastic video, thank you.

[@jerryhan9668]

I couldn't agree more that Chief Makoi's Vlog of this bauxite is very interesting and informative to people like me. Two Thumbs Up.

[@LimestoneCoastCustoms]

Good on that Captain for standing his ground & honouring his responsibilities. Working under someone like that must make you feel a little more secure that's for sure!

[@yolobathsalts]

Seeing your facial expressions throughout this video makes me think this was really hard for you. You genuinely care about your fellow mariners. Respect.

[@swapertxking]

Liquefaction was demonstrated in my highschool civil engineering class for concrete construction, and basically made 81 samples with the same ingredients but at different amounts. even when 'cured' the higher water content concretes we made were exceptionally fragile, and one sample actually melted during a hydraulic test. its scary to think about how that could ever happen when hauling tonnes of a substance, and for building construction.

[@bdcmatt9041]

Reminds me of that video of chinese laborers laying a cement foundation IN THE RAIN!

[@swapertxking]

OH MY GOD!

[@stevenmobley5882]

@@bdcmatt9041 somewhat depends on the mix and how fast they are pouring. You can literally pour concrete into a form in the water and unless mixing occurs, the concrete will be fine. Or do the opposite like the Romans did and pound a partially hydrated cement mix into shape and let nature hydrate it slowly over 100's of years.

[@azmanabdula]

@@bdcmatt9041 Concreters worst nightmare Good day turns rainy

[@michaelscott-joynt3215]

I didn't know any high school taught civil engineering. That's oddly specific.

[@Afrodizyak47]

Thank you Chief .. As soon as you mentioned "Malaysia" as Port of Origin" in that tragic event and moist cargo, I heard alarm bells immediately. That the Surveyor never released the document, or it was withheld for 23 days, to me, or that the Captain failed to carry out or detail, static tests or seek another opinion, ultimately led to the loss of a ships crew. People whom had families and loved ones, were condemned by prima facie, commercial greed and I hope that the insurers did everything possible to minimise delay of full and justifiable compensation to their loved ones.

[@vylbird8014]

But was the failure entirely the captain, or was there another factor that contributed - perhaps orders from the ship owners to make schedule.

[@christianbuczko1481]

@@vylbird8014 id say 40% captain as he didnt test and reject the cargo, and 60% the exporter as they must have known it was wet, but as you cannot move it wet, they delayed the accurate report and took a big gamble.

[@terryofford4977]

Exactly correct, I don't even have to think who was behind the very dangerous act of loading such 'WET cargo, the dollar always looms large with certain races. especially in the Far East.

[@vylbird8014]

@@terryofford4977 When it comes to endangering the lives of other people for profit, I don't think any race can claim the title. That's a universal human trait.

[@JackKirbyFan]

I was trained as an EE but had to take a fluid dynamics course thinking - why? I deal with circuit boards. What was the point? Who needs this? Well, here we are. It is amazing to me that all the study I did in fluid dynamics really applies in the working world and can be critical to understand in situations you would never imagine considering. Something as benign as this can be a horrible hazard and I would never even consider this as a problem. Thank you for covering this. I learned a lot.

[@pootthatbak2578]

What? Are you kidding? What about wave solder machines? How solders flow, different eutectic soldering, military specs, g forces on military grade electronics. Not to mention epoxies, potting compounds, gels, resins and other chemicals used as support structures of circuitry. Of course you took fluid dynamics.

[@JackKirbyFan]

@@pootthatbak2578 Good point. I just never encountered that on the jobs I did.

[@Aaron628318]

@@pootthatbak2578 and air flow around heat sinks and fan driven cooling.

[@johnmartin2079]

Chief that was a very detailed explanation of the phenomenon that can occur at sea. I would bet your time teaching at the academy would have been a dream for the right cadet. Stay safe brother.

[@aaronacj]

This is why KZbin was created. Never cared about cargo ships… this popped up and I watched the entire thing.

[@Brgnalf81]

My dad used to be a chief engineer on bulk carrier ships. He said that bauxite and artifitial fertilizers were scary as hell. Now I know why. Fertilizers and sparks, bauxite and water... damn.

[@kevinstonerock3158]

When you mentioned iron ore does that include taconite pellets? If so I wonder if that’s a contributing factor for the Edmund Fitzgerald going down. As far as I know there’s never been any mention of whether her cargo was wet when loaded. They discussed the cargo hatch securement but nothing about the cargo itself. From accounts I’ve read and heard the ship was heading into the wind and waves at first which would simulate the can test. When it neared whitefish point the winds had shifted to the stern and along with a course change, the waves were surfing the ship in an attitude of bow down in the troughs. It seems it could have caused the load to shift to the bow and caused it to nosedive into the bottom since the ship was at least twice as long as the depth to the bottom. There’s even a possibility that if she grounded at the shoals the influx of water could have further liquified the cargo from that point. It would be nice to mark this ongoing mystery as finally solved.

[@moustafanak9910]

Artifitial fertilizers are dangerous for another raison : it can explode.

[@mabamabam]

@@kevinstonerock3158 no. You can't liquify very coarse material. If you're interested the magic phrase is Transport Moisture Limit TML. That is the amount of water required for a bulk solid to be susceptible to liquifaction

[@mcqueenx75]

@@kevinstonerock3158 did someone say 🌮???

[@markwilliams2620]

@@kevinstonerock3158 Fitz was taking on water and down by the bow. The design of her pumps couldn't remove the water. She caught rogue waves from astern and that was it. That's the best explanation I have heard.

[@blindfreddy]

As usual, I've learned something watching your video. I was in New Zealand during a major earthquake. Liquefaction is pretty common with the soil during a quake. I saw first hand how something that appeared solid and firm can turn fluid and how dangerous it can be. On a ship, that is obviously deadly.

[@TheOnlyPapaDragon]

Much respect chief, I am a former longshoreman and loading operator of dry bulk cargo. I've always looked for a channel with more information on maritime travel.

[@rosstemple7617]

I’m surprised they don’t have metal plates that could be vibrated into the cargo to separate the mass. Thus minimizing shifting when it comes to these materials. Never knew this happened. Wow great video

[@Croz89]

It's a good idea for smaller loads, but I can imagine on that scale it would be very costly. You'd still need to skim off the slurry afterwards too. Probably cheaper to unload the ore and dry it out, even if it means extra costs for waiting around or steaming faster to make up time.

[@alexschultz-altmann9509]

Dynamic separation is a ‘type of liquefaction’. A better term is instability due to moisture. There has been a great deal of study on materials that appeared to liquify but TML could not be determined. This is not limited to bauxite but covers iron ore, manganese ore, coal and some concentrates. The issue was getting mariners to understand that materials that appeared ‘competent’ (in fact ships would come in with water on top of the cargo but the cargo at the bottom was compacted) as the general view was the material would not liquify. Iron ore actually started the investigation process noting this was considered a ‘group C’ cargo having no risk. A number of vessels had been lost carrying iron ore starting a significant research task. This work determined that there was a risk with iron ore based on particle size, particle distribution and mineral type. While testing determined that there was a risk the failure process had not been determined. By the time the work on Bauxite had been completed an understanding of the moisture migration occurs due to vibration and vessel motion. This involved testing of models in a large centrifuge (gravity is not scalable and the centrifuge was the only was to test in small scale) to confirm the predicted behaviour of the material. Even with liquefaction, as is commonly understood in mineral concentrates, dynamic separation forms part of the process of the initial migration of moisture. The big issue was there was no test in the IMSBC Code prior to the iron ore work. The test used for mineral concentrations was not suitable, however, the work done by the industry research team and participating Administration’s developed tests that could determine the TML for these cargoes. The research also noted that there were warning sign when moisture migration was occurring. Holds tended to have water migrate at different rates. This and the shape of the hull and motion of the sea meant that the water movement was not synchronised…. Initially. Modelling showed the vessel would have an atypical role (wobble if you like) was the water wave motion in the hold was out of sync with the rolling of the ship. So the ships roll would hesitate. If such a motion is detected then the holds should be examined …. And appropriate action taken. Just for the record … I was involved in this work and the development of the video referred to below. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJXco4SJrtWDeLM

[@olivergottkehaskamp3369]

Thanks for the deeper insight!

[@1963felonee]

It makes sense that iron ore lead to the research, a well known example of an iron ore frieghter sinking is the Edmund Fitzgerald which I now wonder if that's what caused it

[@wormhole331]

Although shipping wet cargo that’s supposed to be dry isn’t ideal. Why not design the ships with baffles in the cargo area so the cargo can’t shift And at least save the ship from stinking.

[@1963felonee]

@@wormhole331 all the cargo is synchronising it's motion, so baffles wouldn't prevent the issue, I believe it also is baffled

[@slayemin]

Would it make sense to have water pumps on standby to potentially pump out some of the excess water which migrates to the surface?

[@Aidan1150]

A fascinating insight into the little known world of the bulk carrier. Thank you Chief.

[@kevinmaxwell6610]

I live next to New Orleans LA. and have traveled water ways my whole life on various vessels and I know how important a good captain is and I most likely will never stop learning important tricks on the water .every one I know here has almost lost their life on the water. Yet we still have cocky leaders who underestimate the life threatening severity of water ways 🙄 I'm not a seaman just a carpenter who has been invited many times to travel with whomever needs me so I have undivided attention on the water 😬 thank you chief makoi

[@skookapalooza2016]

That's a great lesson learned. Unfortunately, too many such lessons are written in blood. I feel so bad for those sailors on the Bulk Jupiter. They never saw it coming until it was too late. Good on your captain for refusing to load the wet bauxite. Who knows what could have happened if he allowed it.

[@dallasbaiton371]

Risks that most don’t know about caused by individuals who cut corners and put ship’s crews at risk and in most cases they don’t care because they want to keep loading making it someone else problem. There is a reason why there are regulations on such cargoes. Thanks for giving us insight on the property’s of such cargoes. Me for one did not know how fluent some cargoes can be .

[@mytech6779]

Yes, it is the same with cargo aircraft.

[@jimlarsen6782]

Fluent? How many languages? Suggest an edit there.

[@mytech6779]

@@jimlarsen6782 fluent is correctly used

[@jimlarsen6782]

Just scratch my FLUENT HUMOR. I cant edit.

[@costiqueR]

Safety first! Will never be repeated enough! Thanks Chief!

[@WilliamPhillips-og4be]

An old boss caught me short cutting around high speed machinery once. After a physical rough up, and a stern talking to, I was sent back to orientation with some new employees. Upon my return to my station, my boss comes up to me and says something that has stuck with me 3 jobs, and 16 years later… “Safety manuals were written in blood by everyone before you that were killed by this equipment! Dont allow your blood to add another page, the manuals are long enough as is!”

[@hotdrippyglass]

Thank You Chief. This type of education will save lives.

[@Itapirkanmaa2]

“There are three types of people. The living. The dead. And those who are at sea.” - Cicero, Roman philosopher, 45 BCE

[@teifurnordal9970]

Cicero on quantum mechanics beating Schrodinger to the punch by 1980 years

[@binalith4898]

@@teifurnordal9970 good catch

[@Daniel-ou4fb]

Schrödinger's Seamen. . .

[@willemfrowein9432]

How true. Since almost two years now on land (due covid restrictions) after more than 40 years at seas. Two different worlds.

[@andyrbush]

Many time I stopped a job for safety in the face of management opposition. I always enjoyed seeing their horrified reactions once they had calmed down and realized how close they had come to a potential disaster. Hats off to your captain who stopped the loading and the owners for backing him up.

[@kevinmencer3782]

My dad used to be a safety officer for a commercial roofing company. He got fired after ordering the site foreman, who just so happened to be the son-in-law of Dad's boss's boss's boss, to fix very large and very obvious safety issues.

[@andyrbush]

@@kevinmencer3782 Wonder if the company eventually got pay back, it often happens

[@billysmith1873]

I have no idea why this video appeared in my feed or why I watched it. I'm glad I did, learned something new.

[@geigertec5921]

I was assigned to the bulk carrier Fung-Ho out of Singapore in 2002. We were carrying a shipment of Bauxite to China when a few days into the voyage the cargo shifted on account of rough seas. We pulled into port with a 30 degree list to starboard. No investigation was carried out by management and we carried on as usual.

[@zteaxon7787]

Damn that's rough. At some point you have to rethink who you are working for. And some criminal repercussions maybe.

[@MK0272]

It sounds like your captain faced a tough situation earlier in his career. I'm glad he held his ground. Stay safe, Chief.

[@MervynPartin]

This video should be compulsory viewing in Marine Colleges. I knew the dangers of free surface effect of liquids, but had not heard of this problem with liquefaction or dynamic separation in bulk cargos. Well done the Master who stood his ground on the safety issue and well done to you Chief for your excellent presentation.

[@rickgesell9468]

Thanks, enjoyed this. I'm an airline pilot with previous navy seafaring experience... the human factors in both aviation and maritime safety have a great deal in common.

[@KarldorisLambley]

i am not, as a rule, interested in modern maritime matters. but i am so pleased to have found this channel. these vids are endlessly absorbing, thank you.

[@VagabondTexan]

Fascinating video, and I have to commend you on the emphasis of safety. I am a Captain at a cargo airline, and it is an article of faith among all of us crew, that when bad mistakes (or fraud, or whatever) are made by anyone, we are the only ones that are risking our lives. ALWAYS stand your ground and never let anyone threaten you lives just so they can make an extra few dollars.

[@dukx3986]

Freight trains, cargo ships, and cargo airlines fascinate me. Do you have any channels you could recommend similar to this on airlines?

[@VagabondTexan]

@@dukx3986 I wish I did. Because I live it day in and day out it's one of the few things, I don't watch on KZbin. LOL. If you just search, "Cargo Flying" in the YT search box, you'll get a cross section, and may find someone you want to concentrate on. I saw a few interesting looking videos on that search.

[@jayschafer1760]

@@dukx3986 VASAviation is great if you like air traffic control for planes. He captions ATC conversations of real events (bird strikes, crashes, etc) and uses radar animations and flight sims to show what happened.

[@johndoe1909]

@@dukx3986 74 gear is a cargo captain which makes good stuff. mentour makes excellent material on airliners. captain joe as well.

[@arifrules1]

Chief you are doing a great job ! Being a Chief Mate myself, I appreciate your effort to cover almost every aspects of shipboard operations . Your videos are informative and equally intresting. Keep up the good work. Would love to sail with you someday. Cheers!

[@NeilTruick]

Wow...the KZbin algorithm put this in my recommendations for reasons I have yet to understand, but I'm glad it did. I literally had no idea of the behavior of dry cargoes with excessive moisture content. The CAN test, though remarkably simple to perform, was a huge eyeopener for me. Excellent presentation, excellent explanations, and thank you for sharing this knowledge.

[@Bosko813]

This is an outstanding KZbin video. Thank you for taking the time to create it. Educational and eye opening. The world needs more of this. Perhaps we’d all appreciate how good we have it.

[@dukx3986]

I just warned several family and friends of the dangers of internal liquification and dynamic separation of boxite on bulk carriers. Since none of us are seafarers they weren't sure what to do with that info. You have my undivided attention from start to finish of every video, including all the comments. This one was very interesting - i can't imagine how stressed you must be during a passage hauling this ore. Thank you for giving me a glimpse into your fascinating life as a seafarer.

[@TwazkemUSAbi]

U so funny 😆

[@MesaperProductions]

I appreciate anyone who can understand the perspective of the audience not knowing whats going on. Really loved tagging the "For demonstration purposes only" on parts of your video.

[@Atsah]

Came for the title, stayed for your voice. man I would pay money to listen to you narrate audio books - relaxed and super easy to understand

[@adimeter]

Bravo for the Captain who stood his ground and potentially saved lives. My sympathies go out to the families who lost their families and and loved ones due to faulty cargo.

[@cmonkey63]

Chief, you mentioned other cargo like iron ore. This comes in two forms, lump and fines. The latter is close in size to large gravel, and is usually the result of a washing process. In Australia it's left to dry out until the moisture content is closer to 2% before loading. Ships have been lost because of this very issue, too much water that then sloshes around in the hold. No joke.

[@allegannews9256]

Wonder if Edmund Fitzgerald in Great Lakes sank due in part to this. Cargo was ore pellets and had waves crashing over its decks.

[@cmonkey63]

@@allegannews9256 Glad you mentioned the Edmund Fitzgerald. In her case, the water was relatively shallow and the waves so large that her bow crashed into the bottom of the lake and the hull broke in two. Understandably, it didn't take long at all to go under, taking all hands. Still sad, even as I type this.

[@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking]

​@@cmonkey63 Nobody knows how she sank. That's pure speculation. Why so many people are still talking about it. They banned diving the wreck before finding any proof of any one theory. She came to rest at 520'. So no - your strange theory that her bow crashed down in shallows is ...unrealistic.

[@cmonkey63]

@@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking Not speculation. Fact. You really should do some research.

[@Teverell]

@@allegannews9256 I was wondering that same thing! Also the strong possibility that she scraped Six Fathom Shoal - but I guess we'll never know!

[@LuigiRosa]

12:56 there are mistakes that you make only one time: the last. Well said Chief!

[@NitroModelsAndComics]

Outstanding safety video. Never give in to pressures . Lives and cargo are at stake.

[@jamesdoherty9132]

Great content Chief. Oh, the complexities and pressures of industry that everyone feels from top to bottom. It is one thing to make a mistake or feel the pain of someone else's bad decision, it is quite another to have to endure the poor leadership of a chain of command that does not care about its people and just considers them as "fodder". Wishing you and your team the very best. Jim Doherty , Southeastern Pennsylvania.

[@dmwm771]

your content is so valuable for all the seafarers out there. Amazing.

[@Farmer-bh3cg]

Shifting cargo caused by the free surface effect of the liquid slurry. Such a common reason for a ships loss but still so sad and so unnecessary. Thank you for the clear explanations and film clips. Just for my own education, I'm going to try the can test on wet sand from the back yard.

[@viennapalace]

I'm not a seaman but I find this to be one of the most fascinating channels on KZbin. Thank you for all the work you put into your videos & thank you to all the mariners of the world, the unsung heroes of civilization as we know it.

[@CarmineTavernaPhotography]

Your knowledge in these matters is truly an asset to the seafaring community.

[@robbabcock_]

Awesome video, Chief! It's amazing how much there is to life on a cargo ship that I don't know, or even know that I don't know! I don't think I have the stones to do what you do but I'm glad there are folks that do it.

[@mitochondria777]

For most of your videos, I am spell bounded and speach less. Firstly because I have no idea about shipping secondly the videos are crisp, sharp to the point and always let me know new facts. I am so thankful to you for enhancing my knowledge about sea, ships, merchant navy, people working on ships and the business.

[@kustom4935]

Non-mariner here... thank you for this very interesting topic involving an industry that I find absolutely fascinating. Safe travels to you and your crew.

[@rule-of-three1483]

I spent a life in the fleet, and despite understanding merchant vessels are different beasts. I still can't understand how 20 minutes from general alarm and man overboard procedures were initiated that all hands were lost but one. From Man Overboard to muster takes a handful of minutes, and getting outside the skin of the ship and jumping to a pressure-released liferaft isn't a challenge if you have 20 minutes. If the Chief could explain how that happens in the merchant fleet, I'd be interested to know.

[@couriersix8294]

if they where near the cargo in the lower decks when it started tilting the may have gotten trapped by slurry or crushed by other unsecure stuff possible some hit there head n passed out

[@rule-of-three1483]

@@couriersix8294 Chief said they all mustered at vestibule where they were to abandon ship, instead of mustering on the bridge. All hands but two did this. It's just sloppy.

[@dongiovanni4331]

It sounds like the starboard life raft was never found.

[@couriersix8294]

@@rule-of-three1483 another thought like the guy below me the cook did see a life raft so maybe they did make it out but there raft may have been smashed up or got to close to the sinking ship and was pulled down with it

[@rule-of-three1483]

Sure...which is why the skipper said muster on the bridge, not the starboard vestibule life raft. Maybe he knew something about the sea state.... Not being fresh with you, it's just baffling. 20 minutes is a lot of time to cuss on the 1MC and send runners to drag people where they need to be. I'm sorry to say I think a lot of those men died because they were shit mariners, may they rest.

[@danhayward9186]

As a Master Mariner ( retired ) I would just like to coment on this excelent vidio Very well presented in clear and preceice terms

[@minxythemerciless]

I've been to a 'toothpaste mine' in New Zealand where the base abrasive for toothpaste is extracted. It has exactly the same properties. If left undisturbed it's solid, but any serious vibration like jumping up and down, it turns to mud and you sink quite deep.

[@Eruthian]

I`m not in the ship buisness, just a curious guy with interrest in all kind of things. Anyways, a few years ago I saw this docu about ship disasters. There was this one case of a freighter that was carrying something like bauxit. Something that soaks up water. It got in a storm and it turned out one of the loading mechanism of the ship had a defect. Hard to explain as a non native English speaker, but the loading mechanism was complicated and attached to the cargo doors. Don`t know the english name. That mechanism, that looks like a tredmill. Water was getting in from the aft into the cargosection. They showed the cam footage of a coastguard helicotper that was at the scene. That chopper had just arrived when the cargosection had been breached. The ship, which was huge, capsided and vanished in less than a minute. Guys who work at sea have my utmost respect. I think from all jobs you can have theese days, this is one of the most riskiest.

[@Eruthian]

@Lancashirelad thx^^

[@whatisheartscont2be645]

BIG respect to that Captain who refused the bauxite. Indeed, safety should be never compromised.

[@bobdobalina2931]

Hats off to your Captain, he had the bollocks to not cave in and quite probably saved all your lives by jis actions. And hats off to you for a very insightful and fascinating video on a subject I previously knew nothing about. Happy sailing.

[@firdausariff]

Wow Chief, you uploaded this just as I arrived in Kuantan - the very port city Bulk Jupiter departed from. Bauxite mining was already a sensitive issue here in Kuantan but we had no idea this incident happened.

[@anthonythomas1735]

My father worked as a ship's Electrician for roughly 6 years, he shared many stories of the places he went to all over the globe, he experienced going through storms and he said that he was scared on quite a few occasions, it's a dangerous job and the people that do it have my utmost respect.

[@terryofford4977]

Brilliant discourse, making it easy to understand by a mere Landlubber, Thank you for an interesting and vital discourse.

[@andrewblack7852]

My father hauled bauxite in the merchant marines starting at age 15. His uncle lied for the job. He worked summers and returned for high school! He was born in 1928. That started a wander list that he never shook. Traveling the world we open our mind and heart to the ways of people and places different from our own.

[@thesailorlk]

Thankyou for amazing videos chief ❤️✌️

[@petermargie]

Excellent episode. It’s one of those “who knew” such a thing can happen? Thanks for the lesson! No one should ever “leave” school. The more you learn, the more you realize just how much you don’t actually know.

[@center4nerds]

For the shifting load it is like syncing metronome myth on mythbusters. Stuff like that is freighting because each one on its own is just a little bit of weight here and there, but everything synced up together can create truly disastrous results.

[@frannelk]

You have literally blown my mind, I will share this with my friends that works as sailors... I have to add that the explanation was a real master class, you got me hooked even though I have nothing to do with that occupation.

[@edward88881]

Fascinating video! I have never seen a video that combines high seas drama, maritime law, economics, and science all in the space of 15 minutes. Every sentence was packed with information. Thanks so much!

[@whiskeyrebellion4390]

Helluva way to go. When I fished on the Bering, it wasn't uncommon to hear on the radio about boats going down. I thank my lucky stars that I was on a highliner. I gave full trust to my captains. In return, I worked my tail off.

[@user-pn9sf4cz3u]

Very well put together and, as a result, extremely effective and educational.

[@guywholikesplanes]

Aviation had a similar problem a couple decades ago with managing commercial pressures with safety( usually related to weather, weight or some technical fault of the aircraft), and it took a lot of pressure from the safety associations to make possible for a captian to cancel a flight or expend fuel doing go-arounds, holds or diversions without the company breathing down his neck.

[@onrr1726]

We often did similar tests before loading scrap aluminum into our furnaces to make sure there was no water or else it could have made for an explosion. We were often reminded of this to check for water after seeing a safety video showing what had happened to an Aluminum production plant in Australia that had been leveled in an explosion a few years prior.

[@Swahnod]

Chief, it is good that you point out that even the most innocent of cargos can be killers under the correct conditions. I am amazed that the master in your story succumbed to pressure. It cost him dearly and he had to be aware of that possibility. I never heard of the can test before, pretty cool test that could quickly point out the potential for bad things in the future.

[@gcprost]

I really enjoyed this video. You provided me with information about a situation that I was unfamiliar with. Many years ago, I was in the Canadian Coast Guard. Every year or so we would have fishing boats sink under similar circumstances. Fishermen faced with a plentiful catch would pull up the stability plates in their cargo holds in order to get more fish in. The fish would move in the cargo hold making the vessel unstable. Often these boats would turn over so quickly that the crew would not be able to escape and they would go down with the vessel.

[@hyperhella2843]

♥️This is one of the best video I've ever seen!!! I could fall asleep listening to his voice & still hear every word!!!😎👍🇨🇦

[@kevinb2469]

And if anyone's asking what the heck Bauxite is, it’s where our Aluminium comes from. Needs industrial processing to be Aluminium, but the processes are well known today.

[@MJTAUTOMOTIVE]

Cheif Mentioned this in the video.

[@glennfryer1539]

Allot of that Bauxite is used in Boeing Aircraft, it’s high quality, Guinea has the second highest reserves in the world.. Australia having the largest..

[@johnyarbrough502]

Thanks, Chief. Most of us are unaware that "dry" cargo is seldom completely dry or of the potential consequences of error. Related to moisture problems - How do grain carriers deal with the risk of fire if damp causes fermentation and heat build up?

[@samheasmanwhite]

You could pump in seawater to extinguish a fire I guess. But fermentation alone can't lead to fire, it needs to be a cargo that chemically oxidises at a relatively low temperature otherwise it just gets to a temperature that kills the fermentation then stops. I don't think wheat grains do this? I know it's a problem with some oily nuts and seeds though.

[@johnyarbrough502]

@@samheasmanwhite I'm not sure but that sea water sloshing around in the hold might add another problem. I was asking from stories about damp grain fermenting and causing smoldering fire in grain elevators when oxygen got to the source. Also from personal experience where hay had been baled containing too much moisture and barn fire started as bales were moved and oxygen got to the interior of the loft.

[@EyebrowsMahoney]

@@samheasmanwhite It's not really fermentation - but wet hay makes heat until it's dried out. It doesn't really become a problem until stored in a pile or baled. This heat alone doesn't really tend to get out of control. The wet environment (greater than 18% moisture content) fosters the growth of bacteria and fungi that produce even more heat. Once it reaches about 100°F(38°C) it starts undergoing a chemical reaction (also called caramelization) that produces even more heat (at this point, the bale can still be OK - but its nutritional value is reduced). This caramelization also fosters further bacterial and fungal growth that then spirals out of control producing gases that are above their ignition point. Upon contact with oxygen, they ignite. This can happen with grain too but - greeness generally isn't a problem. It's usually fungal growth and grain dust that causes fire/explosions. The fungal growth causes excess heat, produces gasses that are above their ignition point, oxygen reaches it. They ignite. The grain has been disturbed and has produced enough dust - the dust concentration is just right and the air ignites. There's charts and research about this topic freely available online.

[@tacomas9602]

@@EyebrowsMahoney it's not unheard of around hear of a barn burning down because farmer Joe was unable or wouldn't use a tedder for his hay or something, wet hay- stacked in a old school hay loft, builds heat and smoldered, to a flame. Gone.

[@EyebrowsMahoney]

@@tacomas9602 Of course - I thought I had covered that? Part of the issue is that Hay still respirates once it's chopped. (I think most plants still do to an extent) this produces heat until it dries out and stops. If the heat gets bad enough, it starts to caramelize the sugars (known as the Maillard reaction), which livestock love (because it's sweeter -but it's not as nutritive for them) and then the warm environment allows microbes to flourish - further creating additional heat (and fire risk). Tedding is an option but modern hay mowers have crimpers which minimize the need for tedding these days by crimping and splitting the stalks to allow them to dry faster. Though a lot of farmers still are working on weather pressure so they might be inclined to bale moist - which if they're careful, they can get away with but have to be on top of their bale maintenance.

[@timsexton]

I'm familiar with earthquakes and soil liquefaction, but I never considered that these same conditions are reproduced in the cargo hold of a ship and the possible resultant disaster. Very informative !!

[@azlanameer4912]

Chief Makoi you are an excellent teacher. Live long

[@davidbenner2289]

One of my many jobs in the fire department was acting as safety on large incidents. Unlike many departments, in my department the safety officer can shut down the whole incident, superceding the incident command and even the department chief. However, you had better be 100% correct in your actions. I always was. Safety first.

[@mayfieldcourt]

Thank you for a sensitive and informative presentation of a human tragedy. Mariners make the world work and receive insufficient recognition. We must always remember those in peril on the sea.

[@smartfkr]

I like how educational your videos are so far. I’m only 2 in so far counting this one lol. Hope you keep uploading, your commentary insight really intrigues fascination. Much thanks 🙏

[@ChiefMAKOi]

Glad you like them!

[@khaley37781]

This was fascinating. Thank you for such a clear, easily understood explanation. Kudos to your Captain who refused to cave to pressure.

[@MaryWehmeier]

Chief-- Another educational story that tells us the dangers of maritime service. Mad Props.

[@davidtucker3729]

thanks for the lessons, "Professor" Chief. Always good to learn how not to be killed when trying to do a job. Never heard of a CAN test before but quite a simple way to determine risk to a vessel from wet cargo. Thanks

[@vulcanstarlight]

You learn something new everyday. Never would’ve thought aluminum related manufacturing materials could do that. I’m fascinated by the science… wow 😯 I’m glad I was curious and found this.

[@johnsonn9517]

I'm not sure what brought me to your channel at 04.00am, however I think this is the most professional and educational video I've ever seen on YT. It's the best science lesson I've had.

[@danchittenden2281]

I really like to watch your videos. I’m an aircraft guy by trade, and I always amazed by the size and extremely large ships…. Thanks for taking the time to take the videos and explain what it takes to make one of them work…. Very interesting information…. By the way I’m a mechanic also…. B52 for 20 years in the USAF…. Take care and be safe…. Great job!!!

[@Vagabondo-fs6qu]

Great video Chief and although my sea going career ended years ago; we can never stop learning or claiming we know it all. Many of my years were spent on crude oil and product carriers; but of course the design of such vessels takes into account such issues by having segregated cargo spaces to inhibit this phenomena. I remember thinking when I first heard of oil bulk ore vessels how design had taken care of this and it appears they may not have ; except by placing restrictions on the ore cargo itself.

[@ChiefMAKOi]

I've been on OBO carriers. The liquid cargo is stored in the wing tanks. The cargo holds in the center are reserved for dry cargo.

[@Vagabondo-fs6qu]

@@ChiefMAKOi Thanks, learned something else. Are the OBO's double hulled then as the carry "liquids"?

[@jayjablunov4697]

I have no maritime experience whatsoever, but still found this a fascinating video. Very well explained. Thank you!

[@freetyler540]

Thank you chief for this video Marine engineering officer here in Canada. I have done bauxite runs in the past, but I was never warned about the dangers of it. The Captain you have mentioned, near the end of the video was an amazing Master. please keep doing accident report like these!