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| USS Fitzgerald: When A Big Ocean Gets Small |
| 2017-06-30 |
| [US Naval Institute] It is a big ocean. Until you have been far into it, it is really hard to appreciate just how big. Bringing a ship back from Japan to Hawaii, I once went ten days without seeing another ship, either by eye or radar. That is a long time to be alone in the world, especially if you are moving in a straight line and at good speed. On the other hand, you would be surprised at how crowded the ocean can get in certain places. The Strait of Malacca, for instance, divides the island of Sumatra from Malaysia. Not only is Singapore at the southern end--one of the great maritime ports of the world--but most of the shipping moving between Asia and Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, travels through this increasingly narrow, 600 mile-long passage. Every year, 100,000 ships transit this strait. By the way, these confined waters are infested with pirates and literally thousands of fishing boats. While a chart may make the strait seem wide, the passable channel for big ships is only a couple of miles wide. Challenging By Day, Frightening at Night. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #3 Bobby, if you're in the military, the people above you have more powers than in the civilian world. I saw an email from some admiral telling people NOT to openly speculate about the collision while the investigation is underway. Looks like people are listening. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2017-06-30 08:58 |
| #2 No leaks in the US Navy? |
| Posted by: Bobby 2017-06-30 07:30 |
| #1 Somebody must have mentioned keelhauling. Just, you know, casually, as a sort of historical note or something. Because I haven't seen a single report claiming to be sourced to the boys and girls on the Fitz. |
| Posted by: Richard Aubrey 2017-06-30 06:34 |