The Ship-Breakers Who Tear Apart Dead Cargo Vessels By Hand

GIZMODO ^ | May 6, 2014 | Jordan Kushins

[dila813]

On the Bangladeshi coast of the Bay of Bengal, past-their-prime oil tankers and cargo vessels are beached on the muddy shore like industrial, open-air graveyards. There, these massive ships are taken apart by men—"ship-breakers"—who toil hand-to-metal for minimal wages on the toxic, exceptionally dangerous sites.

[dila813]

The pictures are awesome, a sight to see if you didn't see the NatGeo program.

[wally_bert]

Saw a segment on that years ago on a BBC world segment.

[Buckeye McFrog]

So of course environmentalists will want to shut this all down, and cut off one of the few avenues uneducated men in this impoverished nation have to try and climb out of poverty.

[ken5050]

Ever see the beetles that are used to clean carcasses?

[wardaddy]

I used to own ships

They have been doing this in Bangladesh for decades

And they have gear....its not just their fingers

[ltc8k6]

Bet they could do a quick job on a Boeing 777...

[NFHale]

Go to Google Maps, put “Ship Breaking Yard, Sonaichhari, Chittagong Division, Bangladesh” in the search bar, and you can zoom in and see all the ships from satellite. They’re behemoths.

Neat view.

[QT3.14]

Here’s how they beach them

[Drawsing]

I once dismantled a small sheet metal shed. It was epic.

[QT3.14]

If you are interested, I just posted a video of when they run these monsters aground.

[husky ed]

Did you run it aground first? <8^)

Ed

[Retain Mike]

I saw the video of the beaching and it almost brought a tear to my eye. As a deck officer on an LST we got to do this repeatedly. Of course we had to get the ship off again.

[ansel12]

I assume there are businesses that sell exotic adventures to the ultra wealthy, I would have sold the beaching of that ship, and others, for a princely sum, with different prices based on the size and drama, and if it occasionally applied, the history or fame, of the particular ship.

[NFHale]

Man, they just RAMMED that behemoth up onto the beach...

Looks like it’s still in decent condition, though... wonder why they’re scrapping it...

[Charles Martel]

Mark Knopfler recorded a song about this a few years ago, So Far From the Clyde.

I suppose this is how a "Scottish Lament" tune would sound if played on the electric guitar.

[PLMerite]

bump

[bicyclerepair]

Goosebumps..... A ship going to its death is a BIG DEAL!