81–90 of 96 posts
So WWII steel is particularly good for making nuclear devices, and it would require nation state resources to steal an entire sunken ship without anyone noticing. Which nation state can we think of who would want to do that?
"there’s plenty of reason for scavengers to risk it: A single brass steering station can go for $5,000 or more on the internet. The thousands of pounds of bronze used to make a warship’s propeller can earn about $500,000 in the scrap market. Factor in the fact that a single ship might have two or more propellers, and you’re talking about a significant amount of cash."
I don't buy this either. It's $2/kg right now. a propeller for a destroyer might weigh what, 5 tons? at most... so that's 5000 * $2 = $10k - I have no idea where the author is getting $500k from.
It's a really interesting story, but I don't get the general slant. Doesn't it make more sense for us to recover high quality steeel that's sitting there unused instead of carving up yet another mountain and burning tons of coal to make it from scratch?
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The article also discusses the fact that sunken vessels are home to a lot of marine life - local fisheries get their catch there, as the wildlife thrives in those locations. Thus salvaging the steel robs local folk of their income.
If you abandon a car it soon becomes home to wildlife but that doesn't make it 'nature enough' to be worthy of a David Attenborough documentary. I think that another way of looking at this story is some 'god' miraculously tidying up the litter that humans have carelessly left at the bottom of the ocean for one reason or another. In this magic universe the mystery tidy-up persons should be thanked for doing such a tho…
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If there are bodies inside, it is considered a war grave. What do the salvagers do with the human remains? I imagine they don't try to contact relatives or respectfully take care of them.
They do about as much as is being done with those bodies otherwise.
I'm pretty sure humans can't scavenge entire 4,000 ton warships from bottom of the sea, leaving only their indentation on the sea floor.
The fact that there was a 4000 ton warship on the sea bed, which then vanished leaving only the indentation, suggests that somebody is capable of it. I've had a look round for species that might be responsible, and so far humans do seem to be the most likely candidate.
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Historical sites are normally somewhat maintained and preserved. They are also quite often seen by tourists who are interested in those sites. Most sunken ships, they just sit there and nobody wants to take responsibility and maintain them so that no oil and fuel gets into the ocean. Furthermore, there is little to see. Sure there is some historical information on them but we should save those otherwise the ocean des…
The article goes to a great length about how those ships are popular tourist destinations.
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Sunken warships are graves (graveyards maybe, not a sailor myself). So stealing them is grave robbing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burial_at_sea I think it's generally well-understood that when your remains rest in the ocean, you become fish food. The vast expanse of water itself is your tomb, not some little square on the floor. Argue over the vehicle wreckage, but don't misplace your sentimentality.
I would assume that we have or could develop the technology to place audio and video recording equipment on any historically significant sites.
Not really. Even just putting a buoy in place has issues. It would turn a subsurface wreck into a new surface obstacle/hazard. Then you get into the tricky matter of detection and response. Sending out a tiny ship every time the buoy lost contact wouldn't be safe. You'd have to assume pirates each and every time. Local law enforcement/navies aren't going to be happy responding to possible pirates tampering with a buo…
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kursk_submarine_disaster#Salva...
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Azorian
[3] http://ardrubber.en.made-in-china.com/productimage/gSZmDMRbY...
and http://blueoceantackle.com/marine-supply-equipment/ship-salv...