Giant Logs in Bermudian Waters from Ship Wreck?
Hamilton (Bermuda):
One eyewitness claimed it had shot out of the surf and onto the beach "like a torpedo" – now the mystery of where the giant logs that have been washing up in Bermudian waters came from has taken a new twist.
A shipwreck almost four months ago and some 7,502 miles away off the coast of South Africa has been pinpointed as one likely source.
Worryingly, the stranded ship thought to have spilt the logs has, in the past few days, been battered by storms and heavy seas sending another 800 giant logs crashing into the sea.
If a few loose logs have managed to drift all the way to Bermuda since the ship first hit trouble in June wouldn't it be possible that some of the hundreds of logs that have now broken away from the stranded ship might also make the same epic journey on the ocean currents and reach Bermuda in coming months?
But hold on. Not everything tallies up, according to world famous beachcomber Curtis Ebbesmeyer in Seattle, who has been asked to help solve the mystery of the logs.
He yesterday made calculations from additional information passed to The Royal Gazette by Lloyd's Register of shipping in London and has come to the conclusion that the shipwreck off the South African coast is unlikely to be responsible for the floating lumber off Bermuda.
The logs would have needed to drift some 63 miles a day on sea currents to have crossed so much ocean since the grounding of the container ship near East London in South Africa on June 7, and that doesn't add up.
Mr. Ebbesmeyer said: "The drift speed is 63 miles per day, which is way too fast for sea drift. The normal drift speed is some eight miles per day and the fastest believable is about 30 miles in a day."
Three telegraph pole-sized pieces of lumber were reported last week either floating in the water around the Island or actually beached, as was the case with one of the poles discovered at Clearwater Beach in St. David's. But the mystery of where they had come from perplexed beachcombers who took note of what appeared to be a brass tag on the Clearwater log.
The information "JHB E-05 OFC 160" was passed on to Mr. Ebbesmeyer who told The Royal Gazette that, after a preliminary investigation, the logs appeared to be exports heading for South Africa.
A possible South African link has now been identified by Lloyd's Register in London.
Marine Data System Manager at Lloyd's, Richard Neasham said: "It is highly likely that they are part of a deck cargo from a ship called Kiperousa which was wrecked off the southwestern coast of South Africa earlier this year.
"Salvors have tried in vain to free the ship and in so doing had to remove the remaining deck cargo of very large logs."
Since the bulk carrier ship ran aground on June 7 while on its way from Gabon to Durban, salvors have tried to refloat it and remove its potentially hazardous logs.
Storms and strong winds this week caused the ship to break up causing about 800 logs to fall into the rough seas. It is thought some of the logs will sink, while others may pose a danger to shipping if they can not be quickly recovered or washed ashore.
But according to Mr. Ebbesmeyer it would be remarkable if the logs found floating around Bermuda have anything to do with that wreck.
He is now keen that the unknown person who removed the brass ID tag from the log at Clearwater Beach comes forward so that the tag can be more clearly examined for clues.
A 75ft long log was reported drifting near Fort St. Catherine last Monday, which was retrieved and tied up at shore overnight until it could be dragged safely from the water.
Another log was spotted by Marine Police floating off North Shore the same day near the Clayhouse Inn, in Devonshire, and was also brought ashore for the safety of shipping and water users.
Oct 04. 2005
Scott Neil, Royal Gazette, Bermuda
Hamilton (Bermuda):
One eyewitness claimed it had shot out of the surf and onto the beach "like a torpedo" – now the mystery of where the giant logs that have been washing up in Bermudian waters came from has taken a new twist.
A shipwreck almost four months ago and some 7,502 miles away off the coast of South Africa has been pinpointed as one likely source.
Worryingly, the stranded ship thought to have spilt the logs has, in the past few days, been battered by storms and heavy seas sending another 800 giant logs crashing into the sea.
If a few loose logs have managed to drift all the way to Bermuda since the ship first hit trouble in June wouldn't it be possible that some of the hundreds of logs that have now broken away from the stranded ship might also make the same epic journey on the ocean currents and reach Bermuda in coming months?
But hold on. Not everything tallies up, according to world famous beachcomber Curtis Ebbesmeyer in Seattle, who has been asked to help solve the mystery of the logs.
He yesterday made calculations from additional information passed to The Royal Gazette by Lloyd's Register of shipping in London and has come to the conclusion that the shipwreck off the South African coast is unlikely to be responsible for the floating lumber off Bermuda.
The logs would have needed to drift some 63 miles a day on sea currents to have crossed so much ocean since the grounding of the container ship near East London in South Africa on June 7, and that doesn't add up.
Mr. Ebbesmeyer said: "The drift speed is 63 miles per day, which is way too fast for sea drift. The normal drift speed is some eight miles per day and the fastest believable is about 30 miles in a day."
Three telegraph pole-sized pieces of lumber were reported last week either floating in the water around the Island or actually beached, as was the case with one of the poles discovered at Clearwater Beach in St. David's. But the mystery of where they had come from perplexed beachcombers who took note of what appeared to be a brass tag on the Clearwater log.
The information "JHB E-05 OFC 160" was passed on to Mr. Ebbesmeyer who told The Royal Gazette that, after a preliminary investigation, the logs appeared to be exports heading for South Africa.
A possible South African link has now been identified by Lloyd's Register in London.
Marine Data System Manager at Lloyd's, Richard Neasham said: "It is highly likely that they are part of a deck cargo from a ship called Kiperousa which was wrecked off the southwestern coast of South Africa earlier this year.
"Salvors have tried in vain to free the ship and in so doing had to remove the remaining deck cargo of very large logs."
Since the bulk carrier ship ran aground on June 7 while on its way from Gabon to Durban, salvors have tried to refloat it and remove its potentially hazardous logs.
Storms and strong winds this week caused the ship to break up causing about 800 logs to fall into the rough seas. It is thought some of the logs will sink, while others may pose a danger to shipping if they can not be quickly recovered or washed ashore.
But according to Mr. Ebbesmeyer it would be remarkable if the logs found floating around Bermuda have anything to do with that wreck.
He is now keen that the unknown person who removed the brass ID tag from the log at Clearwater Beach comes forward so that the tag can be more clearly examined for clues.
A 75ft long log was reported drifting near Fort St. Catherine last Monday, which was retrieved and tied up at shore overnight until it could be dragged safely from the water.
Another log was spotted by Marine Police floating off North Shore the same day near the Clayhouse Inn, in Devonshire, and was also brought ashore for the safety of shipping and water users.
Oct 04. 2005
Scott Neil, Royal Gazette, Bermuda
