Sunday, October 21, 2001

23 Giant ships

Someone's ship is always coming in this city's harbor. Not to mention barges and freighters. Though it happens several times a day, from shore the sight is always impressive. The likelihood of seeing a ship as long as the Titanic once a day is high.
   Giant-ship watching is becoming increasingly trendy here, said Ray Harrison, vessel traffic control chief for the harbormaster. Observation decks directly below the Harbor Bridge on the north and south sides are hot spots to view ships, as are the jetties in Port Aransas.
   Number of vessels that visited last year: 5,186
   In August: 176
   Just a few of the flags: India, Panama, Liberia
   Cargoes: From crude oil to apples to meat products, but about 90 percent oil-related
   Sizes: Tankers typically range from 800 feet to 900 feet (the length of the Titanic). And barges can range from 195 feet by 35 feet to 300 feet by 54 feet. Freighters range in size from 300 feet to 600 feet in length.
   An ill-fated giant: One of the largest ships to make its way to Corpus Christi was the Mia Margrethe, which last visited Corpus Christi in May of 1987. The mammoth ship, with a Norwegian flag, was 1,063 feet long and 160 feet wide. Almost a month after the 122,445-ton oil tanker left the Corpus Christi port, it was attacked and badly damaged by Iranian gunboats in the Persian Gulf. The chief engineer was killed and two crewmen were wounded.
  
  

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