One of the world's largest cargo freighters during a harbor entry

Having recently relocated from Cyprus to Switzerland, I had reason to procure the services of KLine freight forwarders to get our belongings from Limassol to Chardonne. Because of some freak data entry error, my 40-foot container wasn't forwarded from Hamburg where it sat for 2 weeks growing moss. To expedite its onward journey when the cause for the delay was finally discovered, I drove to Basel to meet KLine's Swiss agent in person. In the course of our conversation, Fabio Crosilla joked how because of the current weak US dollar, certain enterprising Europeans vacationing in the colonies acquire a snazzy US car to import back to Europe. "They're rich and slick as hell with their iPhones and they think that they can just drive up to the Rotterdam docks and pick up their shiny new car." Fabio cracked up chuckling. "They'd never find it." To illustrate proper perspective, he duly sent me a slide show about the Emma Maersk freighter. Try that one on for size, bubba. Ever since China has become global HQ for exports, sea cargo business has exploded. And so have the dimensions of the freighters. The following pictorial drives home the point how Sino (and other foreign) goods we purchase in stores get there in the first place. To add to this picture, remember that Rotterdam, Europe's biggest cargo port, has 30+ kilometers of harbor front. Think the parking lots at your local mall or airport are overcrowded? Fabio would spit on the floor and smirk dangerously. Containerlandia is a whole 'nuther ball game.

It's bigger than an air force carrier with a crew of 5000. It can carry 15,000 containers and runs a crew of 13.
Designed for the open seas, the Panama and Suez canals are out.
The tow boat seems like a toy by comparison.
The command bridge rises 10 floors.
Top speed is 55.8km/hr - China to California in 4 days.
11 cranes work simultaneously to load this behemoth.
Length and width respectively. Then capacity - 123.200 tons. Diesel - 14 in-line cylinders for 108.920 horse power. Speed - 31 knots = 55.8 km/hr.
The maiden voyage had 13 people on deck. Cost? $145,000,000.
The - um, small motor.
Engine - 108.920 PS, dimensions of 26.7 x 13.2 meters. Weight, 2300 tons, consumption, 6,275 liters per hour.
Here my withering German fails me in the translation and my smart dictionary is still on the container which, today, arrived in Basel. I guess we're looking at the crank and rudder shafts respectively.
Piston diameter - 1 meter.
Engine block.

Next time your local dealer for your favorite import anything is back-ordered or didn't make a promised delivery on time, now you've got a somewhat better idea about what's involved in getting sea cargo goods from point A to B. This of course also involves customs clearance and subsequent freight forwarding from the ports of call to your final destination, be that by truck or train. Perhaps you were hip to this already. I wasn't. Fabio really opened my eyes as to the sheer size of it all...