The size and scale of transport by sea has continued to grow at a rapidly increasing rate. As such, the title of ‘biggest cargo ship’ has been passed around quite frequently over the years.

In 2017, that title was bestowed upon the OOCL Hong Kong.

The title was then snatched in September by the MSC Gülsün – a beast of a ship that’s 400 metres long, with a cargo capacity of 23 576 Twenty-Foot Equivalent units (containers).

Moving goods by container ship is one of the safest ways to get your cargo from point A to point B without a hitch.

Unfortunately, every so often, things can go horribly wrong, as they did for the following three ships that set sail in 2019, and didn’t quite reach their destinations unscathed.

As the old saying goes: ‘The bigger they are, the harder they fall”.

A Cargo Ship Carrying 4 000 Hyundai Cars Capsized off The Georgia Coast

In September, a South Korean cargo vessel carrying about 4 000 cars bound for the Middle East, caught fire and capsized off the coast of the southern U.S. state of Georgia. A Hyundai official said 23 crew were aboard the Golden Ray when it overturned in St. Simons.

Queen Hind Capsizes With 14 000 Sheep Onboard

This is one is rather sad. The Queen Hind capsized after leaving the port of Midia, near the south-eastern city of Constanta off the coast of Romania in November.

It was carrying more than 14 000 sheep. Some of them managed to swim to safety, and some were rescued, but many of them drowned. The crew were rescued and transported safely to land.

‘Soul of Luck’ Collides With a Gantry Crane in Semarang

On Sunday, July 14, the cargo ship ‘Soul of Luck’ collided with a gantry crane in Semarang, Indonesia, causing the crane to collapse and cargo to fall into the ocean.

It’s unclear what caused the accident. A truck operator was injured and the port was closed for three hours after the collapse.

Not a good look. It’s especially tragic because they made it safely to port.

What these videos highlight, more than anything else, is that a lot goes into moving cargo safely.

Those whose businesses use international shipping know that it’s something of an art form, and when faced with the myriad factors that need to be considered, including marine insurance, one could be forgiven for wanting to lie down and wish it all away.

Berry & Donaldson, one of South Africa’s largest private-owned logistics companies, has been helping our importers and exporters navigate the labyrinth that is international freighting for over half a century.

We suggest you deal with the pros, and hopefully, we won’t see any of your goods appearing on these lists in years to come.