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> Containerships don't conform to the canal. Containerships absolutely do conform to the canals. Lots of ships are built to the maximum size that can transit t

> Containerships don't conform to the canal. Containerships absolutely do conform to the canals. Lots of ships are built to the maximum size that can transit the Panama or Suez canals. It's called Panamax and Suezmax ships. When the Panama canal was expanded, that caused larger ships to be built to the new specifications of the canal (called new Panamax). If this expansion causes the maximum dimensions allowed through the Suez canal to be increased, ships will be built to that larger standard.

devoutsalsa 5y ago
I want to see a ship that's the width of the Panama Canal, but like 10x taller, called Panaminmax.
- krisoft 5y ago
  :) That's a good name. In reality, the maximum air draft (how much the ship is sticking out over the water) is also limited by the Panamamax standard. It is constrained because the ships has to go under bridges and some cables too while crossing the canal.
krisoft 5y ago
You are very kind to explain the Panamax and Suezmax concepts to me. I can assure you I'm familiar with them. When you order a ship and you stipulate that it must be able to cross the Suez Canal the shipyard won't send out two dudes with a theodolite to measure how wide the canal is. They will look up the standard (the very same I have just linked!) and build the ship to that specification. That is to say the ships conform to the standard not to the canal. Similarly if you are engineer working for the SCA how do you know when to dredge the canal? Easy. You read the same standard and you dredge where ships of the published maximum size would not fit. Likewise you check the published air draft maximums before designing over-water electric transmission crossings. That is to say you make the canal conform to the standard. > If this expansion causes the maximum dimensions allowed through the Suez canal to be increased... True. But there is zero reason why the SCA would be coy about announcing a neo-Suezmax standard if that is what they would be wanting to do. In fact they would float any such plans years and years in advance, because vessels are not built in a day. I have seen no indication for that.

devoutsalsa 5y ago

I want to see a ship that's the width of the Panama Canal, but like 10x taller, called Panaminmax.

krisoft 5y ago
:) That's a good name. In reality, the maximum air draft (how much the ship is sticking out over the water) is also limited by the Panamamax standard. It is constrained because the ships has to go under bridges and some cables too while crossing the canal.

krisoft 5y ago

You are very kind to explain the Panamax and Suezmax concepts to me. I can assure you I'm familiar with them. When you order a ship and you stipulate that it must be able to cross the Suez Canal the shipyard won't send out two dudes with a theodolite to measure how wide the canal is. They will look up the standard (the very same I have just linked!) and build the ship to that specification. That is to say the ships conform to the standard not to the canal. Similarly if you are engineer working for the SCA how do you know when to dredge the canal? Easy. You read the same standard and you dredge where ships of the published maximum size would not fit. Likewise you check the published air draft maximums before designing over-water electric transmission crossings. That is to say you make the canal conform to the standard. > If this expansion causes the maximum dimensions allowed through the Suez canal to be increased... True. But there is zero reason why the SCA would be coy about announcing a neo-Suezmax standard if that is what they would be wanting to do. In fact they would float any such plans years and years in advance, because vessels are not built in a day. I have seen no indication for that.