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I'm surprised that they scuttle these boats after a single trip. I realise that they cost a small percentage of the cargo but it still seems wasteful.
by streety 18y ago
I'm surprised that they scuttle these boats after a single trip. I realise that they cost a small percentage of the cargo but it still seems wasteful.
- nkurz 18y agoThe illegal drugs are the ballast, so once they have been unloaded either the vessel with be radar visible or a substitute ballast would be needed. Since the ballast is basically in the crew quarters, you can't just use sea water. I'm sure they've run the cost/benefits here, and presumably judged the extra risks not worth the cost savings.
- streety 18y agoI'm not convinced by that. Sea water would be the logical ballast and I realise you can't have it sloshing about around the crews' feet but I don't think it would be too difficult to have a system of bags along to hull of the boat connected to a water inlet. When the boat is full of cocaine they would be stowed out of the way and then when the cocaine is taken off they're flooded compensating for the lost mass. Manufacturing plastic bladders with sufficient strength in the jungle might not be possible but I doubt they're all that difficult to purchase. Worst case scenario they're purchased in the US and only installed when the semi-sub collects them from the fast boats.