TheSausageFattener t1_j6kcbvm wrote on January 30, 2023 at 10:59 PM

Reply to comment by Dontleave in Massive ship in the harbor this morning by NAFAL44

Any idea why they would run it from Quonset to Charlestown like that? It seems like a lot of effort to take the ship into the bay, then take it back out and sail it up to Boston. Ive always been under the impression these are usually transatlantic haulers.

Is there no more efficient way to do it? Theyve got rail freight.

RufusTCuthbert t1_j6kez3a wrote on January 30, 2023 at 11:17 PM

Essentially this is more efficient. But also the rail infrastructure to Moran Terminal in Charlestown, which is aka Boston Autoport, is in poor shape and not been used in many years. It also snakes it’s way through a highly congested area (both streets and rail) and would be a very slow and disruptive way to ship that many cars, using various freight railroads, routes, etc.

BostonUrbEx t1_j6l3az5 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:13 AM

Most of the cargo is loaded on in Japan. In Davisville and Boston they unload. Most of these auto ships that call on Boston seem to only sail east. Japan -> Panama Canal -> Carribbean and East Coast -> Davisville -> Cape Cod Canal -> Boston -> Suez Canal -> Japan. I'm not sure why the ships that call on Boston always seem to go the same direction. There's also a bunch of destinations, but I noticed they always unload in Davisville before unloading in Boston.

ibleedblue t1_j6mjjyf wrote on January 31, 2023 at 11:44 AM

Google ocean currents and you’ll see that it’s more efficient to travel east along the Gulf Stream to the Mediterranean than it is to travel back south to the Panama Canal.

Rindan t1_j6kqlua wrote on January 31, 2023 at 12:39 AM

Shipping by water is hilariously cheaper than anything else. Money is always worth "a lot of effort".