If you've ever wondered how WalMart gives you those "Everyday Low Prices", take a look at the photos of the ship "Emma Maersk". Here are some interesting statistics regarding her:
Country of Origin: Denmark
Length: 1,302 ft.
Width: 207 ft.
Crew: 13
Net Cargo: 123,200 Tons
Engine: 14 in-line cylinder diesel
Cruise Speed: 31 Knots
Construction Cost: $145 Million
Silicone paint on the bottom of the ship saves 317,000 gals. of diesel per year
15,000 containers and a 207' beam! 13 people for a ship longer than a US aircraft carrier which has a crew of 5,000 men and officers. The 207' beam means it cannot fit through the Panama or Suez Canals . It is strictly transpacific.
Check out the cruise speed: 31 knots means the goods arrive 4 days before the typical container ship (18-20 knots) on a China-to-California run. This ship was built in five sections. The sections floated together and then welded. The command bridge is higher than a 10-story building and has 11 cargo crane rigs that can operate simultaneously.
Regardless of whether you think of them as WalMart or SprawlMart, you've got to admit that they provide a source of goods for many folks who could otherwise not afford them, and this is one of the ways they manage to do it.
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