For a change from my regularly scheduled tech blogging, these photos (scroll down), these photos, and these have been out for a while now and as of this writing the container ship APL Panama is still sitting 200 feet off the beach in Ensenada and tugs have been unable to pull her off.
CargoLaw.com has the best page for keeping abreast of the status as well as the best photos if you scroll down. Not much is know about how it happened, however, what is clear is that according to the captain and first mate, they broke port regulations by trying to enter without a pilot (who knows the local waters) on board. Oops!
Related reading: APL’s official status page, Latest plan: A channel along stranded ship, Ensenada Gazette, and APL Panama stranded on Mexican beach
My martime lawyer friend Hans tells me that tankers are so huge, and thus have so much weight and momentum while moving, that there are times when they can be as far as a mile away (or more, I think) and know an accident is imminent. These boats are the modern equivalent of a Stegasaurus, whose body was supposedly so large that if a large object pinched its tail, it would have taken about 30 seconds to reach the brain… and another 30 seconds to move the tail. Keep us posted, Todd!