The cold wreaks havoc and not only on the gas bill: we have already seen how this winter they have had to cancel several flights, not because of storms or snow, but due to lack of antifreeze. If we talk about cars, beyond the myth that too cold affects the batteries of electric cars (tell it to the people of norway), we are clear that driving on ice is dangerous. And hey, carrying a load of cars in an extreme winter storm, too.
We are going to the Russian city of Vladivostok, in December 2021. Russia is famous for harsh winters and although the port city is not Siberia, the reality is that its average in December around – 8 degrees. Well, at that time the cargo ship “Sun Rio” docked there, packed with enormous blocks of ice that, as if they were Kinder eggs, They hid used and new Japanese cars.
It was not the typical frost that forms on cars when they are parked outdoors and it snows, but a solid and compact capsule that had originated in a strong storm that had occurred in the Sea of Japan that the ship necessarily had to cross to reach its destination. In reality, it was the combination of storm and sea that had caused this effect.
The phenomenon is called marine frosting or spray freezing and it occurs on boats, coastal structures or platforms when all the ingredients in the recipe are present, that is, very cold (temperatures below -2 degrees), there is strong wind and the sea is so rough that the waves spray water into the air.
That sprayed salt water freezes instantly when it touches cold surfaces, as happened on those cars outdoors. The layer-by-layer adhesion completely covered the bodywork, the underside and even the interior of the cars in those vehicles in which the windows could not support the weight.
To the rich marine glaze of cars
Visually it is striking, but also It is dangerous both for the integrity of the vehicle As long as it blocks equipment and sensors, we have already seen its effects on the moons and we know that saltpeter is not the best precisely for the sheet metal. And also the ship.
This thick layer adds weight to the element to which it has adhered, shifting its center of gravity and affecting its stability. The cars were stationary, yes, but there were a few on the deck, which increases the risk of listing or even capsizing for a relatively small ship like this. As Captain Pyotr Osichansky detailed to the Russian medium VLit was not the first time it had happened on this usual Vladivostok-Busan-Toyama car supply route, but it had been one of the most intense times.
With cars trapped in ice, the unloading operation becomes complicated and waiting for the ice to melt is not an option. So the staff resorted to deicers, hoses and the classic iron lever to separate the cars one by one. Some turned out pretty well, others not so much..
It should be remembered that it is not normal ice but comes from salt water, a true catalyst for corrosion in the bodywork, screws, brakes and other elements, even in cars that were apparently in good condition. It is the risk of import in the Green Corner of Vladivostok: those cars with broken windows and deteriorated interiors were discarded for conventional saledestined for opportunity sale, scrapping or sold piecemeal. There was no official balance of losses.
In Xataka | Extreme cold paralyzes Europe. KLM cancels more than 2,300 flights due to a technical detail: antifreeze
Cover and images | SCMP and Siberian Times
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