# Coast Guard to sink Japanese Ghost Ship **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 5, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924 "2012-04-05T16:49:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/41 "2012-04-09T11:31:25Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > One of them’s an environmental problem, the other one’s a disaster of almost unimaginable proportions in which entire towns were wiped off the map, thousands of livelihoods destroyed, and 20,000 people died or missing. If you can’t find any compassion, at least have a sense of proportion. Maybe the Japanese could divert some of their fleet hunting whales for “scientific purposes” to harvesting their shit ships floating around the world. Exactly how much effort have they put into finding and getting rid of this thing? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/42 "2012-04-09T11:56:19Z")
To echo another poster, cripes. This is in response to the plea ‘if you find something that’s obviously precious, please can you put it on one side’. Seems like a reasonable request for a humane response to me. Hopefully altruism will outweigh all the other issues that seem to be rearing their heads here. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/43 "2012-04-09T12:23:01Z")
> [@Bumbershoot](#): > > I must say I’m a bit concerned. I’m going on an Alaska cruise in a couple of months (out of Seattle) and will be sailing right through that area. At first I was glad they decided to sink it since it means our cruise ship probably won’t collide with it and sink. Any chance Celine Dion will be on board performing? If she belted out “My Heart Will Go On” you’d have been a goner for sure… > [@Bumbershoot](#): > > But then I thought “What if the radioactivity turns it into a giant Transformer and it re-emerges from the depths as an enormous nuclear robot?” It’ll be pissed that someone shot holes in it and come looking for revenge. It might not be able to tell a cruise ship from a Coast Guard ship (or it might not care). It could break our ship in half or zap us with its laser eyes So, no second show for Celine then…? I’ve always heard her second show is the better of the two… > [@Bumbershoot](#): > > …before heading for the Canadian coast. I must get the visual of a nuclear robotic ship making landfall and crowds of panicking Canadians running for dear life while a PA systems announce, “Trawler Transformer Approaching! Trawler Transformer Approaching! All citizens are urged to take immediate shelter…!” out of my head. “Daddy, I know how to stop it!” “How?” “We’ll…give it…POT!” _5 min later_ “Thats right, I want all the pot in British Columbia! Don’t argue, General, just do it! The very future of Vancouver depends on it…” ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/44 "2012-04-09T18:56:08Z")
_All_ the pot in British Columbia? Sheesh, that’s a lotta pot! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/45 "2012-04-09T19:10:44Z")
I was curious about the gunnery as well. Any Coasties care to comment? Near the end of the ABC clip there is a close up and it appears that there are many holes in the side of the boat. How many and what type of rounds were fired? I would think that at that range it would be almost impossible to miss but there are splashes. I find skip shots a little hard to believe. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/46 "2012-04-09T20:06:38Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > _All_ the pot in British Columbia? Sheesh, that’s a lotta pot! 😃 That’s one big-ass robot! If they stuff all the pot into the [Metlife Blimp](http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5022/5554406182_650a58707d.jpg) it should do the trick. That’s what I call a fatty! ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/47 "2012-04-10T02:14:44Z")
> [@MikeF](#): > > I was curious about the gunnery as well. Any Coasties care to comment? Near the end of the ABC clip there is a close up and it appears that there are many holes in the side of the boat. How many and what type of rounds were fired? I would think that at that range it would be almost impossible to miss but there are splashes. I find skip shots a little hard to believe. Initial firing was with a 25mm Mk 38 (several reports mention rounds “twice the size,” but that seems debatable). Video, commentary and a link to the weapon [here](http://defensetech.org/2012/04/06/video-uscgs-mk-38-cannon-sinks-japanse-ghost-ship/). ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/48 "2012-04-10T14:11:39Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > _All_ the pot in British Columbia? Sheesh, that’s a lotta pot! 😃 > [@Bumbershoot](#): > > That’s one big-ass robot! If they stuff all the pot into the [Metlife Blimp](http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5022/5554406182_650a58707d.jpg) it should do the trick. That’s what I call a fatty! “All the Pot in BC? Are you Mad?” “But its the only way! When he uses those laser-beam eyes, that MetLife blimp will Vaporize. I can only pray that the contact high will be enough to slow it down so we can disable it…” “But the People! Do you know what sort of effects that level of contact high could have on the civilian population? There could be mass hallucinations and rioting. I don’t know if you know this, general, but we’re right before the Playoffs. How are we going to get people to go to games if the air smells like pot smoke???” _The General paces_ “The people of Canada will just have to be strong. We can’t afford to lose Vancouver, and so far all of our weapons have just bounced off of it.” “But what about wind patterns! With a cloud that big and an Alberta Clipper, the effects could spread to the Entire Country…!” “You mean… Ottawa…!?” “Yes, General. Ottawa. So unless you want your next call from Ottawa to be from someone high out of their minds, I’d suggest you take that right off the table.” _General rubs chin_ “Yes. If only there was something else. Something a fishing trawler hated more than dry land. Say, what are those odd blue flags on the board?” “Oh, Thats a Green Peace flotilla. They’re refueling off of Victoria before heading out to sea…!” “Out to sea? Out to sea! Away from Canada! Why didn’t I think of that?” _turns to subordinate_ “Captain, do you think there’s any way we could convince the Green Peace fleet to carry a cargo of 30 to 40,000 bails of pot with them out to sea?” “Will I have to tell them about the 500 foot high giant transforming trawler chasing them because it hates them and also because it thinks they stole its stash…?” “No, it’ll only make Green Peace think the count is light…” ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/49 "2012-04-10T16:31:46Z")
This would make such a great movie. Maybe we could get Jake Gyllenhaal to play me and Mila Kunis to play the young lady who is accompanying me on the cruise. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/50 "2012-04-10T18:30:12Z")
And you could tell the difference if everyone in Ottawa was high, how again? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/51 "2012-04-10T18:52:33Z")
To paraphrase Steve Jobs, maybe Steven Harper would be a bit more mellow, laid-back and, well, nice if he took the occasional doobie at the end of the day … ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/52 "2012-04-11T05:28:14Z")
The giant nuclear-powered robot stomped ashore, appropriately near Wreck Beach, and regarded downtown Vancouver through a haze of potsmoke. It drew a breath and uttered a foghorn-like sigh. It knew there was a reason it wanted to go ashore, but it couldn’t quite remember why. There was no urgency, and–it raised its head to look east–there were a lot of mountains in the way. A small rest would be good. It abruptly sat down next to the seawall with a sound like someone dropping the Pompidou Centre onto a concrete floor. The sunlight–from that other nuclear reactor in the sky–was warm. Yes. A pause would be good. Six months later, neighbourhood children had colonized the Trawler Transformer and considered it the Best Playground Ever. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/53 "2012-04-11T11:11:18Z")
To further distract the giant stoned robot when it came ashore, a huge mound of [Shrimp Chips](http://www.calbeeamerica.com/calbee-snacks-shrimp-chips.html) was deposited on the beach. The authorities knew the evil machine would have a monumental case of the munchies and took advantage of its previous history as a shrimp trawler. I need something heroic to do on the cruise ship so Jake Gyllenhaal can play me in the movie. Perhaps I could rescue a group of nuns who are trapped by the craps table in the casino (they were on a roll and wouldn’t leave) and I could lead them to a lifeboat. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/54 "2012-04-11T14:26:00Z")
> [@Capt\_Kirk](#): > > Skip shots have been around since the first days of Naval Canons. I guess it seems kind of “old fashioned” …from the days of cannonballs and wooden ships. A video about the [MK 38](http://defensetech.org/2011/05/17/dt-video-mk-38-chain-gun-in-effect/) demonstrates how high tech the weaponry is, the sailors don’t even have to get out of their jammies to fire the thing. I’m not saying they didn’t use skip shots… just that with a laser range finder and top-of-the-line optics plus a 200 round per minute rate of fire, they probably could have hit at or below the water line without using such a gimmick. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/55 "2012-04-11T14:46:42Z")
> [@Capt\_Kirk](#): > > Skip shots have been around since the first days of Naval Canons. The only Naval Canons I’m aware of are rum, sodomy and the lash. Naval cannons, OTOH… ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/56 "2012-04-11T16:07:44Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > I’m not saying they didn’t use skip shots… just that with a laser range finder and top-of-the-line optics plus a 200 round per minute rate of fire, they probably could have hit at or below the water line without using such a gimmick. Here’s a [close-up picture](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:120405-G-ZZ999-The_sinking_of_the_Japanese_fishing_vessel_Ryou-un_Maru.jpg) of the ship after the coast guard shelled it. It doesn’t look like they did a very efficient job. It took about 4 hours to sink, and most of the holes are no-where near the waterline. I don’t know if that is due to inaccuracy, or because they used it for target practice. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/57 "2012-04-11T16:47:40Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The only Naval Canons I’m aware of are rum, sodomy and the lash. > > Naval cannons, OTOH… Ha Ha Sorry about the misspelling 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/58 "2012-04-11T16:57:40Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > Here’s a [close-up picture](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:120405-G-ZZ999-The_sinking_of_the_Japanese_fishing_vessel_Ryou-un_Maru.jpg) of the ship after the coast guard shelled it. It doesn’t look like they did a very efficient job. It took about 4 hours to sink, and most of the holes are no-where near the waterline. I don’t know if that is due to inaccuracy, or because they used it for target practice. If they were trying to sink the ship quickly, their Naval Gunnery skills need serious practice, looks like a drunk at the gun range could do a better job:D ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/59 "2012-04-11T18:04:39Z")
Called it back in Post #2 - they badly needed the practice. How often does the Coast Guard in the frozen north get to shoot it out with another ship? It’s not like the Caribbean, after all. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924/60 "2012-04-11T18:24:39Z")
But a 25mm chaingun can’t be the preferred weapon for sinking a 150 ft. long steel ship. They should have used a [5 inch deck gun](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5%22/54_caliber_Mark_45_gun). Cut the sucker in half. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coast-guard-to-sink-japanese-ghost-ship/617924.md?page=4)