# What do container ship crews do? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 12, 2020, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-container-ship-crews-do/925450 "2020-11-12T19:14:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2020, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-container-ship-crews-do/925450/61 "2020-12-05T16:34:43Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Said another way, if the crewman was so unnecessary when at sea as to be allowed to sleep the voyage away, why bother having them aboard and paying them a wage? To respond to distress beacons, duh. I think people are taking my science fiction solution too seriously, but it’s not too different from completely autonomous container ships that are now in development. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2020, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-container-ship-crews-do/925450/62 "2020-12-06T03:31:56Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > And though their mileage no doubt varies My friend who had been a ships engineer (a ‘glorified fitter and turner’ he called it), said that in the old days, port time was the ‘me time’ that broke up the voyages. Weeks in port with nothing much to do while the cargo was unloaded. Hence the port districts … Now it’s just a busy day or two while the ship is unloaded, then out again. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2020, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-container-ship-crews-do/925450/63 "2020-12-06T05:04:02Z")
Container vessels are the greyhounds of the commercial fleet. Not even that long. Only a few hours, usually. ---
**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2020, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-container-ship-crews-do/925450/64 "2020-12-06T06:19:58Z")
Trivial surface rust vs substantial structural corrosion is the point here. If a maintenance crew, albeit on a ship or any other structure subject to failure from corrosion, neglects the obvious (and easy) surface maintenance, it is a reasonable conclusion that the more critical (and more difficult) subsurface corrosion control has been neglected Granted, fresh paint on the shiny side is no guarantee of proper corrosion abatement underneath…But it is at least an indication of such. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2020, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-container-ship-crews-do/925450/65 "2020-12-06T07:46:06Z")
No not really. Ship crews aren’t large enough to deal with superficial corrosion, plus there are plenty of areas which aren’t realistically accessible while the ship is working. So for example a ship can have big rust streaks down the side (total rust bucket according to any journalist I assure you) but be generally well maintained. Ships tend to look terrible as they approach their five year special and good after they’ve just had it. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2020, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-container-ship-crews-do/925450/66 "2020-12-06T15:27:53Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Container vessels are the greyhounds of the commercial fleet. Not even that long. Only a few hours, usually. Same as my biz: if it ain’t movin’, it ain’t makin’ money. The Final Boss cares about that. A lot. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2020, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-container-ship-crews-do/925450/67 "2020-12-06T16:56:55Z")
“If it moves, tie it down. If it doesn’t, paint it.” Never been on a cargo ship, but suspect that’s pretty true. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-container-ship-crews-do/925450.md?page=3)