Inside One of The LARGEST Car Carrier Ships The World

This is the K. Asian Beauty, it stands about 604  feet long, almost the size of two football fields,   and about 100 feet wide. This behemoth is truly  built to move thousands of cars across continents.  Its width helps balance the ship's length  and height, which stands as high as a 12   story building above the waterline. Safe  to say, it's huge. It was built in 1994   and uses a MAN-B&W model 6L60MC engine  manufactured by MAN Energy Solutions, with a maximum output of 10,500 kilowatts, or  about 14,000 horsepower, which is pretty powerful   yet necessary for a huge cargo ship of its size.  Though not a lot of information about the K. Asian   Beauty is publicly available, we can speculate  that like most ships of its class and age, it should also have the same or similar features  like ballast tanks or dynamic positioning systems, which help maintain its position during  an incredibly pivotal moment…docking.  When the K.Asian Beauty enters the San Diego  harbor after a two week journey from South Korea, it begins a docking process that runs the saying  “it takes a village…” true. Unlike docking a canoe   or even a yacht with a simple pull or anchor, this  ship is on a whole other level, and what sets it   apart is its use of smaller boats in the docking  process. Yup, you heard that right. Specifically,   tugboats. They carefully push and pull the ship  into position, and make sure that it aligns   perfectly with the berth. Not only is the berth  equipped with fenders, which are large cushioned   barriers that prevent damage to the hull, but  they are designed to absorb the ship’s momentum.   Its docking is a precise process that involves  multiple steps and coordination. Harbor pilots,   experts in navigating these waters, guide  the ship through the final approach and all   this happens simultaneously while taking into  account factors like tide levels, wind speed   and direction. But it doesn’t stop there. The ship’s mooring lines are then secured   to bollards, you know those short sturdy  posts you could find in Navy Pier, Chicago. They hold the lines steady, making sure  there’s no heavy movements due to waves. This is   very important when dealing with a 20,000 ton  ship like the K.Asian Beauty that’s carrying   almost 7, 000 units of cargo. It’s a literal  floating garage. The ship has up to 13 decks,   some fixed and others adjustable.