(I see that someone has beaten me to it) As has already been noted the uprights are indeed guides for the containers. ACL have never used the bracing method as this has many intrinsic drawbacks, in my view, not least of which is the stability and security of tall stacks which are in essence, just held (lashed) together with a few wire cables and locking mechanisms on each corner, top and bottom. A another major problem with this method is that while the ship "works" when at sea they become slack and have to checked on a regular basis. Whist many stacks on other vessels using this method have collapsed in heavy weather ACL can proudly boast that they have never lost a container over the side in the fifty years or so that they have been in operation.
So back to ones Daily Trots: over the last couple of days I have had to fit in time at college, restoring my TR6, and the anticipated arrival and depart of some interesting vessels but as can be the case the weather intervened which can and does lead to much wasted time. This happened a couple for days ago when a vessel bring the new straddle cranes for the new L2 site was obliged to abort his approach and later anchor to wait more favourable conditions. I believe that this will be on today's afternoon tide. (HW 1643 if you're interested)
In the meantime the Atlantic Compass arrived from Halifax for the final time. She discharged a lot of containers and yesterday left the port for the final time to two long mournful blast from her whistle after thirty two continuous years of trading on the North Atlantic. She is now bound for Antwerp and Hamburg were she will discharge the remainder of her containers before she starts out on the long journey, around the Cape to Alang in north west India and her final demise.
If your interesting general shipping matters, tugs and towing then you may find the following sites well worth subscribing to:
clippingnews@maasmondmaritime.com
gCaptain.com
Towingline.com
Shipais.co.uk
Piccies will follow.