The Marco Polo visits Savannah
Since retiring, it takes a huge event to get me up and out of the house in the early morning. On May 26, 2021, the CMA CGM Marco Polo container ship visited the Port Of Savannah. This is the largest container ship to ever visit the U.S. east coast. The Georgia Ports has spent years preparing for its arrival.
Locals and visitors often watch the Container ships venture up the Savannah River from the Atlantic Ocean, since the Port of Savannah is the 4th largest container port in the United States. Here is a photo of a typical day on River Street.
But this morning, crowds were going to see a ship 1300 Feet long or the length of 3 1/2 football fields. As the ship made its way up the river, I could hear the vessel sounding its horn as a dredger passed by.
I finally worked my way around the rail to get a peak of what was coming:
The ship can carry over 16,000 containers of food, clothing, furniture, and more. On its visit to Savannah, it had 6000 containers onboard. Try to imagine that each one is the size of a railroad car.
It was just about now that I realized getting a photo of the whole ship was going to be a challenge.
As it passed a pair of tugboats ceremoniously saluted the escorted ship.
Following the crowd I moved to a different location hoping to get a full view of the ship going under the Talmadge Bridge, realizing that is one of the reasons to not fully stacked.
The Talmadge Bridge provides 185 ft. of vertical navigational clearance at Mean High Water. As reported on WSAV News it made it with just feet to spare.
It was an interesting experience and it shows how the world works in trade. Thanks to all for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed the photos.
Please keep in mind that Savannah is a year-round visitor destination with mild winters and hot summers. It is a city of beauty, history, and hospitality.
That’s really cool!!