News Finnish investigators discover anchor drag marks of “almost a hundred kilometers” in undersea cable damage case — anchor is allegedly missing from...

[Admin]

Finnish authorities discovered anchor drag marks on the seabed just a day after it moved the Eagle S to a safer anchorage to help further its investigation.

Finnish investigators discover anchor drag marks of “almost a hundred kilometers” in undersea cable damage case — anchor is allegedly missing from... : Read more

 

[hotaru251]

ngl should really re-think how they lay new cables if same tactic is used because its effective.

 

[bit_user]

ngl should really re-think how they lay new cables if same tactic is used because its effective.

Yeah, but laying cables is already complicated and expensive. If they have to bury cables to make them resistant to anchor drags, that would probably be way too expensive, if it were even practical. Plus, it doesn't help the hundreds or thousands of cables that've already been deployed.

Furthermore, if cables somehow stop being a soft target, then focus could just turn to something else. So, I agree some thought should be given to what reasonable measures can be taken, but this is just one of those hard problems. Sometimes, the best defense is a good deterrent.

 

[USAFRet]

ngl should really re-think how they lay new cables if same tactic is used because its effective.

Its only effective if they don't get caught.

What would an alternative be? Burying the cable? $$$$

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Its only effective if they don't get caught.

What would an alternative be? Burying the cable? $$$$

Make strong Half pipes / Quarter Pipes / One-Third pipes that sit on top of the cable path to deflect anchor dragging. Servicing might become a bit harder

 

[USAFRet]

Make strong Half pipes / Quarter Pipes / One-Third pipes that sit on top of the cable path to deflect anchor dragging. Servicing might become a bit harder

To counteract the inertia of a 10,000 ton ship, that would be a HUGE pipe.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

To counteract the inertia of a 10,000 ton ship, that would be a HUGE pipe.

Deflect, not counteract. Different principles.
You're thinking of blocking.

I'm thinking of sloped armor to make the anchor go around the path.

If that requires staking the partial pipe into the sea bed, it might work.
Only testing will find out

 

[USAFRet]

I'm thinking of sloped armor to make the anchor go around the path.

There is no around...only over.

Which just requires a deeper hook.


Offense-defense
Cat-mouse

A better defense just means a different offense. And back and forth.

 

[evdjj3j]

Its only effective if they don't get caught.

What would an alternative be? Burying the cable? $$$$

Seems it was effective and since everyone knows who did it they've been caught. I don't think this will be the last time they do it either.

 

[evdjj3j]

What needs to happen is this "shadow fleet" needs sunk.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

There is no around...only over.

Which just requires a deeper hook.


Offense-defense
Cat-mouse

A better defense just means a different offense. And back and forth.

That's how the game is played

 

[ivan_vy]

make them pay, reparations cost and huge fines it's the only way to go, the fines will pay for better surveillance.

 

[Gururu]

This is easy. Add GPS motion sensors to alert at moment of movement. Send a jet to drop a bomb at any ships in vicinity.

 

[USAFRet]

This is easy. Add GPS motion sensors to alert at moment of movement. Send a jet to drop a bomb at any ships in vicinity.

Very strange definition of "easy".

 

[Kridian]

Just send the Kaiju.

 

[derekullo]

Deflect, not counteract. Different principles.
You're thinking of blocking.

I'm thinking of sloped armor to make the anchor go around the path.

If that requires staking the partial pipe into the sea bed, it might work.
Only testing will find out

By design, anchors aren't made to bounce over an object but rather to dig into the seafloor so that the anchor chain lying on the sea floor is able to provide resistance to the boat moving.
Sloped armor would be useful but only if the cable was large enough so that the anchor doesn't have sufficient leverage on the cable to move/damage it.
But then it just becomes an ... anchor race? as bad actors develop larger and more sophisticated anchors to damage the cable.

 

[pixelpusher220]

Yeah, but laying cables is already complicated and expensive. If they have to bury cables to make them resistant to anchor drags, that would probably be way too expensive, if it were even practical. Plus, it doesn't help the hundreds or thousands of cables that've already been deployed.

Furthermore, if cables somehow stop being a soft target, then focus could just turn to something else. So, I agree some thought should be given to what reasonable measures can be taken, but this is just one of those hard problems. Sometimes, the best defense is a good deterrent.

Apparently a number of the cables are already buried. The previous incident had many cables very tightly packed and the likely reason more weren't snagged was due to some being buried. But yeah will add expense to bury everything.

Wonder if you can retroactively bury? seems like it might be pretty hard given crisscrossing over time.

 

[USAFRet]

The real solution here is....Don't be an asshat.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

By design, anchors aren't made to bounce over an object but rather to dig into the seafloor so that the anchor chain lying on the sea floor is able to provide resistance to the boat moving.
Sloped armor would be useful but only if the cable was large enough so that the anchor doesn't have sufficient leverage on the cable to move/damage it.
But then it just becomes an ... anchor race? as bad actors develop larger and more sophisticated anchors to damage the cable.

Yup, exactly. But what else can you do?

Bury cables + pipe armor + staked pipe into sea floor + cover pipe with sea floor dirt?

 

[USAFRet]

Yup, exactly. But what else can you do?

As with everything else, have a good backup plan, and know how to recover.

 

[ivan_vy]

Just send the Kaiju.

the Kraken "send the Kraken", man , then chance was in front of you.

 

[TheOtherOne]

Reading some of the comments here about digging and burying the cables made me realize that, I didn't know seafloor was as hard like the Earth's surface or some sort of road built with concrete. 🤔

 

[jonaswox]

baltic sea is apparently a free for all.