When the Ship Hits the Sand

When a ship’s serviceable life ends, it usually gets sent to the shipbreaker, and that means the final ride is usually onto the beach

By Pim Van Hemmen

November 3, 2021

New ships get built and old ones are retired.

Once a ship reaches the end of its serviceable life it usually gets sent to the shipbreaker, and that often means a last ride onto a distant beach. Ships frequently end up in Asia where labor is cheap and environmental regulations are lax.

In this video, five vessels take their last ride and meet their inglorious end.

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Pim Van Hemmen

Pim Van Hemmen is the Deputy Editor of Soundings magazine and SoundingsOnline.com. In a previous life he worked as a newspaper photographer, editor and nautical photographer. When he's not writing about boats, he explores Maine's waters on his Zodiac RIB.