Ship Called Sun Rio Arrives In Port With A Bunch Of Frozen Cars

Taking delivery of a new car in these hectic times requires a lot of patience since the microchip shortage has forced customers to patiently wait for many months to grab the keys to their prized possessions. These vehicles coming all the way from South Korea to dock at the port in Vladivostok in Russia had all the precious semiconductors, and yet owners still might have to wait a bit more than the usual. Why? Because of our ruthless Mother Nature.

Having faced extreme weather conditions during transit, the cars arrived at Russia's largest port on the Pacific Ocean encapsulated in thick ice. Citing the captain's ship, Russian publication VL writes: "It's December, the sea is rough and windy. The water splashes on board, making a crust. It's no big deal. Except that this year the winds are much stronger than usual. But sailors are used to it. It happened before, we used to unload, and it was ok."

All About Shipping:

Built in Japan back in 1991, the ship is ironically called "Sun Rio" and carries the country flag of Panama where the temperature varies between 75 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (24 to 32 degrees Celsius) throughout the year. In service for three decades, the vehicle carrier is registered in the transcontinental country in Central America and South America. It currently travels along the Vladivostok - Toyama – Busan route.

As far as the cars being transported, VL mentions the ship only had Japanese models on deck, including the Honda Fit / Jazz and Toyota Tank / Roomy. It's quite common for vehicles to arrive in this state during winter, and when that happens, sailors break the ice before unloading them from the ship. They apparently use everything from reagents and fire hydrants to the good ol' crowbar. And yes, sometimes the cars are damaged in the process.

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