The scale is amazing to me.
That truck in the lower right is a full size ram truck.
This ship turned on its side mid channel and got pushed onto a sandbar so it didn't block the channel.
they are cutting it up now, and this is only 1 chuck of it
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a34847785/capsized-cargo-ship-salvage-watch/

I read an article on it: they use a "cutting chain" to slice everything like a cake, than hoist each slice onto a barge. Amazing.
I'd always assumed that vehicles would be tied down for ocean voyages, but I guess not; or, the tie-downs were no match for a capsize.
Either way, that's a LOT of scrap metal to process.

A real BIG reason why things should be made in the country they are supposed to sell in...

Judging by the numbers, I guess it would take too long to tie everything down.

They said 4000 cars on it at the time, but it could hold 7000.

So is the lack of tying the payload (cars) down a contributor to why the ship capsized in the first place?

So the rust stain is the water line marking the capsized immersion?

I have been following it on Youtube, although its a shame it happened I find the whole thing fascinating. I might be wrong but the pickup hanging out in the picture looks like a Ram.

From what I read about it, it was a ballast issue.
They off-loaded a bunch of small cars on one level or so, and loaded a bunch of SUVs & trucks at a higher level.
Making a turn, the ship started to roll over, and they couldn't save it.
Seems like a rookie mistake, which to me is surprising.

"couldn't save it" once the cars began to move? A simple center divider/guard rail on each level, might have saved the whole ship?

A longshoreman friend said they use to cut the straps holding the cars when he unloaded them. It was quicker than loosening the strap as they got X number of hours to unload. If they got a 8 hour job done in 4, they got paid for 8 like flag hours. That was 20+ years ago.

Not sure if the same securing methods are used now.

it is questionable if the cars had moved by the time it was "too late".
the tipping point on a ship that size, may not be far enough to cause "sliding" like that.
The investigation isn't complete, but yeah, they said they accidently shifted the center of gravity too high by the change in cargo.
They also left a door open that helped contribute to the flooding and being unable to correct.

It sounded like the start of fish tailing to me. Tried to go one way, over corrected to go the other and didn't center the wheel soon enough and bam, gone.
Because they were so close to shore and other ships, was the only reason they are all alive. They basically said if it had happened out at sea, no one would have known what happened.

Reminds me of this story.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Cougar_Ace

https://www.wired.com/2008/02/ff-seacowboys/

A lot of merit to your points, how about one of the car steel decks got wet. oily, Antifreeze, or the loaders left the cars in neutral/no brakes, and a snowball effect began with cars moving, unbeknownst to the ship operators who were dialing in the "normal" expected steering correction, and not understanding why things were not improving? Of course all speculative and without any proof, and likely will never be known for certain, which might be the goal of those who are to blame. Maybe the pilot has steering dyslexia? I would have thought the righting moment with a ship with this intended purpose, would have a large safety factor, but then, what do I know?

Wow, I'm sure there's going to be plenty of blame to go around since there will be a HUGE financial loss.

I noticed something else not yet noted, I found interesting in the OP's posted pic, there is not a single human visible, I assume underscoring the risk in this operation.

Our EPA doesn’t understand that.

I am not sure what that means. As I understand it, these were made here and being shipped to the middle east for sale.
if you are saying kia, mercedes and ram should open plants in the middle east, I am not sure how that helps us.

Yes and Yes.

I read a story on it and they loaded the cars on the upper levels while removing cars from the lower levels. Ship got top heavy and the tipped over mid trip.

It has been capsized for about a year IIRC, so that brown is the water line after flipping on it's side.

I had to look,there is a guy in a yellow coat left side half way down. I had to look

Good Eye

Different countries have different natural resources and capabilities so this is not always possible.

of course the cars/trucks are tied down...

They don't tie vehicles down on ocean-going ferrys, why would they tie them down on one of these ?!?! There may be rails on either side of the tires but that's probably it. It would take hours just to chock the wheels let alone strap the vehicles down !

interesting... please explain further... i've been on hundreds of ships, bulkcarriers/tankers , clean and dirty/lng, and dozens of car carriers - and every one has been secured - so await your most interesting comment as maybe its a new style which i have not seen

A cruise ship skirting the coast is nothing like a trans ocean voyage... not matter how big the boat is. If they were left unrestrained they would be dented side, top and bottom.

I believe the big dogs or marine salvage are Wijsmuller and Smit Tak. Their videos on YT are great to watch. Not a job for me. Even in my younger days.

still awaiting your answer

You realize with the pic in this thread, it appears every vehicle pictured broke free of its restraints, IF they were restrained in the first place. I am also not certain how much impact forces the restraints would see if the ship rolled over on its side in shallow water. Additionally there is the thought that the cars shifting prior to the capsize precipitated the event. It would seem any restraint system would at the min not break from gravity forces alone of the vehicle. Of course its possible, one vehicle became loose, and it started a mass snowball effect.

I am not convinced from what I have read here, the vehicles were restrained by anything more then being put in park. I see no indications of any wheel guides, but the pic is not detailed enough to confirm.

Here's an article:

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a35877638/golden-ray-final-voyage/

Mike.

Interesting
So then, it was not apparently weather related
It rolled over, and was pushed by tugs onto a sandbar
The stability designer refuses to testify/comment
No mention is made of load shifting
There is no official declaration of cause yet

Decades back I worked a Day cruise on a large ship concert out of Canaveral. It so happened that during the afternoon there was a nearby shuttle launch announced.
Most of the passengers proceeded to the upper deck to watch the launch. The ship began to list, and the ship quickly turned to present the stern to the launch pad, I believe to even out the passengers and reduce the list. Who would have thought?

all vehicles are tied down..,

You are repeating yourself, but still neglecting to offer anything to support that claim in this incident.

would you trailer your car without it being secured??? and there lies your answer...

quick google search on the subject gave me this.
RoRo shipping is the preferred shipping method for new car manufacturers to ship their own vehicles. In addition to the exact departure and arrival dates, RoRo shipping means that all vehicles are tied down below deck. That way, the vehicles have all the protection against external elements.

would you trailer your car without it being secured??? and there lies your answer...

What i or you, or what is safe, normal and/or logical is not the question here, its what was done on this voyage.

And since something went obviously wrong, and the cause has yet to be determined, IMO, EVERYTHING is still on the table in determining that cause.

When the enterprise got stuck they had the whole crew run from side to side to try and free her.
you can see them all on deck.

They do tie cars down on these ships. I have a pic but no idea how to post.

This is a typical car carrier ship, but I can't find a specific one for that ship. That's if the crew ties them all down.

Another one...

So that's why Home Depot runs out of tie down straps when ships come into port.

Wonder how much list those straps with withstand, meaning they sure don't look substantial IMO.

Nobody can argue the amount of time that strapping would require both in and out, meaning a big motive to avoid the procedure entirely.

A more detailed pic at some point of the salvaged ship ought to clearly show some remnants of any straps in use.

Here is an image taken by the salvage crew using LIDAR equipment

Another image

Mystery solved. LOL

Loading takes time. I mentioned how the offload procedure went down from a longshoreman that unloaded a lot of those car carriers.

and that is a very fair statement

Interesting pics, but one aspect, with the reported multiple fires, I suspect many of the fabric straps did not survive for the pics ( looks like neither did the tires), and some vehicle shifting took place AFTER the capsize in the resulting fires, so the after pics might be slightly misleading regarding the load shifting contribution here.

In this story, they say that all the cars were strapped down. They were concerned that if one broke loose, it would break the others loose below it, then finish the tip while they were under deck.

Think of the change in load dynamics if all those vehicles, unstrapped, were to shift only 1 foot side to side. You have a lot of weight moving around. No way to ballast that active inertia quick enough.

I'd like to see this "cutting chain" in action. From a bit of a distance.