The LEGO model of the Maersk Triple E container ship

Here’s a question for you: what weighs more than 20,000 tonnes, can carry thousands of tonnes of cargo and is equivalent in length to eight Olympic-size swimming pools?

Have you ever wondered how all of our stuff moves around the world and what machine enables the transportation of our wants and needs?

Well wonder no more. There is a marvel of the seas. A steady warhorse which undertakes our global hauling, a feat for which it deserves much celebration and applause!

The container ship has the unglamorous yet essential job of accommodating between 18,000–20,000 containers, meaning one of its standout characteristics is of course its phenomenal size (just a side note – one container can take up to 6,000 pairs of shoes!).

It won’t come as a surprise then when we tell you that the container ship is responsible for the transportation of a staggering 90% of our global cargo!

Currently our largest of these sea bound carriers in terms of its carrying capacity is the OOCL Hong Kong - the Largest container ship (capacity)

This trojan carrier has a beam (width) of 58.80 m (192 ft 10in), a depth of 32.50 m (106 ft 7in) from deck edge to keel, and a ‘displacement’ – which means its fully loaded weight – of 253,104.7 long tons (257,166 tonnes; 283,477 US tonnes)! In total it can carry 21,413 20-ft containers.

Container ship LEGO spread

Perhaps the best way to understand these sea creatures is to build one of your very own!

And if you have been paying close attention there is no reason why you shouldn’t be in with a chance.

As these huge haulers show us… anything is possible. In 2014 LEGO created a 1,518 piece reproduction to celebrate Maersk Line's Triple E. This phenomenon was at the time the world’s Largest ship and - in the interest of scale - the Triple E is more than 600 times larger then LEGO’s miniature recreation.

To be in with a chance visit the dedicated container ship page and answer the question on the form.

Entrants from the UK, Ireland and Canada are valid and all entries must be received by 11:59:59 p.m. GMT on Friday 16 November. See full terms and conditions.

Guinness World Records 2019 is out now. As well as the LEGO kits there are also record attempts for you to try at home. Find out where you can buy your copy.

GWR 2019