Published September 8, 2009
in Container, China, Europe, TV, ship spotting, photos, From the ship, Shipping, photo, The 80's and On the ship.
NYK Vesta on the Elbe
The container ship was so big it nearly didn’t fit into my widest angle, plenty flat screen televisions on the way from China to Europe and lots of other necessities for modern life. Because we all need those big flat television devices, how did we ever manage when the telly took up so much space, in fact I just bought one the other day, only because the CRT tube telly we had died completely. It seems that I’m already totally out of date as I purchased an LCD TV, the IN thing is LED TV, I am so out of fashion! My last TV was bought in the 1980’s and was a super modern device back then with a remote control and teletext, it even had a SCART contact!!! It lasted the best part of 25 years. Well done LUXOR! We’ll see how many decades my new flat beauty lasts before the pixels die.
Neatly parked Russian coasters waiting for better days near Svetly on the canal to Kaliningrad, the Russian enclave in the Baltic. The pilot informed me that they had been laid up since January of this year, another pilot in Rotterdam told me that they have such underpowered engines that they would be the first to get mothballed, shippers choosing more flexible tonnage. That was his take on events. But I think that regardless of machine power the chances for these ships of seeing any action are slim for the foreseeable future.
Lay ups.
A programme on Swedish Public Radio was discussing the use of fjords and harbours on the west coast of Sweden as possible sites for long term lay ups. Northern latitudes being apparently more attractive due to better security. Another report in the LA Times speaks about Subic Bay in the Philippines where ships are laid up.
Hot and cold lay ups. A hot lay up is where the ship is waiting for a shorter period without cargo with full crew and ready for action, e.g. Subic Bay, because of the risk of typhoons. A cold lay up means a long period of time out of service. Accommodation sealed up, dehumidifiers in all spaces, and shore electricity or extra generator for power, with maybe one or two watchmen onboard. Dead ship in other words, e.g. Labuan in Brunei.
Of course none of this lay up business is new, 20 years ago as cadet I sailed on ships that had been reactivated from lay up after going directly from newly built to idle for several years. Back then it was mostly VLCC’s and other tankers, now it’s mostly large container vessels. The reasons are the same though over capacity and freight rates plummet. It will take time for a recovery, by then plenty ships will have gone to scrap or lay up to push up the freight rates. Then the carousel can start again.
Absalon by Hebster. Click on the photo to get to Hebsters Photo stream in Flickr
From the Scandinavian Shipping Gazette I read about the Danish frigate Absalon capturing boats and pirates in the Gulf of Aden. The Absalon’s helicopter spotted the boats and a navy seal detachment boarded and found equipment and weapons. Read the full story on Shipgaz.com.
The piracy in the gulf of Aden is on the almost out of control level. It used to be enough to keep away from the coast but now the pirates have powerful speedboats with long range and are equipped with sophisticated weapons and boarding equipment. Not bad coming from a country that has had no effective government since 1992. Where are all the weapons and gear coming from? Where does one shop for ship boarding equipment and sundry items, useful to the pirate trade? Unless there is some tacit official backing, which is understandable enough I suppose for a country with no industry or infrastructure, they need money too. This could be part of a toll system ? I also read that some shipping companies are employing private “security” firms when transiting these pirate infested areas. Someone pointed out that it might not be so good to have armed guards shooting at pirates who could retaliate with rocket propelled grenades, which tend to have a negative effect on ships like chemical tankers or oil product tankers, the resultant explosion produced by an RPG could destroy the whole ship, not really that great for the cargo, or the owners, or not least the poor unfortunate crew!
The Pacific Pintail has 3 x 30mm cannons onboard, but then again she is carrying plutonium waste, not the sort of shit you want pirates to be getting hold of. But this piracy lark seems to be a growth industry, ships are captured brought to the coast of Somalia and the owners pay ransoms, which they later deny and the pirates release the ships stripped usually and the crew mostly unharmed. How does that work I wonder, brokerage for ransom paying, how does one get into that line of business. Ex CIA with contacts with unscrupulous Swiss bankers trying to launder Nazi money? Who knows, I am just amazed that these pirates have turned piracy into an international business.
Back in my deep sea days we had no guns. On the LNG ships going up and down the Malacca straits and the South China Sea we just had a few fire hoses rigged over the sides and the anchor washers full on, not extremely effective but something to do, wet the pirates before they board you. If they were fired up and aggressive beforehand a good soaking will be sure to improve their mood. We used to joke about painting large dollar signs with direction arrows towards the old mans safe. Real thigh slapping stuff.
Now I’m the old man……
Vehicle carrier “Courage”
Registered in Wilmington Delaware USA
The American flagged Vehicle Carrier Courage of American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier (ARC) seen yesterday leaving Southampton on a voyage to destination undisclosed, she was heading west in the English channel on the AIS at her last contact. A fairly rare occurrence to see the Stars & stripes flying on the mast these days in this neck of the woods, I even thought it was a Liberian until it passed a bit closer. The ship was once a Wallenius called “Aida” and the name has only been painted over. According to local information sources vehicles carried are often military vehicles and that is why it’s American. The website looks however normal enough http://www.arrcnet.com/.
Distant shot of the ship that was lying on it’s side in Antwerp taken through a lens of a binoculars. She is in dock in Antwerp being repaired after her capsizing IMC has a detailed report. http://www.imcbrokers.com/blog/2007/11/19/repubblica-di-genova-towed-to-drydock/
I was tempted to get closer but that would have meant breaking and entering, trespassing and ISPS infringement, so cowardice being the better part of valour, I decided to stay on my bridge and use binoculars.
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