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December 13, 2012
On its maiden voyage at the most important time of the year, the world’s largest container ship docked in Southampton with tons of Christmas presents loaded on it. The massive floating warehouse measures a staggering 396 meters in length, which is the size of four football fields – sailed from China and will be making stops at several countries, with Britain being its first.
Santa’s Water Transport
The massive steel containers hold many delicious gifts all the way from the East. The latest televisions, furniture, clothing, books, power tools and just about every other conceivable gift that Santa has been required to drop off is hidden away in the massive containers.
The sheer size of the Marco Polo is a great source of pride for the company that launched the world’s largest container ship. It’s so big that for some people it defies words. As the largest man-made seafaring delivery “van” in the world, it’s almost hard to imagine unless you see it. Longer than the impressive Queen Mary 2 superliner, and four times longer than the mammoth A380 Airbus, this baby takes the breath away. As narrow boat builders, tug boat operators and even oil rig captains look on they are flabbergasted at the size of the Marco Polo.
Because the container ship’s cargo is so precious and holds many anticipated Christmas gifts, the largest container ship in the world will set sail for Hamburg, Germany where it will continue to spread the joy with its cargo.
One has to wonder if harbours and docks need to make changes as the giants of the sea will eventually become commonplace across the world and docked in ports. How does one park the largest container ship in the world? How long do boat repairs take? How long does it take to walk from one end to the other? So many questions.
August 1, 2012
The Chinese have expressed an interest in exploring the polar caps and with the recent construction of China’s first polar icebreaker the wheels have been set in motion of the first exploration. The melting caps have opened waterways that will allow the icebreaker the ability to move freely through the Arctic Ocean.
The Cool Ship
The 8,000 ton ship will have the ability to break through 1.5 metres of ice and work through the polar waterways which serve as short cuts between Europe and China allowing it to explore areas that are known for being rich in oil. This new icebreaker is expected to greatly boost the country’s exploration capacities.
Designed and still being manufactured by a Finnish company, construction workers in their orange hi vis vests and orange hi vis
trousers can be seen working on the hull of the huge ship. The polar icebreaker is set to make its debut in 2014 and will join another polar ship purchased from the Ukraine. Now that the icebreaker is in production the Chinese government has applied for Arctic observation licence that will allow it to act as an observer of the highly sensitive and protected region.
Many countries on the Arctic council need to meet to discuss the matter of the licence, but there should not be a large issue if the government is purely using the polar icebreaker to make way through the region and simply observe the Arctic.
June 25, 2012
The dimensions and contour is almost incomprehensible. It is most difficult to not heed her imposing presence. Blue Marlin ship is the globe’s largest seagoing carrier across the oceans. The sturdy carrier can transport an oil rig, or 22 barges, or a couple of submarines, even a couple of aircraft carriers. The semi-submersible was built purely for the transport of these massive constructs.
She is the biggest powerhouse ship on the ocean. Weighing an impressive 60,000 tonnes the Blue Marlin can load and carry additional 75,000 tonnes with absolute ease. At just over 700 feet in length and 149 in depth, the Marlin’s width is the most impressive. She measures two football fields in width and which allows her to carry mammoth structures such as rigs and up to 22 barges. Apparently a larger carrier ship is set to be launched at the end of 2012 and she will be the newest member of the Blue Marlin team. Designed to out-do the Marlin is most ways, she will carry a maximum weight of 110,000 tonnes. Now that’s impressive, but one still cannot dispute the legend that is the current Blue Marlin. Her freight and shipping capabilities are powerful and extremely dramatic.
The Blue Marlin has a crew of 24 because it takes some seriously experienced deck hands to ensure her colossal cargo is placed and
secured perfectly and safely each and every single time. It requires experienced men to ensure that the massive semi-submersible does exactly what she was designed for. Her ballast tanks fill with water, which then allows the Blue Marlin to perform a controlled sink to a depth of 15 metres. The cargo is then moved across the water onto the back on the Marlin. The water is pumped out of the ballast tanks and the ship rises so the cargo sits on top of the water, making it is ready for transportation. The crew’s job is extremely intensive and their responsibilities are heightened according to the risk and cargo their ship carries. The position of the cargo in relation to the ship is critically important.
The largest structure transported by the Blue Marlin was BP’s 60,000 tonne oil rig, still considered the largest offshore structure in the world. After loading the rig was transported all the way from Korea to the Gulf of Mexico. Clearly air freight forwarders would not work for this cargo shipment as it would have to be done in many pieces and many different trips. The structure stretched was so big stretched wider than the ship which means it stood out 55 metres on both sides. This is not the only mammoth shipment transported on the back of the imposing ship.
The Blue Marlin was commissioned by the US Navy to transport their USS Cole back to the States after it was damaged bombing attack during the Iraqi war. For the Marlin this was an easily loaded cargo. The stricken craft was then shipped back to its United States base. Now, as the bigger sister of the Blue Marlin makes its debut at the end of 2012, we cannot wait to see what she will carry.
March 8, 2012
After years of deliberation, Israel has finally decided to go ahead with plans to construct a railway line between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. The new Israel railway link will serve as an alternative to the Suez Canal, which has a monopoly over the movement of traded goods in the region. Israel’s Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has explained that the railway is a strategic move, even if it is projected to be more costly than freight and shipping. When the project was approved, the government explained that the country was relying on emerging economies like China and India to act as a bridge connecting Asia and Europe. The Israel railway will provide a link for them to do so. Jordan is also set to be involved in the project. The port of Aqaba, which is in close proximity to the Israeli port Eilat, is ideal for the sorting of freight containers.
The Prime Minister stated that Israel will enjoy the benefits of the railway for many years to come. This statement was in reference to the newly discovered natural gas fields in the Israel territory Mediterranean Sea. This natural resource could be of interest to Israel’s Asian partners. It also means that Israel and other nations will no longer have to rely on the Suez Canal sea freight service for the transportation of goods, as the popular sea freight link is often interrupted by political instability. Geographically, the new Israel railway is perfectly situated between Europe, Middle East and Asia.
According to plans, the Tel Aviv to Eilat stretch of 350km will only take about two hours, as modern passenger trains can travel at speeds of 300km per hour. The development of tourism is a secondary benefit. The government has not yet decided what contractors to use for the construction, although it has been reported that China might be awarded the contract due to their expertise in the field. The Israel railway will also serve to further foster the relationship between Israel and China.
February 28, 2012
In recent news, Israel has announced their plans to develop a railway line between the Mediterranean and Dead Sea. This strategic move hopes to capture some of the freight traffic enjoyed by the Suez Canal and hopes to compete with the well established maritime trade route. However, Egyptian government officials have stated that the railway poses no threat to the Suez Canal, as the rail route is expected to be two or three times more expensive than transporting goods via the canal. Furthermore, the Suez Canal has the capacity and experience to transport much larger volumes of goods at a time. For these reasons the railway is not expected to divert revenue from the Suez Canal. This article highlights the importance of the Suez Canal in the past and its relevance as a major trade route today.
The Nile River has always been a centre of importance to Egyptians, from a religious, political and economic perspective. Not only did goods travel the length of the river but information too. The Suez Canal, which connects both the Nile River and the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, became an equally important trade route after its first opening on the 17th November 1869. The Universal Suez Ship Canal Company, largely owned by Egyptian and French interests, was formed and given the right to operate the canal for ninety nine years.
The Suez Canal had an immediate and significant impact on trade as it greatly reduced the time and the risk of transporting goods. In 1875 Britain bought out Egypt’s shares, although an international convention in 1888 ensured that ships from all nations were able to use the Suez Canal. However with the creation of Israel in 1954, Egypt prohibited the use of the canal for any ship travelling to and from the newly formed nation. In 1956 the Egyptian government seized and nationalized the canal so that it could act as port agents and charge passage fees. That same year, Israel invaded Egypt for political and religious reasons, and Britain and France soon followed on the grounds that the canal should be free for all nations to use. In retaliation, Egypt sank forty ships in the Suez Canal with the intention of blocking it. These series of events are known as the 1956 Suez Canal Crisis. A truce was arranged by the United Nations and the Suez Canal reopened in 1957.
The Suez Canal is currently operated by the Suez Canal Authority. It is still has its original length of 163 km and is 300 meters in width. However, there are future plans to make the Suez Canal wider and deeper, in order for it to support larger ships. The Canal is as important today as it was in the 19th and 20th Century. It is one of the world’s busiest waterways and supports 8% of all shipping traffic in the world, supporting freight shipping company services.
When it comes to sea freight, there are many interesting aspects that contribute to the overall route of the trip. From the different ports of call, interesting shipping rules of the sea and of course the routes they take. There are a few key sea freight shipping canals that shape the world of freight and shipping as we know it; imagine a world where imports and exports took months longer than they currently do. Foreign aid, oil and other key industries would be hampered incredibly by ineffective slow turnover. Let’s look at the key sea freight transport canals that, in some cases, half shipping duration in half.
The Panama Canal completely cuts out an entire continent by connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean via the Caribbean Sea. Work began on the Panama Canal in 1880 and was completed thirty-four years later in 1914. This allowed sea freight containers the avoidance of the incredibly choppy and dangerous Strait of Magellan which claimed many ships over history. Ironically ownership of the Panama Canal has slipped from Columbia to France to American and only became Panama’s in 1999. In fact the majority of the economy of the country is generated by the sea freight cargo taxes that are generated by the Panama Canal. A world without the Panama Canal would exclude many economies in South America as well as make trips from the Atlantic to the Pacific dangerous.
The Suez Canal, also known as ‘The Highway to India’ is probably the most important contested canal route for sea freight in history. Opened in 1869 after a decade of construction, it linked the Mediterranean with the Indian Ocean artificially and sliced off months of travel time for sea freight. Time is said to be the biggest cost of sea freight in the UK since the major trade partners are usually on the other side of the world. The Suez Canal is interesting in its history which predates its own existence by centuries; records state that ancient Egyptians had planned a similar canal many centuries before it was eventually completed. Because of the vast importance of the canal, there is an international treaty stating that at no time, during war or peace, will usage of the canal be blocked no matter what country or organisation plans to use it.