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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.
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.
February 17, 2012
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.
There are many more key sea freight routes that exist, but these two canals are by far the most important that the world has in operation today. We’re sure that the future of these canals is secure because their importance is universal to sea freight regardless of nation.
January 27, 2012
The business of oil transportation is an interesting one; how can we transport many hundreds of tonnes of oil a year without fixed piping. The answer comes in the form of the biggest ships ever to cargo goods, the Batillus-Class Supertankers. By far the biggest ships in the world by gross tonnage, the line of ships were the goliaths of the ocean and among the first UULC (Ultra Large Crude Carriers) ships operating in the world. The Batillus-Class supertankers were a family of mammoth oil tankers that have since been decommissioned. Batillus was the first in the family, being built in 1976 for the French branch of Shell Oil and constructed by Chantiers de I’Atlantique. The circumstances surrounding its construction were interesting during a volatile time for freight shipping; the ‘oil shock’ as a result of the Yom Kippur War almost saw the supertanker scrapped as a project altogether. The contract to build the Batillus was signed on April 6th 1971 and by the time of the war in 1973 there was serious doubt the biggest cargo ships could use their full potential since supply of oil dropped dramatically. However Shell decided to continue construction as work commitments at the shipyard were already so far along that any cancellation would put thousands of men out of work and extreme financial stress on the shipyard.
In the same year, sister ship Bellamya was also built along the same circumstances and had a length of 412 metres which is staggering; putting it into context the biggest cruise ships in the world average at most 360 metres long. Following a year later the last two ships of the family were made, Pierre Guillaumat and Prairial who have both since been decommissioned and scraped. While sea freight demand is high, the biggest ships of all time are usually bigger than is practical. The Batillus-class ships couldn’t traverse the Suez and Panama Canals, couldn’t enter most docks having to anchor off-shore on rigs and were often idling without cargo for months. Still these modern marvels are something truly amazing to behold; their sheer size and record as the biggest ships in the world make them something special for the history books.
January 9, 2012
It seems the sea freight industry is feeling a bit under the archaic legislation law of the old British rule, or so the amendments to the ‘Sea Bill 2011’ would suggest. The National Assembly Standing Committee on Ports and Shipping has unanimously passed the Carriage of Goods act to be presented before the National Assembly for confirmation. While the organisation is more than just a mouthful, one needs to be aware that while it’s important to pass contemporary common law legislation to keep up with the times, the utmost care needs to be taken to ensure they follow international practices and economic and commercial viability and policies. When it comes to certain developing countries, the freight shipping industry can be quite challenging. Take for example Pakistan who relies almost entirely on private international shipping companies; a ball park figure of 95% of all business. The new law legislation employment by the NASCPS may have the best interests of the first world in mind, but on a global stage where it’s difficult for developing countries to play ball the amendments may give more advantage to developed countries than they already had.
While most developing countries are completely out of the question when it comes to air freight, a lot of the costal third world countries rely heavily on sea trade to function. For many the exporting of goods by boat is the primary means of international trade so it’s important to consider not replacing old ‘tyrannical’ laws with new ones which are just as bad but different. In the UK Labour law legislation has seen steps to aid the thousands of workers who rely on ports for their income, but these same laws aren’t being followed through on in developing countries. All is not lost as steps are being taken to ensure fair trade for all in a fair and balanced way; perhaps benefiting a handicap on those smaller countries who struggle to keep up.
With movements now underway with law legislation, the liberty of conversation has been extended and will no doubt become a talking point. Would now be the perfect opportunity to put forward changes that will finally drag developing countries to the big table of sea freight? I don’t see why not, I just hope that it’s the Hamburg Rules that are adopted for sea freight conventions; that would be a piece of legislation law that rings promising bells for the future of maritime importing and exporting.
