Guest post: A menace on the high seas
Originally a comment by Freeminder on Stuck.
I served as a Deck Officer on containerships (usually known as ‘boxboats’) for several years.
Evergreen, as a shipping line, was, and still is, regarded as a menace on the high seas. I saw an Evergreen ship run aground just outside Port Suez about twenty years ago, amongst other mishaps. The Evergreen ships were blatant in their recklessness: cutting across shipping lanes, ignoring the ‘Rules of the Road’ and even cutting through prohibited areas to save time. Sometimes we wondered if there was anyone on watch on the bridge…several times we had to alter course to avoid collisions, even when we had right of way or arrived at the pilot station on our allotted time (they would literally barge their way in).
The Suez Canal is very narrow in parts and sometimes it didn’t help that the pilots would speed up or slow down depending how much they were bribed (normally US Dollars, whiskey or Marlboros) by the Master of the vessel. They would openly demand this just for turning up on the bridge. Refusal to give them anything would delay passage or bring in other serious problems. I joke not, the pilots frequently left the bridge for twenty minutes and prayed, often during manoeuvres into the lakes, anchorages or passing points. The boxboats are very high sided even when not fully loaded (‘windage’) which can make them difficult to keep on a course at low speed (steerage was lost at about 5-6knots). However, in this case I think the blame lies solely with the canal pilot. If moving too slowly,in strong winds, (which I have experienced there) the ship would have started swinging off course. Speeding up would have brought it back on track. Having been through it over twenty times, its nickname of Sewage Canal is rightly earned. As for the corruption of the other authorities…we all nicknamed Misr (Egypt) as Misery.
As for alternative power supply, Pliny is right. Nukes need specialists and lots of them, and armed guards (cargo ships go to virtually every nation with a seaport, including PROC, Iran and other unfriendlies. Commercial ships are normally built cheap for a 25 year life, and then get scrapped. There were funnel emission scrubbers on my company’s ships. These big ships can run for about a month without refuelling, at 24knots or more. Cargo ships are usually in a rush, operating at full tilt between ports. We could get through 3000+ tonnes of fuel a month. We normally had a crew of about 20. So in terms of efficiency, very, very cost-effective.
Freeminder: I wonder if any of the news media are aware of Evergeen’s reputation. Perhaps send this to reporters of major newspapers?
Interesting point to raise, Bruce. However, I suspect, and probably so do most current and ex-seafarers, that I already know what the media would do: either over sensationalise or badly mis-report, getting the details utterly wrong.
I don’t think the vast majority of people are aware of what happens on the seas. Several magazines, in Europe and elsewhere were certainly aware of Evergreen’s reputation. Fairplay (sadly no more) and others used to regularly provide articles on them. However, they also knew that several other companies (most either bought out/merged/no longer operating) were just as bad. MSC springs to mind! There was always at least one scary incident per voyage. Proving anything is harder than people might think. Also, as Evergreen is Taiwanese, there will no doubt be some hesitation in investigating their company, for political reasons. After one incident inside an Asian port, we tried to report one of their boxboats to the coastguard. The coastguard simply did not want to know. This was in the 90s and they accused my Captain of racism! As long as the cargo arrives and cheap goods continue, no one does a thing about it. Besides, in the Ever Given’s case, I don’t believe the ship’s bridge officers or Master were at fault (though in law they ultimately are, as the pilot is merely there to guide, not conn the vessel). Besides, this has happened several times over the last twenty years, but I only recall about two previous news reports. One year it only made headlines (in December, if I recall) as one the ships held up in the Canal carried the UK’s allocation of a new Playstation.
Most media outlets cannot tell a destroyer or frigate from an aircraft carrier, or a ferry from a tanker. Merchant shipping is usually in the news if: a) one sinks and causes an oil spill b) is a cruise ship on a maiden voyage c) it runs aground within sight of land d) the passengers catch a disease and it is reported as ‘The Ship From Hell’. Everything else is simply not news: out of sight, out of the headlines. Even the piracy stories were/are badly reported, with many being more supportive of the pirates! Not all the crews come home unhurt but that never makes into the media.
But, to end on a happier note , I did visit the fair city of Seattle several times. The Pike Place Fish Market had a superb fish and chips diner. Wonder if it still there?
Was it Lowell’s? That’s the famous one, but there are several others. Lowell’s is still open from what I can tell.
I worked at the Aquarium years ago, at the bottom of the hill from the Market. We would nip up there for lunch or a break all the time.
Lowells, yes that’s the one. I used to love the view across the harbour. It was a favourite place to head to on a run ashore. A cold beer (I made a point of trying the local draughts, which were usually excellent) real chips UK-style and the fish was superb. After a twelve day voyage, from Japan or PROC, it was a real treat. This is certainly bringing back memories!
Going by the first paragraph, they sound like the Donald Trump of “box boat” companies.
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