container ships

[Keith Tindell]

I have never worked on box boats, they were well after my time, but i pass them in the Solent on a regular basis, and amazed that the pirates are able to board these things at sea. i saw the film Captain Philips, which i presume was a true account of how it was achieved, but incredible. Tonight on BBC2 at 2000hrs on the program Coast, they are aboard a tug bringing a large box boat into Liverpool docks, should be worth watching. How the pilot boards alone should be interesting, must be pretty fit guys today, after the second or third docking of the day, and a tipple with the skipper !!, must make the job more difficult, kt

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Keith.
Like you I was never on a container ship but used to watch them come into Sydney when I was working down in Darling Harbour, I was glad in one way that I wasn't at sea, but then again I would like to have had just the one trip for the experience.To see these ships nearly towering above the Opera house was a sight.
Cheers Des

[happy daze john in oz]

It has been reported that a company has developed a fitting to container ships that will make it almost impossible for pirates to climb aboard.
They are so big now that once on board if you can there are so many points at which you could hide.

[Louis the fly]

I sailed on a few container and roll on / roll off ships starting with Ellermans. They introduced small , fast container vessels for their Medi run , the box's were only two high.
In later years I spent some time running to the Red Sea and Gulf ports on far larger ships sailing from Felixstowe . There was quite a lot of money to be made in driving off your own cargo , this was luxury cars , tractors , and huge vehicles on tank tracks. The Libyan agent came aboard with a briefcase full of money to pay us out. When driving to the compound you had to drive very carefully , if involved in an accident with a local it was your fault regardless of the circumstances. Their law states if you had not been in the country the accident would not have occurred.
Another way of making money was buying gold in Jeddah , the market traders charged by the gram , all jewellery and gold ingots genuine and finest quality.

For Keith , there are doors built into the ships side for pilots to come and go , also doors for taking bunkers and fresh water. When closed they are flush with the hull.

[John Arton]

Keith
As Louis said above, they have watertight pilot embarkation doors fitted in their hulls just above the load waterline. On the Evergreen ships built in the 80's this door led directly to a lift that took the pilot straight up to the (enclosed) wheelhouse. If no side door then its the pilot ladder/accommodation ladder combination. (max climb of a pilot ladder=9 metres).
As regards pirates boarding, the accommodation block is often so far away from the stern that at night time a fast armed skiff can easily sneak up unseen from astern and they used grappling irons (or even ladders) to board unseen. Barbed wire round the railings and across all access's is the cheap way of protection, otherwise it is the hiring or armed security men to patrol the ship when passing through known pirate areas.
A British Company did patent a method whereby the ships rails were specially adapted to prevent anyone getting over them whilst the ship was underway.
rgds
JA

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates, watched a program about Box boats the crew and life at sea today, 2016 9 months sea time, no inter net access, no shore leave maybe 2 hours in port,? and you cant have any contact with your family or friends 90% of the time. some sea man 350 men have been taken by Pirates 4 years ago, and No one cares, they are still there ?the ship owners only care about the cargo, and the profit . Today I would never go to sea, unless some one put a gun to my head.

[Ron Kendall]

The 6 ex soldiers who were employed on the Seaman Guard Ohio, are still in India, on remand, and have not been paid for the 2 years or so since they were arrested for having weapons on the ship. the owners were not charged, and the ship, registered in Freetown, I think has been abandoned. Theresa May is supposed to be asking about this o her visit this week. Ridiculous when all they were doing was protecting shipping from pirates!

[Jim Brady]

Some ships had a citadel,all the crew could get in there they would have food and water and a means of contacting the outside world.As regards the pilot coming aboard the container ship I was on the accommodation ladder was lowered and was pointing f'rard (this was going up the St.Lawrence and back)the pilot launch had a flat back the helmsman of the launch would come along side of the ship which is still moving and manoeuvre the launch so that the accomm/ladder was on the deck of the launch allowing the pilot easy access to the accom/ladder.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates, The pirates had 350 seaman as far as the program said? NONE were British mostly phillpinos, that country dont care about them? many flag of convenice ships today 7 tillion dollars of goods transport by sea treble the amount of 1970, cheaper rates today 100,000 ships all non British ?

[Jim Brady]

As a matter of interest did anyone traverse the St.Lawrence Seaway during the time it was iced up ??? Just wondering how they got the pilot aboard/ashore.
Regards.
Jim.B.