Maritime updates

[Ivan Cloherty]

Just a couple of snippets that I thought may be of interest

Korea has just launched the MSC 'Oscar' container ship with a capacity of 19224 TEU's, this beats the Chinese Cosco ships by 124 containers and Maersk E Class by over a 1000 units

A new shipyard in China has launched its first ship by lifting it into the water with its 22000 metric tonne capacity mobile gantry crane, the ship was small at only 4000 tonnes

Nicaragua will start dredging Lake Managua in January 2015 as the first steps towards the new canal, a new dredger is currently on its way from Holland

America has stated that its inland waterways are unique to the USA, they must not have heard about the inland waterways of Holland, Switzerland, Germany, France, Russia etc etc

I think we got an order for a 194 tonne patrol boat from Ireland, so things are looking up!

[Rodney Mills]

Ivan,

The Inland Waterways and Intracoastal Waterway System for our conversational reasons can be considered as two parts:

(1) Navigable by a tugs hauling barges, small tankers for chemicals, plus commercial vessel etc..

(2) Intracoastal, which is a small-craft waterway between a chain of barrier islands and the mainland.

(1) The Inland waterway system Directly serves thirty-eight states. Vessels can move cargo to and from the Great Lakes to New Orleans. This part of the system has just over 25,000 Miles (40,000klm) of navigable waters and the shippers and movers depend on this system to move 630 million tons of cargo, valued at 73 billion dollars annually. Mainly this is done via tug and barges. Additionally, many small cruise ship companies offer passengers cruises throughout the system visiting cities and towns and enjoying various portions of the Inland Waterway for various lengths of time.

(2) This part of the Inland Waterways extend from Florida to New Jersey. It is a channel system formed between the mainland and the barrier Islands, navigable by small-craft; with access' to the ocean, and in many cases tidal effected.

The Island portion in South Carolina, where I live, is connected to the mainland by a drawbridge system for access by cars to the mainland. Both sides plus the ocean sides of the Inland Waterway are in the main populated and have residences that can be quite pricey. My wife and I have cruised this portion of the Inland Waterway, and North Carolina's Cape Fear and other sections. Weather co-operating we will be holidaying by the Inland Waterway the first or second week of January.

The Inland Waterway generates a lot of income, by home sales, Hotels, condominium rentals, marinas, small craft sales and maintenance; fishing, both commercial—shrimps in the main—and recreational. Plus of course the normal commercial infrastructure one would expect in a populated area.

With a small motor driven craft that one can venture out safely on coastal waters, it would be possible to navigate from Florida to, for example, Maryland via the Chesapeake bay and drop in for tea with Mr. Obama in Washington...That's if he trusts you Brits...As the last time Brits visited (1812) the Capitol Buildings the Brits burnt them. If that is not to your favor, cruise further north to New Jersey and a short bus ride will take you to the bright lights of Manhattan.

Cheers, Rodney

[John Arton]

We were discharging timber in a port in Florida, can't remember the name of it but it was north of Miami. The Intracoastal waterway ran right by our berth with a drawbridge over it just ahead of us. The area was been patrolled by a small coastguard cutter guarding the approach to the bridge. It was crewed by a single person but what drew my and the rest of the crews, attention to it was the Coastguard officer driving the launch. She was an absolute stunner whose uniform of the day was a skimpy bikini and coastguard cap. Spent plenty of time watching her patrol up and down guarding the approach to that bridge.
rgds
JA

[Ivan Cloherty]

Hello Rodney, I actually threw that one in for you, as I knew you wouldn't be able to resist, no harm meant! But I still maintain, the system is not exclusive to the USA as anyone who has travelled in Europe will tell you and I would think that the trade carried on these routes equals that carried on the USA system and probably far exceeds it, although the USA may hold the record for a single country mileage (no need to convert to metric, we don't use it yet, although the BBC are trying to brainwash us into it), but then again Russia may dispute that.

The Statement by an American Professor about the USA waterways just got my attention and I just wondered how far he had travelled around the world to make that statement. No I am not one of those anti-Americans as they have much to be proud of and much to be admired for.

[Rodney Mills]

Ivan,

I love fly fishing and you tossed me a lovely yummy fly...and I bit. I too was not having a go; just correcting what I interpreted was a sentence from the Prof. about the magnitude of the Inland Waterways or lack thereof. Good one mate, keep casting, however, like the trout that's been released back into the stream, I'm going to huddle down behind shelter, nurse my sore lip (ego), and for a while at least, look the flies over before I bight.

A very merry Christmas (@!#$ the p.c. brigade) and happy and healthy new year to you and your family.

Cheers Rodney

"The follies which a man regrets most in his life are those he didn't commit when he had the opportunity."

—Helen Rowland 1876-1950

[Ivan Cloherty]

Mitsui OSK Japan have just ordered four 20150 capacity container ships for delivery in 2018, to be built in Korea, wonder who will be next on the numbers game. Maersk have stated that they are not joining the numbers game and their next orders will be in the 16/18000 unit range as they find they can reach more ports with this size