The Box That Changed Britain

[Don Rafferty]

BBC4 9PM Sunday.

This looks like one worth watching, all about containerisation and it's effects on our ports and shipping.

Quote from Radio Times:

"Hand-loading a ship in the USA in 1956 cost $5.86 a ton; it cost just 16 cents a ton to load a new fangled container ship."

It's hard to argue against economics like that.


Don

[Albert Bishop]

I watched that program Don, and I agree with you. The MN may have been more fun in our day, but you can't argue with how much more efficient the Box boats are. And it seems we all gain from the cost of things. For those who missed it, If you buy a telly imported from the far east, the costliest part of its journey, is the journey from the shop to your house. Cheers Albi

[Raymond Bisseker]

An interesting fact. Containerisation was invented over 200 years ago. It was used on the British canal system. Now there is nostalgia.

[Neville Roberts]

I never sailed on a container boat but it must be a lot diferent than when I was at sea , getting stuck in an awfull port waiting for the cargo to arrive , one I remember well achored out in Mombassa up the creek after unloading ordinance for the army and waiting too get alongside for the rest of the cargo ,5 weeks in port and limited beer

[Raymond Bisseker]

Having said that, I really did enjoy longish stays in ports, loading/discharging. Great runs ashore. No work for this RO in port.

[happy daze john in oz]

Container ships are so impersonal now, very often a quick turn around as well. But just think how many containers are floating around in the oceans where they have fallen overboard.

[alf corbyn]

if it had been up to the london dockers, we would have never had containers. they objected to forklift trucks and insisted on still useing six man teams. there used to be one driving the fork lift and three helping to stack while two were skiving off. they used to hide in cabins on ucl and scrounge teapots,cups and expect those of us working bye to supply them with tea ,sugar etc. there would be two showing their face on cargo and four playing cards. alf.

PS. i have changed my e-mail address. it is now shuftee@hotmail.com

[john james]

Boxes carrying boxes,thats container ships.

[John Cassels]

Don't know where they get their 16 cents per ton from.
Even as much as 10 years ago , it was USD 2.40 per ton ( based on 1 teu).

[Archie Coulter]

I joined a brand new SD 14 cargo ship in 1973. The Super said: "There is still a great future for a ship like this. These containers havnt taken off the way people though they would"