RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted February 27, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 27, 2023 I've just been reading the latest Alphaliner newsletter (Alphaliner is one of those information services which exist to sell info to industrial customers) and there are some eye opening figures on European container port TEU figures which indicate real problems with the regional economy. Drops of 20 - 50% and with no Christmas bump. Another example of changes in global trade, Hamburg has fallen to 20th place in the global port rankings, overtaken by Laem Chabang in Thailand. The Thai port added more than a million TEU in throughput since 2020, while Hamburg lost around 250,000. Interestingly, figures for US ports seem pretty steady. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drmditch Posted February 27, 2023 Share Posted February 27, 2023 3 hours ago, jjb1970 said: I've just been reading the latest Alphaliner newsletter (Alphaliner is one of those information services which exist to sell info to industrial customers) and there are some eye opening figures on European container port TEU figures which indicate real problems with the regional economy. Drops of 20 - 50% and with no Christmas bump. Another example of changes in global trade, Hamburg has fallen to 20th place in the global port rankings, overtaken by Laem Chabang in Thailand. The Thai port added more than a million TEU in throughput since 2020, while Hamburg lost around 250,000. Interestingly, figures for US ports seem pretty steady. Thank you. Are there any comparative figures for UK ports? As a matter of interest, why is a TEU used as a standard? Presumable a 40' container (which seem to be very common) is a '2 TEU' ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted February 27, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 27, 2023 No British container ports are big enough to be reported on. Here is a publicly available list based on 2020: https://www.worldshipping.org/top-50-ports Ports like Felixstowe, Southampton and London Gateway are obviously big container terminals, but by global standards they just don't register. The scale of container operations in Asia is just on a different scale to anywhere else in the world. Even Rotterdam and Antwerp aren't especially big by global standards despite a lingering belief in Europe that they dominate the world of ports. On TEU vs. FEU, some US lines did use FEU, but the global standard is TEU. TEU is used by UNCTAD, most of the commercial information services, the container industry, IMO etc. There are lots of container sizes within the ISO standards so for ease of use it makes sense to use a common metric even if this introduces compromises. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted February 27, 2023 Share Posted February 27, 2023 That really is an eye-opener! This might be a great example of how our "news" in the UK MSM can distract us from the ways the world at large is changing. Hamburg (in particular) might be fallout from the impact of NordStream on German industry. Dare I suggest that as BRIICS continues to expand, this trend will just get worse? P.S. maybe it's time to start buying presents now for Christmas 2023? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted February 27, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 27, 2023 The industry has changed beyond all recognition since I started my cadetship in 1989. At that time the biggest container ships in the world were about 4500TEU (and most topped out at about 3600TEU) and the two principal routes were the two East - West routes Europe - Japan and Japan - USA. Nowadays 4000TEU is basically a feeder ship and the route network is much more complex. The East - West routes are now much more complex (serving SE Asia, the Sub-Continent, North Africa etc) and anchored on China, and North - South routes are now a huge part of the industry. There are large shipping lines that are basically intra-Asia and North - South operators, a few years ago that would have meant small operators and rather unimpressive ships, now companies like Wan Hai and PIL operate huge ships and are major players. In 1989 the industry was dominated by European, US and Japanese lines, now it is much more globalized, and COSCO is predicted by many to become the biggest container line in the world in the near future (currently it seems to be MSC, ahead of Maersk, with CMA-CGM at 3) And trade is no longer dominated by Europe and US routes. The three big Japanese lines (NYK, MOL and K) merged their container interests into ONE. Many in Europe are worried, as although the top three are European, the industry has been steadily moving East for years. And of course, my old employer, P&OCL went the way of the dodo long ago, merging with Nedlloyd and then being bought by Maersk. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted February 27, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 27, 2023 Speaking personally, I can't complain about the shift in focus to the East, as it has provided an agreeable personal opportunity to come out to Singapore. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeremyC Posted February 27, 2023 Share Posted February 27, 2023 On 24/02/2023 at 16:31, Bon Accord said: Caledonian Isles was supposed to complete overhaul 3 weeks ago, but main engine issues have become apparent which require significant work plus spares to be brought in from Europe. Pre Brexit this could literally be done next day, but these days it's often a week plus due to customs delays etc. I find the comment re spares interesting as I was discussing this with a former colleague at the weekend. In 2016, just before retiring, I did a dry docking in the UK aboard my last ship. Towards the end we found we required a main engine spare part in a hurry. I phoned the engine manufacturers 'out of hours' spares line in the late evening and arranged for the spare part to be ordered. The part had to be shipped from their central stores in Rotterdam, but it was onboard the ship by late morning the following day. I had wondered if or how this sort of service had been affected by Brexit. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted February 27, 2023 Share Posted February 27, 2023 Just found an old photo library of mine. Here's a few that might be of interest. Plymouth, 2011. I forget which sub this was, the flag might give a clue? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted February 27, 2023 Share Posted February 27, 2023 Easier to identify : RFA Gold Rover 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted February 27, 2023 Share Posted February 27, 2023 They hunt in packs - three Torpoint ferries lined up ready to pounce on unwary small craft who dare to think they have right of way. ColRegs? Wossat? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted February 27, 2023 Share Posted February 27, 2023 ModPlod on high-speed patrol. Speed limit? What speed limit? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted February 27, 2023 Share Posted February 27, 2023 Landing craft L9527 - there must have been some NATO exercise on - but would they have come all the way from the Netherlands in that? 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted February 27, 2023 Share Posted February 27, 2023 Ahoy buoy! Plymouth University mucking about with a research buoy. Rule #1 - ignore the "No Landing" sign. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bon Accord Posted February 27, 2023 Share Posted February 27, 2023 (edited) 2 hours ago, JeremyC said: I find the comment re spares interesting as I was discussing this with a former colleague at the weekend. In 2016, just before retiring, I did a dry docking in the UK aboard my last ship. Towards the end we found we required a main engine spare part in a hurry. I phoned the engine manufacturers 'out of hours' spares line in the late evening and arranged for the spare part to be ordered. The part had to be shipped from their central stores in Rotterdam, but it was onboard the ship by late morning the following day. I had wondered if or how this sort of service had been affected by Brexit. It most definitely has. A few months ago one of our radars developed a fault and a new card was identified as required. None available in the UK but they were available in Belgium. Now this was a PC type card about 6"x4" so small enough to fit in someones pocket. Pre Brexit we'd 'phone the supplier, get the quote for the item and carriage costs, knock up a PO and email it off to them. All done in about 15 minutes. Post Brexit we now have to get all the information (in writing via email for any potential audit trail, verbal quotes no longer permitted) and pass all that onto our purchasing department. They then contact their freight forwarder - a company we have a contract with specifically to handle the import side of things - and they then arrange appropriate courier(s), export/import paperwork etc and sort it all out. What was once in the past basically next day delivery organised by ourselves now involves three extra stages and a lot more people. This can at times be expedited (legally) but it entails £££££. Because this was November time it took a fortnight for the part to get to us. In our case with the Radar card it would quite literally have worked out substantially quicker and cheaper for someone to jump on a flight to Brussels, pick up the card, stick it in their jacket pocket and fly back with the authorities on both sides of the channel none the wiser. But hell mend you (and your employer) if you're caught. It really has become a circus. Edited February 27, 2023 by Bon Accord 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkC Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 9 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said: They hunt in packs - three Torpoint ferries lined up ready to pounce on unwary small craft who dare to think they have right of way. ColRegs? Wossat? Colregs? Mmm, reminds me of being out in the Caribbean one trip. I was on the bridge, talking to the Mate, some time between 0400 and sunrise, probably I was awake having been called for a technical issue. Anyway, we were somewhere in the vicinity of Jamaica, IIRC, and we were suddenly called up on the VHF by one of these big self-discharging cargo barge things - some may refer to them as cruise ships... Anyway, this thing calls us up, so the Mate agrees to QSY to a working channel. The conversation went something like this :_ Human Cattle Carrier:- You must alter your course Us:- Why? HCC:- You must alter your course - NOW Us:- Please advise - why? HCC:- I have important schedule to keep to. MOVE. NOW. Us:- Sorry, sir, but we are the stand on vessel. It is your responsibility to keep clear HCC:- *string of the worst, foulest language that I have EVER heard on the VHF - and I have heard plenty...* Us:- Have a good watch, sir. Returning to Channel 16, and maintaining course and speed. Out. The Mate called the Old Man, and we settled back to watch the possible fun. He called up the other ship on the satellite phone & asked to speak to their Master... It turned out that this other ship had apparently needed to be in a certain position at sunrise, so that a view of the sun rising above some hills could be observed by its cargo - I mean, passengers. They'd misjudged their timings, & then we happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, as far as they were concerned, for them to get there in time without altering course for us. As the Mate said, had the other ship asked nicely, he would have happily given way. As it was, nah... I would imagine that the OOW on that other ship was in for a VERY unhappy (for him) interview with his Captain - definitely one sans tea and biscuits... Mark 1 3 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkC Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 Life ain't easy... 1 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 More buoys, boys! Freshly painted and serviced, standing at attention ready for deployment, on a bright sunny day in July 2012. Draystone, OSR South and South Rubble. They were on the appropriately-named Buoy Wharf, on the inside corner of the approach to Devonport from Plymouth Sound. Draystone is usually off Penlee point on the Western side of Plymouth Sound. OSR South is 0.6 nm due east of Draystone. South Rubble, they could almost have thrown the buoy off the side of the wharf, as it sits on the edge of Rubble Bank, just 300 yards south of the wharf. See here for Buoy Wharf. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.3669309,-4.1838585,118m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en Just visible are some "ghosts in the machine" railway tracks that used to be part of Devonport Dockyard railway. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted March 1, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 1, 2023 As a sign of how the industry is changing, container ship orders so far this year are 62% methanol, 30% LNG and 8% oil (these figures are ships built to use methanol or LNG, not methanol or LNG ready). That’s quite a change, in 2020 almost every order was for oil fuelled ships. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 The dredger Cherry Sand entering the Tyne this morning, seen from South Shields........ 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted March 2, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 2, 2023 30 minutes ago, Johann Marsbar said: The dredger Cherry Sand entering the Tyne this morning, seen from South Shields........ Spent 40 years just by there! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted March 3, 2023 Share Posted March 3, 2023 A few from Wednesday whilst using the Shields Ferry. We had to wait for this vessel to pass on its way out of the Tyne..... 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted March 3, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 3, 2023 South Shields is great!! I remember those halcyon days as a cadet, going out in the middle of winter oggling the talent out on the town dressed for a day on a tropical beach, happy days!🤣 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted March 3, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 3, 2023 2 minutes ago, jjb1970 said: South Shields is great!! I remember those halcyon days as a cadet, going out in the middle of winter oggling the talent out on the town dressed for a day on a tropical beach, happy days!🤣 It wasn't a bad place to grow up, but has changed massively over the last 20 years. Of course being from Shields, they sent me to Riversdale to learn scouse when I was a Cadet! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted March 3, 2023 Share Posted March 3, 2023 2 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said: It wasn't a bad place to grow up, but has changed massively over the last 20 years. Of course being from Shields, they sent me to Riversdale to learn scouse when I was a Cadet! I stayed there for 2 nights this week (in a Guest House opposite the Marine pub) whilst getting some photos on the Tyne & Wear Metro system. I was actually quite impressed with the place and found it rather more upmarket than the more local seaside offerings like Yarmouth and Lowestoft ! Will have to go back again later in the year when the Roman Fort is open though..... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkC Posted March 3, 2023 Share Posted March 3, 2023 (edited) 12 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said: It wasn't a bad place to grow up, but has changed massively over the last 20 years. Of course being from Shields, they sent me to Riversdale to learn scouse when I was a Cadet! I've been in the North East since 1979 - I was sent the other way - I'm from Liverpool, so they sent me to the South Shields Marriage Bureau instead... Yes, the changes in Sheels have been massive - I moved to just outside of Durham in 1998, but still go back to Shields regularly. It's completely different to the gritty, industrial/mining community it was. I'll be there next month for a refresher course too... Mark Edited March 3, 2023 by MarkC 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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