DECEMBER 2012 1 THIS ISSUE ManagEMENT CORNER INDEX Reefer Trends 24-25 REGULARS by Richard Bright Marine Science 4-6 This issue 2 by Ute Schuster A boy’s dream 26-30 by Robert J. Porte From the editors 2 Containers vs. break bulk 7-9 by The Myth Buster Port travel guide 31-32 Management corner 3 Saint Petersburg, Russia The Seatrade Standard 10 Clippings 39 Working with Thermo King 33-35 Fish Potato Run 11 by Kay Henze Crow’s nest 40 by Katrijn Dehaen Sinterklaas excitement at Puzzle page 46 ASA Lines 12-13 the Seatrade offices 36-37 Fleetlist 47 Dover 14-15 Expoalimentaria 38 by James Ryeland by Gert-Jan Speld Two Straits meeting at Moin roads In the picture 16-18 Flowers, a choice of colours 41- 43 mv Coppename by Tom Verlinden 2012 has been a year with a great variety in stories. Major sporting With no big sports events, another four years of Obama, the events alternated with important elections; we added ‘Arab outcome of scientific experiments and rebellions unknown and Spring’ and ‘debt crisis’ to our daily vocabulary; were introduced bestselling books still in the authors’ pen, next year’s slate is blank Superstorms 19-23 Hidden messages in the to a particle called ‘Higgs’; witnessed a sound barrier-breaking still. Undoubtedly, new things are simmering as we speak, like by Howard Posner Seatrade calendar 44 space dive; and saw a very explicit novel called Fifty Shades of there are at Seatrade. by Fiona Schimmel Grey beating all records. A sneak preview into our shipmanagement branch reveals the All this happened against the background of a worldwide financial fleet -and office- wide implementation of the renewed Seatrade collapse that affected all of us. At Seatrade, we put up a good fight Standard. Following the outcome of the Management Review, COLOFON COLOFON that has resulted in a return to more positive market prospects. various other meetings and audit findings, it was felt that vessel Editorial Team Editorial Team COLOFON performance optimization deserved extra attention. Technical- Fiona Schimmel, Karin Staal, Yntze Ideas, comments and input can be sent to: The information contained in this In response to the very poor 2012 market, 70 specialised reefer operational office staff and ship’s crew will be familiarized Buitenwerf, Philip Gray, Pieter Hartog, Seatrade Reefer Chartering N.V. magazine is intended solely for the use vessels with a total capacity of 26 million cubic feet were sold for with the new Standard in various ways: during onboard visits, Howard Posner and Kor Wormmeester Attn.: Editorial Team “Simply Seatrade” of the individual or entity to whom it demolition. The market is meanwhile trending towards equilibrium workshops and interactive presentations. We strongly believe Atlantic House (4th fl.), is addressed and others authorised to whilst almost all major container lines have announced serious that working along the same lines will lead to less incidents, less Noorderlaan 147 receive it. If you are not the intended deficiencies, less cargo claims and a general improvement of the Layout and Creation rate increases for all their reefer cargo. This can be considered as PO Box 10.012 recipient you are hereby notified that any a strong indication that the rates they charged over the past few company KPI’s. Sigmund 2030 Antwerp 3 disclosure, copying, distribution or taking years, in an attempt to win market share from specialised reefers, Belgium action in reliance of the contents of this were unsustainable. On the commercial side we will continue to invest in our strategy Simply Seatrade has been realised thanks Phone (32) 3 544 9493 information is strictly prohibited and may to increase our role as a global specialised logistics provider. With to the efforts of various contributors. E-mail [email protected] be unlawful. The editor cannot be held Seatrade strongly believes in the need and effectiveness of offices virtually all around the world we are able to assist our Website www.seatrade.com · Antwerp liable for the contents and/or opinions specialised logistics by offering a reliable “Direct, Dedicated and customers locally with global services. www.seatrade.nl · Groningen expressed by writers of articles taken up Fast” service to its customers. www.reedereitriton.de · Leer in this magazine. Whilst most shipping markets are in rough seas facing major On a shipmanagement level, we were pleasantly surprised with challenges we foresee a balanced market for the years to come. The the KVNR Shipping Award nomination for the lengthening of mv trade in perishable products is expected to grow 4-5% annually Atlantic Reefer and mv Pacific Reefer. Although we did not win the and will be in need of appropriate transportation. Depending on FROM THE EDITORS award, the project in all its exceptionality has been attracting a lot the required transit time customers have the choice of Airfreight, of -international- attention. It is with good reason that Seatrade’s Specialised Logistics or mainstream Container Services. Seatrade It’s that most special time of the year again. This is the time of year when friends and family gather together to share a Newbuilding Department is further fine-tuning and exploring is committed to the specialised sector and is looking confidently traditional meal or toast the coming New Year. It’s a time when gifts are exchanged. these and other ways of shipping transportation. forward to the challenges of a new year. This issue of Simply Seatrade is our gift to you. We hope you will find time in your busy schedule to find a comfortable Traditionally, in our segment the post-summer season is used for With good reviews on innovation and performance and your seat and partake of our offerings. We continue our travels around the world, as we visit the Russian port of Saint ship docking and repairs. The following ships have received or continuous support, we trust that 2013 will produce some Petersburg, take a look at how cross docking works at the port of Dover and help a doctor fulfill his lifelong dream. We are lined up for a bit of ‘Tender Loving Care’: Luzon Strait, Lombok wonderful stories for Seatrade. Just as much we wish for your Strait, Coral Mermaid, Tasman Mermaid, Prince of Waves, Prince book to be filled with good health and fortune. take a scientific look at the CO2 levels in the Atlantic and explore whether we have entered a period of super storms. We introduce you to some interesting partners, while we introduce the new ASA Lines. of Tides, Tasman Mermaid, Southern Bay, Hawk Bay, Caribbean Mermaid, Atlantic Mermaid, Timor Stream, Buzzard Bay, and Sierra Seasons Greetings and a Happy New Year! As usual, all our regular features are here. We hope you’ll enjoy them as much as you’re enjoying those holiday treats. Leyre. We look forward to keeping you entertained and informed in 2013 and for years to come. The Management 2 3 MARINE SCIENCE A decade of observing surface pCO2 in the North Atlantic GPS and air inlet 11. on the bridge GPS and air-line. 22. in the engine room (control room deck) are the electronics cabinet, transformer, and gas standards. 33. in the engine room at the sea chest is the seawater inlet system. mv Benguela Stream arriving in Portsmouth end September 2011 Ute Schuster on board mv Santa Lucia in The locations of the CO2 instrument’s parts onboard Martinique in 2001 THE OCEAN The ocean covers the majority of our planet’s surface, yet comparatively few people have the opportunity to spend time on or in it. Yet fewer people spend time studying its chemistry, biology, or physics. Its vast size makes detailed studies very difficult. Working with people in the commercial shipping industry does help collecting data that would otherwise not be possible to get. WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? In December 2001, I joined Seatrade’s mv Santa Lucia on the Geest been done in 1994 and 1995, between the UK and the Caribbean Carbon, one of the chemical elements making up all material This “greenhouse effect” has kept the earth’s temperature higher Line charter, for a voyage between the UK and the Caribbean, to onboard the Seatrade vessel mv Prince of Seas on the Jamaican of our world, actively cycles through the planet’s atmosphere, than it would otherwise have been, making life as we know it install and test a new scientific instrument measuring sea-surface Producers charter, when Andrew Watson, who is now professor at land, and ocean. The burning of fossil fuels, in e.g. combustion possible. The atmospheric CO2 increase will affect the global engines, produces CO that is released into the atmosphere, carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Atlantic. This was my first of several the University of East Anglia (UEA), was the first in Europe to start 2 carbon cycle, including that in the oceans. For example, the voyages on a commercial vessel, after numerous voyages on such measurements. With new funding in 2001, we searched for becoming part of the global carbon cycle. Crucially, the addition additional CO2 increases the acidity of seawater, decreasing its research vessels. The voyages were absolutely fantastic, a superb a ship on a very similar regular route to continue comparative of such fossil fuel derived CO2 (called “anthropogenic CO2”) is an pH, affecting all marine organisms that have a carbon-based shell experience that is now shared by several of my students. For a measurements. We found it -once again- on a Seatrade ship, via addition to the natural carbon cycle, as the carbon in fossil fuel is or skeleton, but especially the smallest like plankton.