What about traffic and tonnage movements? It will follow on the next post as we continue to look at the past year.

The general public doesn’t really think about the importance of Maritime Transportation and the impact it has on the economy. I have been thinking about this for a while and I like to write a bit about it, especially the impact Maritime Transportation has on local communities along the Saint Lawrence River and let me tell you that it is a lot more than most people think.
The Canadian Federal Government and some Provincial Governments have done some studies on this and it would be great to put some of these studies into layman’s terms.

If a full understanding is desired one have to take into account the Saint Lawrence Seaway and the contribution it has had on the whole area since it was fully operational in the late 50’s (1959 I think). Looking at the manpower both in USA and Canada one can start by the beginning like for instance maritime schools and colleges both in USA and Canada. The Canadian and US Coast Guard colleges and the contribution they both have on making the River System Navigable by commercial shipping. The history also makes you think of the steel industry along the River System. Having a great way for receiving raw material and sending finished products to markets all over the world one would think that it would be a flourishing industry.
Port terminals are old and worn down in many places and serves as a sign of bygone glory days for that particular industry. This is a general view as perceived by the public. Some of it is true I guess but there are a lot of new terminals and modernization happening also and this is offsetting some of those older terminals.
Looking at Canadian shipping companies one can see that some have disappeared, others have grown and modernized their fleet and found new niches where there are cargo to transport. Ship construction has seen a lot of decline in Canada and one can safely say that the local cost of material and manpower is the major factor in pushing this industry out of the competitive market. We have seen government intervention in various taxation areas easing off so that local companies can afford to build ships overseas. It is a known fact that CSL(Canada Steamship Lines) and Algoma Shipping have new building programs going overseas. Both companies are renewing their fleet and adding tonnage to their pool of ships. Both companies are also involved with shipping outside of North America.
So in recap; we have briefly touched on the steel industry and Canadian shipping companies. Let us follow up on this subject and dig a bit deeper and get some more specifics.

Technorati Tags: Saint Lawrence Seaway, Maritime Transportation, Economical Impact

He wanted to have Ship Spares In Transit sent by container ship and was looking for a marine transport logistic company that could handle this kind of shipments. These are some of the demands that is put forward when the question becomes getting the parts to the ship in time. This is another way that ship spares in transit are shipped not using couriers or other air transport.
A few years back I was approached by a ship owner about getting this large anchor from overseas to reach the vessel. The ship had lost its anchor off the coast of Australia and needed a replacement put onboard and installed as soon as possible. The first thing we did was to look at voyage plans for the next little while to decide where we would send the anchor giving us enough time to do the transport by ship. Once this was done we had to make sure that we would be able to install the anchor at the location where the ship was heading. Getting the anchor loaded on deck of a ship so that we could remove it easy on arrival was not a problem. A great cooperation from ships officers made the whole thing easy for us. Both loading and unloading went without a hitch. We needed this speedy unloading as we had determined that the port we were going to use for the installation would be a close call time wise for getting the anchor unloaded, cleared customs and hooked up in time. This type of installation needed the Class (Lloyds or Veritas) on site to put their stamp on the new certificate after installation. Installation took a couple of hours and after the sealing of the anchor shackle with led, Class put their punch stamp on it and all was green light.
By doing all the preparation prior to shipping and being able to move on time the ship was not having any delays and possible time off hire from their charter.
The logistics work that went into this operation was done in such a way that there were minimal chances for delays to vessel operations.

Packing a container all depend on what you are shipping in it. We know that the bottom line is to use all available space. Most would probably pack all just solid from floor to roof and leave it at that. Hopefully your shipment is not sensitive to humidity and don’t require any air circulation.

Having a shipment that require air circulation and humidity as low as possible is when you will need some special equipment and a different way of storing the container. International import and export rules makes use of wood palettes almost impossible since all wood has to be of approved type and marked stating that they have gone through the heat process as part of fumigation and are free of any bugs and safe for export use. Plastic palettes have replaced most of the wooden ones. You also have a system developed by IKEA that has become very popular in shipping circles. Easy to use and complete recyclable plastic and of course they are very lightweight. The system was named Optiledge and has become seemingly popular with some. Whatever you are using the main thing is that your shipment is elevated from the floor of the container. Many containers have a baffle system inside so a natural airflow is accomplished. The floor and sealing will still need some separation and free space for air to flow.
Drying up your container and maintaining it dry during transport has been left to a desiccant in most cases. The product is usually available in powder or matting form. I guess you have seen these small bags with a granular product usually found inside the packing box for electronics.
They call it stuffing containers and I guess that means that it is really stuffed in place, one box at the time.

Reformar Inc. is pleased to announce that it has signed a long term exclusive charter agreement for the Research Vessel RV Coriolis II. This exclusive agreement covers the use of the Coriolis II for the private sector contract. The 50 m former Canadian Coast Guard vessel has been operated by Reformar Inc. of Rimouski, Quebec since 2002. While the ship’s primary function is for academic research and training, Seaforth will also utilize the vessel for its worldwide marine survey operations. The ship, which is certified for operations in both domestic and international waters, is currently being mobilized in Quebec City with various geophysical sensors including multibeam, sidescan sonar, subbottom profiler, magnetometer, USBL, multi-channel seismic data acquisition and processing systems, and geotechnical sampling equipment. The vessel will also be configured with a dynamic positioning system, providing excellent station keeping for geotechnical operations and as an ROV support platform. Based in Rimouski during the summer, it is expected that the Coriolis will be based in Halifax during the winter months to support Seaforth’s domestic and international initiatives. “We are very excited about the opportunity presented with this partnership with Reformar”, stated Seaforth President David Lombardi.
To read the whole press release CLICK HERE!