Bulk carriers draw up to 20m and,
when loaded, alter course slowlyEXPERT ON BOARD
18 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com APRIL 2016Cargo ships and tankers
A yachtsman’s guide to shipping
M
ost large container
vessels operate to a
pre-determined schedule
carrying, mainly, manufactured
goods. They have largely replaced
traditional cargo vessels with their
holds and derricks. They also get
bigger with every passing year
and some are capable of capable
of carrying 18,000 TEU (the
standard container is 20ft long:
the Twenty Equivalent Unit) and
larger vessels are planned. China
Shipping Container Lines (CSCL)
recently agreed to lease six
21,000 TEU ultra-large container
ships currently in build.
Only a few UK terminals,
such as Felixstowe and London
Gateway, can handle the largest
container ships but many
others including Southampton,
Tilbury and Gourock handle the
slightly less large vessels every
day. Smaller container vessels,
or feeder ships, are regular
callers at a range of coastal
ports, connecting them to large
terminals. Among the busiest
cargo ships afloat, their crews are
most likely to be tired.
Container ships can make over
20 knots but, increasingly, opt
for 15-20 knots to contain costs
and meet ever more stringent
environmental standards. They
tend to be highly automated.PHOTO ABOVE: AlAmyRoutes are well defined, particularly in the Channel and Dover Strait. Cargo ships have more short sea tradeWith very high freeboards and
numerous decks, car and vehicle
carriers earn few accolades for
good looks but can transport
4-5,000 cars or more. They keep
precise schedules and, like small
container ships, can load or
discharge within 24 hours.
Dry bulk carriers, or bulkers,
carry raw materials: iron ore, coal,
grain, bauxite, salt, phosphates,
biomass or wood pellets and
cement. Both large ocean-going
bulkers and small coastal ones
spend more time in harbour
discharging and loading thancrude oil carriers that are now
infrequent visitors to these shores- they tend to head for Rotterdam
or Wilhelmshaven instead. They
can be 400m long or more, with
draughts over 30m, significantly
constraining their ability to
manoeuvre in the Dover Strait and
the North Sea.
Gas carriers have special tanks
to carry liquefied gases under
pressure at very low temperatures,
to terminals at Milford Haven
and the Isle of Grain. A large gas
carrier may reach 20 knots and
draw around 12m.
most trades. Smaller vessels
may visit lesser-known British
ports with cargoes of building
materials, fertiliser or forest
products, while large ones stick
to the main shipping lanes bound
for their port of discharge, such
as Immingham or Avonmouth. A
single screw propels them at 11-
knots and, when laden, they may
be constrained by a draught of
up to 20m. They are not the most
nimble of ships, and can be slow
to alter course when giving way.
Liquid carriers vary from
smaller product tankers to hugeA full crude carrier has a draught of up to 30m, restricting
manoeuvrability in narrow shipping channels near portsContainer ships can be
400m long and usually
make 15-20 knotsPHOTO: TOm CunliffE PHOTO: AlAmyGRAPHiCS: mmO