Introduction
The human love affair with the ocean is one that has existed since man first laid eyes on the waters that lay before him. The great seas provided man with mystery and intrigue. The oceans presented a backdrop for stories that served as entertainment and the foundations of religions. The conveyances used to cross first the rivers and then the oceans facilitated international trade and commerce, connected cultures and peoples, and made the world a smaller planet.
The evolution of what we now call the modern shipping industry began small like all things in this world do. The first seagoing traders did no more than cross rivers and float with the flow of the waters. However, with this foundation, man began to thrive. One small village may have possessed an item that another village needed. This prompted traders to bring their goods to different locations along the river in order to trade their items for the items of others. These villages soon became popular trading spots and attracted people from far-away places. The travelers often brought items that had never before been seen in that particular region. These towns became the foundations of our modern ports. Underneath some of the worldâs busiest and most modern seaports lie the ruins of these simple yet effective cradles of capitalism.
As oceangoing technology increased, seafarers became more and more bold. They went further and faster in the race to bring trade to the far corners of the world. Each new vessel arrival brought new languages, merchandise, and products. This often led to conflicts and manâs ability to use oceangoing vessels as machines of war increased. As the need for protection against military vessels increased, seaports became bases of operations rather than simply trading posts. As technology grew and time marched on, these âbasesâ became a part of a network of commerce with trade lanes that radiated from ports like the spokes of a wheel. An infrastructure was established and fortunes were made via this ever-expanding spider web of trade.
This chapter focuses on the development, operations, and functioning of the primary variations of the modern commercial seaports, as well the equipment utilized, and changes in the worldâs two key Canals and the Polar Passages.
Commercial Seaports
If you compared modern commerce to the human body, the shipping lanes would be arteries and veins; ships and intermodal vehicles, the blood; their cargo, the nutrients; and the seaports, the all-important organs. The shipping industry operates in many of the same ways as the human body. There are some periods of rest, but very rarely does the flow of cargo stop. Vessels arrive into ports at all hours of the night, which requires many people to be awake and ready to service the vessel. The seaportâs support to the vessels and preparations for cargo operations in the port begin many hours prior to the vesselâs arrival dockside.
Approximately 6 hours from arriving at the sea buoy (also known as the pilot station), a vesselâs captain will begin to initiate contact via VHF radio (contact is made on channel 16, and the pilot dispatcher will switch to the local working frequency). Notice of arrival is given, and the dispatcher provides the vessel with boarding information, including appropriate speed and the side of the ship that the ladder is to be located. The position of the pilot ladder is determined by the wind, tide, and direction of the swell. Pilots are taken onboard via special-platform boats simply referred to as pilot boats. A harbor pilot is a specially trained navigator. He is tested on the local characteristics of the many different factors and variables required to properly navigate from the sea buoy to a safe berth. Once the pilot is onboard, he assumes âthe con,â or control of the vessel. The captain of the vessel gives up control but does not relinquish overall responsibility of the vessel during this time. As the pilot carefully guides the vessel to the berth, he is in constant communication with tugboats, which provide the vessel with additional steerage capability by connecting to the vessel with large ropes or lines called hawsers. Once the vessel nears the berth, the crew connects the shipâs mooring lines to smaller lines which are thrown down to line handlers. The line handlers physically maneuver the lines to bollards attached to the dock which are used to secure and hold the vessel in place. Typical mooring patterns include a total of eight lines, but the patterns will vary according to currents and tidal fluctuations. Once the shipâs crew lowers the gangway, vessel agents employed by the vessel charterer or owner will come aboard with customs and immigration officials in order to clear the vessel to go to work. Vessel security personnel hustle into place to prepare for the identification and search procedures of individuals boarding the vessel. While this process takes place, stevedores, longshoremen, and company representatives stand by for clearance to begin the arduous process of discharging the vessel.
This whole sequence takes place in a very limited amount of time, and the plasma TV sitting in a container at the bottom of a stack of containers on board the vessel has not even been moved toward its final destination: your living room. Countless hours of preparation and planning have gone into this process. Millions of dollarsâ worth of equipment and man-hours are expended with each and every arrival of every product from orange juice to jet fuel. All of this began with just a simple phone call, purchase order, or Internet search. It is hard for many to comprehend the vast number of resources that are poured into this venture in order to keep the supply chain flowing and further expand the network of commerce. The key component in this process is the commercial seaport, which serves as a launching point for the advancement of supply and demand.
Container Terminals
The development of the modern containerâthe most efficient, safe, and flexible method to transport cargo across the ocean and landâwas a watershed event in maritime transportation and served as a catalyst for the evolution of seaports from only handling break-bulk and bulk cargoes and vessels to alsoâor exclusivelyâreceiving and loading cargo containers. Today, the majority of cargo transported around the world is via containers, and major ports have dedicated berths and terminals for container handling and staging. And, like the ships that arrive, terminals continue to grow in size and complexity. The largest container ports in the world are a reflection of where goods are produced and key gateways of the consumers. So, it should not be surprising that of the largest (measured by container throughput) 14 container ports i...