The Olympic Games The Good, the Bad and the Ugly ... - Seatrade

This issueCoverIndexThe versatility of specialised reefer vessels: (palletised) cargo under deck or in containers; we can do it all!(courtesy of Sylvie De Smet, Seatrade Antwerp)Seatrade worldwide 4-6• Seatrade USA NortheastBy Howard PosnerControlled atmosphere 8-9• A dark art made brighterBy Dale RolfeA maritime cookbook... 9By Katharina Bals-LeuchtersIn the picture 10-12• mv NickerieBy Karin Staal & Ged ColeridgeFeature 13-16• The Olympic GamesBy Howard PosnerVolleyball Tournament 2008 17By Tilly Timmermans &Bas de VaalPresenting 18-19• Lapanday Foods CorporationBy Federico Z. VasquezSpecial Events 20• Annual anniversary partyBy Andrea de BoerSeatrade 10 years in South Africa 21By Anlin ShippingMagnum, Solero or Rocket 24What’s cooking 25By Raphael ColmoThe Mermaid 26-28By Sylvie De SmetSport’s page 29• Team Seatrade on the racetrackBy Mark HolmwoodRegularsThis issue 2From the editors 2Management corner 3Scales of Justice 6-7• The Good, the Bad and the UglyBy Patrick BalaresqueClippings 22-23Games & puzzle 30Fleetlist 31The crow’s nest 32• It’s not a bald spot;it’s a solar panelBy Howard PosnerColofonEditorial TeamDaniëlle van der Eide, Fiona Schimmel, KarinStaal, Yntze Buitenwerf, Philip Gray, PieterHartog, Howard Posner and Kor WormmeesterCreation and Layout SigmundSimply Seatrade has been realised thanks tothe efforts of various contributors.Ideas, comments and input can be sent to:Seatrade Reefer Chartering N.V.Attn.: Editorial Team “Simply Seatrade”Atlantic House (4 th fl.), Noorderlaan 147PO Box 10.0122030 Antwerp 3, BelgiumPhone (32) 3 544 9493E-mail simply-seatrade@seatrade.comWebsitewww.seatrade.com · Antwerpwww.seatrade.nl · Groningenwww.reedereitriton.de · LeerThe information contained in thismagazine is intended solely for the useof the individual or entity to whom itis addressed and others authorised toreceive it. If you are not the intendedrecipient you are hereby notified that anydisclosure, copying, distribution or takingaction in reliance of the contents of thisinformation is strictly prohibited and maybe unlawful. The editor cannot be heldliable for the contents and/or opinionsexpressed by writers of articles taken up inthis magazine.From the editorsWith fuel prices so high these days, there’s no point in gettingin the car and going anywhere. Why fly, with all the hasslesof security and the delays. Why waste the hard-earned money,when we can bring the world right to your door?This issue of Simply Seatrade is a real globetrotter. We goto China for the Olympics, South Africa for an anniversary,the Philippines to visit with some old friends, the UK for abit of sport and the birthplace of the American Revolution,Philadelphia.Along the way, we’ll whet your appetite with some tastyfeatures and always interesting and educational goodies. Haveyou ever imagined what anyone could do with 15 million icecream sticks? While we’re at it, this issue introduces a newfeature called “In The Picture” - providing the back-story onthe origin of pool vessel names.Wow, so much to offer and we guarantee that no biofuelswere harmed in the production of this magazine.Enjoy!2Simply Seatrade June 2008

Transport Olympics showing new records...ManagementcornerThe European Union is the leading food importer in the worldand has increased its imports with 20% over the last five yearswhilst the second largest importer USA nearly doubled itsvalue of fruit and vegetables over the same period.The ability to move goods cheaply around the world has givenrise to new and booming businesses. It is remarkable to notethat cod caught off Norway is being shipped to China to beturned into fillets after which it’s being shipped back to Europe.Why? Well the cost of processing cod in Europe is US$ 2.99per kilo and only around US$ 0.50 in Asia.And what to think about lemons being shipped from Argentina tofill supermarket shelves on the Spanish citrus coast whilst localSpanish products find their way around the EU. Half the peasconsumed in Europe are being grown and packed in Kenya.The movement of food is nothing new and has taken placesince the Europeans discovered tea in China but it’s fair to saythat it has never moved in such large quantities and so fast.Consumers in not only the richest nations but also increasinglySpring is in the air, with a long summer ahead of us!Traditionally this means for a ship management company anincreased activity of dry-dockings, with the following vesselshaving been dry-docked over the last period: Nova Francia,Green Neptunic, Nova Bretagne, Fiona, Adriatic, NovaAustralia, Cape Vincente, and Aruba.In order to be better prepared, both on board as well as ashore,we have recently implemented one of the latest dry-docksoftware packages available in the market. This tool shouldnot only improve the quality of the dry-dock preparation andexecution, but also decrease the time span of preparation.During the last quarter we were happy to welcome thefollowing vessels into our fleet: Pearl Stream, Sierra Cazorla,Sierra Laurel, Coppename and Jarikaba.After the event reporting system, which we introduced in theprevious edition of Simply Seatrade, we continue to focuson improving quality standards of which communicationis forming a very important part. The second integratedNo pest-control required! The caterpillar-infested mv Atlantic Hope en route to Ecuador, 36 machines in totalin the fast developing world expect food whenever they wantit with no concession to season or geography.This is all taking place at a time that food prices are skyrocketingto uncontested levels and oil prices have taken us into a newworld where a constant question echoes “how high can theprice go?”The effects of all this are being felt in our day-to-day dealings. Thegrowing demand and declining fleet resulting from demolitionof fuel inefficient vessels is putting a tangible pressure on themarket. The total of older fuel inefficient vessels which haveyear to date been sold for recycling have already surpassed thetotal of recycled vessels over the last three years.management training for both vessel crew and office staff hasmeanwhile taken place beginning of June, and is one of themeasures which will contribute to a better operation.We would like to underline ON TIME reporting of incidents,accidents or any situation where there is reason for doubt,either technical or operational. Yes, we are available 24/7to assist our vessels anywhere in the world, at any time. Weeven stationed one of our superintendents, Sytze Gaastra, inthe Philadelphia area to improve the support to our vesselsregularly calling US ports.Wishing all of you at sea smooth sailings, and for those ashoreor on leave enjoy the summer period.The earlier reported disappointing start of the year has turnedinto a more positive period and we keep a optimistic outlooktowards the coming months.The ManagementSimply Seatrade June 20083

Seatrade worldwideSeatrade USA takes up residence on the Rivermv Luzon Strait at Camden, NJ (Del Monte terminal)mv Cold Stream berthed at Pier 82 in Philly near the ss United States,an old cruise ship which has become a bit of landmark on thePhiladelphia waterfront since many years,as it sits laid up waiting for restoration or demolitionPhiladelphia, known as the “City of Brotherly Love”, was America’s first capital and site of the signing of the Declaration ofIndependence. By virtue of being the first US colony to ratify the Constitution, neighbouring Delaware holds the distinctionof being our “First State”. Joined by southern New Jersey, the region shares a common role as a cradle of democracy and acommon waterway - the Delaware River.On the “River” are a number of terminals, which make up thelargest compliment of dockside cold storage facilities in NorthAmerica. Geographically positioned as a major gateway tothe largest population centres in the USA and Canada, theseterminals have long been the primary distribution points forSouthern Hemisphere and year-round produce, juice and meatimports.With Turbana shifting to Philadelphia in April, the region nowboasts five major banana players -joining Del Monte, Dole,Chiquita, and Banacol. Chile, Spain, Argentina, Morocco,South Africa, Guatemala, Belize and New Zealand - amongothers - rely on the River to safelyland, sort and distribute millionsof tons of perishables annually.For more than 40 years, the Riverhas served as America’s reefergateway and around it has grownan elaborate infrastructure ofsales agents, brokers, expeditors,inspectors, surveyors and relatedservice providers.- far and away Seatrade’s largest North American market. ForSeatrade USA, management of the business on the River hasrequired employment of sub-agents and spending a lot of time onairplanes travelling back and forth from the main office in Tampa.While Philadelphia has many and varied virtues, it does have awell-earned reputation for long and frequent flight delays.The idea of opening a satellite office on the River had beenunder consideration for a number of years. Of course, expansionalways comes with some risk and therefore the decision wascarefully considered before taking the leap. In 2007, SeatradeUSA expanded its service mix in Florida to include full-serviceFor Seatrade, the River representsnearly 200 vessel calls per year4Simply Seatrade June 2008

SeatradeUSA NortheastSytze GaastraDave Bolesport and husbanding agency representation. For new clients,those services have been marketed under its corporate name ofNorth American General Agents, Inc. (NAGA). The diversificationof services has proven successful and following that model, thetiming seemed right to make the leap to the River in 2008.At the same time Turbana’s move to Philadelphia togetherwith a swap in vessels to Seatrade’s Discovery Bay and ColdStream - joining the Lombok Strait and Luzon Strait on longtermcharter to Del Monte and calling at nearby Camden,New Jersey - Seatrade Groningen B.V. and Triton SchiffahrtsGmbH made the decision to jointly place a full-time vesselsuperintendent in the Philadelphia area. A shared officetogether with Seatrade USA was a logical step.Incorporating in Pennsylvania as North American General Agents(NAGA) Northeast LLC, Seatrade USA Northeast has officiallyopened offices in the small town of Media, Pennsylvania. Media,Philadelphia, a city reflecting old history and modern timeswhich has the distinction of being the first Fair Trade town in theUSA, also happens to be conveniently located smack-dab inbetween the Port of Wilmington and the major reefer terminalsin Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. It’s no more than a 30-minute drive from any of the major terminals and is 15 minutesfrom Philadelphia’s international airport.Seatrade USA General Manager, Howard Posner, selectedDave Boles to manage the new office, where he’s taken onthe title of Regional Manager. Dave has more than 30 years ofmaritime experience involving varied and unique facets of thetrade. He’s run his own brokerage company and more recentlyhelped a UK company successfully launch a USA division forpurchase and resell of industrial machinery and parts. Dave isa native of Philadelphia and is well known to the Seatrade USAmanagement. Through the years, he’s often been called uponto assist with local knowledge. Even more unique is Dave’slifetime love of soccer (at least unique for an American).Dave has played at university level and has continued to playcompetitively throughout his life. If he’s not playing, then he’scoaching. He has raised two daughters who are avid footballersand Dave continues to coach youth leagues.Under the guidance of Tampa, Dave oversees the day-todayoperations of the Northeast office interfacing with localgovernment and port authorities, stevedores, terminals, importersand service providers. The office is providing full-service portagency, husbanding and commercial representation.Sharing the Media office is Sytze Gaastra. Sytze comes fromthe Seatrade Groningen office as an experienced seaman andSimply Seatrade June 2008 5

Scales of... Justice?The Good, the Bad and the UglyThis edition’s Scales of Justice takes a different toneas we review strange, old and even absurd laws fromaround the globe. We could rename this article aftera classic Clint Eastwood Western: The Good, the Badand the Ugly.Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signedvessel superintendent. He is tasked with insuring that vesselscalling the River are kept up to the high quality standardsestablished by both Seatrade Groningen and Triton andunder the 360 Quality Association’s 360 Quality protocol.Sytze is in the USA under an extended visa, together withhis wife, Froukje. The couple has taken an apartment indowntown Philadelphia and are enjoying the vibrant citylife and embracing the American lifestyle. Sytze is alreadydriving the ubiquitous big pick-up truck.If you’re planning a visit to the Philadelphia area, we welcomeyou to visit the new offices. NAGA Northeast / Seatrade USANortheast are ready to serve your varied needs. Coincidingwith the opening of the new office is the launch of a newwebsite (www.nagalogistics.com), introducing you to thevaried services provided.Howard PosnerSeatrade USAAs many of you know the legislative process is far from swiftin most countries and, as a consequence, laws are usuallytrying to “catch up” with reality. Although negotiation anddebate are some of the pillars of a democratic legislativeprocess, it often plays havoc with draft legislation. Thereason for this is that drafts are usually prepared by a smallgroup or committee and -normally- have a certain logicor structure as a whole that is lost or rendered ineffectiveby the changes that are incorporated during debates. Theabove problems notwithstanding we must conclude that,as a whole, laws have a positive influence in society so weshall call them The Good.On occasion even though the law is passed within areasonable time frame and is well drafted from a technicalperspective, its objectives are questionable or even vicious.These we shall call The Bad.Another reason for concern, frustration or even laughter arelaws that, for different reasons continue in force becausenobody thought of revoking them even though they areclearly out of date. Such laws are mostly inoffensive... untilsomeone decides to enforce them creating all sorts of legaland practical complications. This last group of laws weshall call The Ugly.Readers may classify the laws mentioned below in any ofthe three categories (or more than one) at leisure. The listbelow is taken from various sources and is by no meanscomprehensive and may contain errors (since, due totime constraints, it was impossible to verify each law forfactual and historical accuracy). Contributions to the listare welcome and shall certainly be considered for futureeditions.The Liberty Bell, at the Liberty Bell Center, dates back to the 1750’sand among others was rung prior the reading of the Declaration ofIndependence• Ancient Cambodia: illegal to insult a rice plant.• Philippine Islands (some parts): forbidden to mentionthe name of anyone living.• Cryus the Great, a Persian emperor: sentenced a riverto death because his horse had drowned in it.• Saudi Arabia: A woman may divorce her husband if hedoes not keep her supplied with coffee.6Simply Seatrade June 2008

Controlled atmosphereA dark art made brighterA mysterious white container can be seen on the decks ofsome Seatrade vessels, sometimes it makes a great deal ofnoise, and sometimes it is silent. But what exactly is it?respiration of the fruit itself consumes the remaining oxygenavailable in the hold, and gives off carbon dioxide. In this waythe levels of these two gasses can be closely controlled byinfluencing this respiration process.The purpose of C.A is to slow the natural respiration process ofmany fruits to a point where the natural ripening process can besignificantly delayed or even suspended, and thus extending it’sstorage life and significantly preserving the good quality of thatfruit after long sea passages.This technology is used primarily with bananas, but it alsoworks equally well with deciduous fruit such as apples, and C.Ais regularly seen with cargo from New Zealand, as well as SouthAmerica.Outside view of the mysterious boxSome of our ships carry this now universally known ControlledAtmosphere (known as “C.A.”) system on deck, which is enclosedin a standard 40 ft container, or in the case of one vessel, in acontainer that can only be likened to a rubbish skip.These units are a totally self contained system for producing,and controlling, a stream of inert gas to the cargo holds, andmeasuring what is going on in those cargo holds.C.A. is a process where the oxygen and carbon dioxide contentin the cargo holds are controlled within close limits. Strangelythe C.A unit itself produces neither of these two gasses.A stream of inert gas is pumped into the cargo space, and thisdisplaces the existing atmosphere in the hold and pushes it outof the spaces through the vent valves mounted on the deck. TheAs these units are not widely used across the fleet, somemisconceptions remain about this process, and we hope to putsome of these right: -The inert gas is poisonous and can kill anyonewho breathes itNot true. The inert gas that is used is simple nitrogen. Normalfresh air is about 77% nitrogen and you are breathing it rightnow.C.A. can killThis is very true. It will kill anyone who enters a C.A space bythe process of suffocation. As shown above, the purpose of thenitrogen is to displace the oxygen in the hold, so oxygen levelscan be as low as 1% in the cargo spaces. You need 21% tobreathe normally, and anything below 18-19% can seriouslyimpair your ability to function normally.Air compressors and compressor control; the beating heart of the C.A systemOxygen and youOnly the holdsare the dangerous areasNot true. As nitrogen is a gas it can find its way into any joiningspaces though open pipe penetrations, cable glands, leaking ventducts, and even corroded pipes. Even areas that are normallyfree of C.A may become potentially hazardous after a blackout8Simply Seatrade June 2008

A maritime cookbookawaits your input!or other event that interrupts ventilation. This is particularlytrue of engine room spaces, brine rooms, mast-houses, CO 2rooms and other such closed spaces.C.A. prolongs the life of fruitIt does, by slowing the respiration of the fruit and effectively‘putting it to sleep’, the respiration that ultimately triggers theripening of that fruit can be delayed. Also, by slowing therespiration the fruit does not loose as much water as it wouldunder normal carriage and preserves much of its originalbody weight.C.A. improves the quality of fruitUnfortunately not true. C.A can only preserve the conditionof fruit. Therefore if good fruit is loaded, good fruit willbe discharged. If bad fruit is loaded then C.A can help inensuring that the outturn is not as bad as it may have beenwith conventional carriage, but it certainly won’t heal badfruit.Badly executed C.A. can ripen fruitAgain not true. C.A. only slows the natural respiration andripening process, therefore badly executed C.A only fails todelays the ripening.Badly executed C.A can damage fruitThis is true. If the C.A is not correctly executed it ispossible to suffocate the fruit. Very high CO 2levels willpermanently damage it, and very low O 2will suffocate it.Both are irreversible. With this you can see the very strangephenomenon of a fully ripe soft banana that is still absolutelygreen. To this day many people, including me, are not sureif when presented with this phenomenon you are looking ata ripe banana that is green, or a green banana that has gonesoft.To help dispel some of the other, lesser, mysteries of C.A.the readers are welcome to contact the writer of this article,however I can categorically state that No, it does not makeyour hair go curly, improve your night vision or make youirresistible to the opposite sex or the tax man.Dear CrewsOf course you all know the “What’s cooking”stories that have been appearing in SimplySeatrade since September 2004. The recipesmentioned are so tasty that we have come upwith the idea to create a Maritime Cookbookwith the help of our Chief Cooks on board.We would like to encourage Chief Cooks onboard all the vessels of the Seatrade Pool tosend us their most tasty, but also healthy recipes.Of course all other crew is invited to sendus their ideas as well, as we have experiencedthat lots of “galley artists” are employed onboard our vessels but working in disguise.Please also include a picture of yourself, whichwill be published together with the recipe. Itdoesn’t matter whether you forward recipes forpasta, salads, fish or meat, typical dishes fromyour area, desserts, and dishes for BBQ’s orcandle light dinners. The meals just have to bein line with a healthy and balanced diet.Send your messages tosimply-seatrade@seatrade.com and watch thisspace for information on the progress of theMaritime Cookbook.Looking forward to your massive response!Katharina Bals-LeuchtersTriton Schiffahrts GmbHDale RolfeSeatrade GroningenSimply Seatrade June 2008 9

In the picturePresently the Seatrade Pool employs about 135 reefer vessels.What do we know about these vessels?In each Simply Seatrade we will introduce one of the vessels managed by any of the poolmembers; the ship’s particulars, the trade it is operating in at the time, and the originof the vessel’s name will be described, and of course the present crew will beintroduced.The Nickerie will take the lead!Map of Surinam showing the various rivers fromwhich the name of mv Nickerie and her (sister)vessels were takenShips particularsVessel name: NickerieCall sign: P J J LFlag: Netherlands AntillesHomeport: WillemstadShe has a length over all of 107.96metres, beam of 16.00 metres and asummer draft of 6.21 metres. The Nickeriehas a relatively shallow draft, as shewas designed to trade to Suriname whereshe would have to sail across a bar inthe Nickerie River. The hold capacity is190,525 cubic feet and 2,213 squaremetres, divided over three holds / ninecompartments.Important dates10 May 1985The keel of mv Nickerie was laid at HayashikaneShipbuilding & Engineering atNagasaki, Japan at request of Fyffes forits earlier mentioned Surinam Trade.20 October 1985The vessel was delivered. Master onboard during her maiden voyage wasCaptain G. Coleridge.29 May 1992At Eemshaven, The Netherlands, theNickerie entered Seatrade Management.30 October 1995Fyffes sold the vessel to her presentowners.The vessel’s tradeSince June 2006, the Nickerie has beensailing on time charter to TriMarine,a large tuna supplier. In Port Victoria,Seychelles, the vessel loads about 3000tons tuna out of tuna seiners. All cargois destined for the main tuna canneriesin the Indian Ocean area, based in PortLouis (Mauritius), Mombassa (Kenya)and Diego Suarez (Madagascar).What’s in a name?The Nickerie was named after a river inSurinam, just like her (sister) vessels e.g.Coppename and Jarikaba, by her originalowners Messrs Fyffes, who intended to usethe vessels on its Surinam-Europe trade.The river Nickerie flows through the Nickeriedistrict (named after the river) into theAtlantic Ocean. This district is located onthe western border of Surinam.In Warraus, the language of a SouthAmerican Indian tribe, Nickerie (withthe emphasis on the last syllable) meansAwarra nut. The Indian word for this nutis Nickeri. This is a very hard nut, whichis lead grey and somewhat smaller thana chestnut. With these nuts people playthe awari game. Some people burn andpound the seeds and use the result as amedicine against spasms.Meet the crewPresently there are 14 crewmembers onboard of the motor vessel Nickerie, underthe command of Captain Vovchenko. Allcrewmembers have the Russian nationality.We asked all members of the crewthese three questions:1. When did you start sailing?2. What is your favourite destination?3. What’s your best memory with Seatrade?Captain Oleg Vovchenko1. 1975. First contract with Seatrade wasin 2001.2. Vladivostok, because it is my hometown!3. Each call to the Black Sea: I live 200metres from the gate of the IllychevskFishing Port.Chief Officer Vadim Cherepanov1. 1989. First contract with Seatrade wasin 2002.2. Vladivostok, because my family livesthere!3. Docking at Dordrecht (the Netherlands).This was a great lesson of the Europeanway of working.10Simply Seatrade June 2008

mv Nickerie2nd Officer Roman Gorb1. 2001. First contract with Seatrade wasin 2004.2. Antwerp, especially the old city centre.It is really a magic place. My favouritetrade line is New Zealand-Europe,hope to be back one day.3. My job at Seatrade always gives me alot of impressions and opportunities tosee different sides of the world. But mybest memory is two days at Antwerp.Chief Engineer Igor Burkov1. 1985. First contract with Seatrade wasin 2001.2. Itajai, Brazil.3. Visit of the flagship of Admiral Nelsonin Portsmouth.1st Engine Officer Nikolay Zakhozhiy1. 1983. First contract with Seatrade wasin 2006.2. Antwerp, very nice.3. Excursion at Antwerp.2nd Engine Officer Alexey Khlebnikov1. 2000. First contract with Seatrade wasin 2008.2. Seattle, a lot of impressions with the firstvisit of a foreign port.3. First salary.Bosun Gennady Rekunov1. 1967. First contract with Seatrade wasin 1998.2. New Orleans, I have been there a lot oftimes and have plenty of friends there.3. Celebration of New Year (2005). CaptainGudalin bought a real Christmastree; it was beautiful.AB Sergey Subbotin1. 1995. First contract with Seatrade wasin 2003.2. Vladivostok, because it is my motherland.AB Vadim Saranov1. 1992. First contract with Seatrade wasin 2005.2. Cape Town. It’s the place of beautifulnature and a piece of Europe in Africa3. Last increase in salary.AB Vladimir Konstantinov1. 1993. First contract with Seatrade wasin 2002.2. St. Petersburg is the most beautiful cityin Russia, great masterpieces of architectureof the past.3. My salary.Oiler Sergey Marenkov1. 1989. First contract with Seatrade wasin 2001.2. Philippines is the best place for relaxationand good service. The Filipinos arevery kind people. I plan to spend myvacation with my family there.3. Excursion in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.Cook Aleksandr Kozlov1. 1989. First contract with Seatrade wasin 2005.2. St. Petersburg. It is the most beautifulcity of Russia.3. Sailing the Norwegian waters and passingDover.Deck cadet Alexander Yepanchintsev1. 2001. First contract with Seatrade wasin 2007.2. Port Victoria. It is Paradise Island!3. First Salary.Engine Cadet Vladimir Karpov1. 2008. First contract with Seatrade wasin 2008.2. Mombassa.3. Joining mv Nickerie in Mombassa. Thisis the first time I have been in a foreignport.Karin StaalSeatrade GroningenFrom left to right: Vladimir Konstantinov (AB), Nikolay Zakhozhiy (1EO), Sergey Subbotin (AB), Aleksandr Kozlov (Cook),Igor Burkov (Chief Engineer), Vladimir Karpov (Deck cadet), Alexey Khlebnikov (2EO), Roman Gorb (2nd Officer), SergeyMarenkov (Oiler), Oleg Vovchenko (Master), Gennady Rekunov (Bosun), Vadim Cherepanov (Chief Officer), Vladimir Karpov(Engine cadet) and Vadim Saranov (AB)Simply Seatrade June 2008 11

Delivery and maiden voyage of the NickerieI attended, along withChief Engineer BrianWilliams, the finalthree months of thebuilding and fittingout of the Nickerieat Hayashikani Shipyard,Nagasaki Japan.With sea trials, thenaming ceremonyand delivery detailscompleted, the crew- comprising of fiveBritish senior officersincluding the Master,five Indian JuniorOfficers, a Hong Kong Chinese Cook and a deck and enginecrew of Main Land Chinese people - set off in ballast fromNagasaki bound for Nickerie in Surinam. I will say at this pointthat the Nickerie was built for operation in shallow waters,particularly the Nickerie and Paramaribo River bars so a trans-Pacific voyage in ballast was going to be uncomfortable to saythe least. The route was to take us from Southern Japan to justnorth of The Hawaiian Islands and then across to the CentralAmerican Coast and down to the Panama Canal.Progress was slow due to head winds and seas reducing ourspeed to well below 10 knots at times. Nevertheless our positionupdates were being sent to managers and charterers onour new satellite telex machine and our actual time of arrival atBalboa was being maintained as due consideration had beentaken for inclement weather. Just after passingHonolulu, no we did not stop, the phone rang,the first inbound communication for nearlythree weeks. Where are you Captain? was thequestion. It seems that despite sending all thosemessages and getting an answer back from thenumber given prior departure the messages hadnot arrived at the desk of the time charterer’soperator. We had in fact been ‘lost to the world’for many days, so peaceful. We finally arrivedin Balboa, transited the Canal, bunkered inCristobal and set off again for Nickerie.finally raised on VHF and instructions were received to proceedtowards the river as the pilot was on his way out. Navigationwas not good, as the sat-nav was not picking up anysatellites, so position fixing was being done by radar. The pilotagain made contact giving instructions to make a turn to portas the vessel was too far to the west. This did not make sense,so I decided to continue but at a reduced speed. Again thepilot wanted further corrections to port, but this still made nosense. 10 minutes later the pilot boarded and said that I hadbeen too far to the west but now all was well. I pointed out thatno changes had been made and had I done so he would nothave been required, as we would have been hard aground.The first Nickerie visit obviously caused great excitementamongst the local people and there were a number of dignitariesaround to welcome us and to look at the new ship. The bigexcitement was to happen in Paramaribo where a large partywas planned for the President of Surinam, Prime Minister andmembers of the government. In addition the farm managersand their families and of course members of the banana andfruit company. Problem was that nobody mentioned that theparty was to be held on board...In a short period we arranged to rig an awning on deck overNo.3 hatch and side decks and contacted a good quality cateringcompany to provide the food and staff. Liquid refreshmenthad already been loaded in Japan so with some help from thelocal customs, we were able to liberate sufficient and a jollygood party was had by all.Ged ColeridgeCaptain on the maiden voyage of mv NickerieAs anyone who has approached Nickerie fromthe sea will know, one gets into shallow wateralmost before you can see the land. Approachingthe sea buoy with caution the pilot was12Simply Seatrade June 2008

FeatureThe Olympic GamesThis Olympic moment brought to you by . . .As we approach the XXIX (that’s 29, for those of you who don’t speakRoman numerals) Olympiad in Beijing, China, the world holds itscollective breath. Controversy and protest have followed the lead upto this year’s summer games. Of course, controversy and protest arenothing new to the Olympics. There have been boycotts; there havebeen cancellations and who can forget about Hitler himself servingas host for the 1936 games in Berlin. Out to prove his theories of thesuperiority of the Aryan race, Hitler was repeatedly shown up by “non-Aryan” athletes. In particular, African-American track and field starJesse Owens’ winning four gold medals.A short history of the modern OlympiadThe modern Olympic Games were founded in 1894 whenPierre Fredi, Baron de Coubertin sought to promote internationalunderstanding through sporting competition.The first edition of the games, held in Athens,Greece in 1896, attracted just 245 competitors,of whom more than 200 were Greek, and only14 countries were represented. Unlike today, thefirst place winners received silver medals, an olivebranch and a diploma; and the second-placedathletes received copper medals, a branch of laureland a diploma. Third place winners did notreceive a medal.The Opening Ceremony at the 1896 Athens OlympicsDespite the headaches and heartaches, potential host cities areprepared to spend billions to build massive stadiums, expositionhalls and small cities to house the teeming throngs ofathletes, coaches, support staff and fans attending the games.Beijing’s build-up to this year’s games and the related constructionprojects have often been cited as the principal reasonfor high steel prices and short, world-wide supplies over thepast decade. For China, it’s a chance to show the world whatthey’ve achieved in reaching a lofty position as cultural andmore importantly, economic powerhouse.Early games had difficulty attracting visitors. The1900 Summer Olympics held in Paris, had noopening or closing ceremonies. Competitionsbegan on 14 May and ended on 28 October. TheGames were held as part of the 1900 World’s Fair.Politics and economics aside, the Olympic Games have oftenserved to bring together nations, raise spirits and inspire millions.Along with the grandeur there has been no short supplyof the unusual or humorous that has been spawned by oraround the Games.Baron Pierre de CoubertinSimply Seatrade June 2008 13

FeatureOver a thousand competitors took part in 19 different sports.Women took part in the games for the first time. The decisionto hold competitions on a Sunday brought protests from manyAmerican athletes, who travelled as representatives of theircolleges and were expected to withdraw rather than competeon the holy day.The Olympic Flame,reintroduced at theOlympic Games inAmsterdam in 1928Most of the winners in 1900 did not receive medals, but weregiven cups or trophies. Some unusual events were contestedfor the first and only time in the history of the games.The equestrian high and long jumps, swimmingLondon’s White City Stadium, built in very short time especiallyfor the games, held 68,000 people and was considered bysome to be a technological marvel for the time. The distancefrom the start of the Marathon to the finish at the stadiumwas established at this games; 42.195 km (26 miles385 yards). The starting line was moved to allow theRoyal Family a good view – the reason for the extra385 yards.obstacle race, two-day cricket and livepigeon shooting being foremost among them.The 1904 Olympiad took place in St. Louis, Missouri from1 July to 23 November, making much the same mistakes madeat the 1900 Olympics. Competitions were reduced to a sideshowof the World’s Fair and were lost in the chaos of other,more popular cultural exhibits.Officially, the games lasted for four and a half months. Theorganizers tried to hold an event every day for the duration ofthe fair. The participants totalled 651 athletes - 645 men and6 women representing 12 countries. However, only 42 events(less than half) actually included athletes who were not fromthe United States.The 1908 Olympiad was originally scheduled to be held inRome. Italian authorities were preparing for the games whenMount Vesuvius erupted on 7 April 1906, devastating the nearbycity of Naples. Funds that were to have gone to the Olympicswere diverted to the reconstruction of Naples, so a newvenue was required. London was selected.The games were surrounded by controversy. On openingday, the teams paraded behind their national flags. However,the arrangement caused several complications:• The Finnish team was expected to march under theRussian flag rather than the Finnish flag, so chose tomarch without a flag at all.• The Swedish flag had not been displayed above thestadium, so the members of the Swedish team decided notto take part in the ceremony.• The United States flag had also not been displayed abovethe stadium before the opening so the United States’ flagbearer refused to dip the flag to the royal box. Though theflag was later dipped in the collective greeting of the royalfamily, Martin Sheridan, American team captain, gave theexplanation that “This flag dips to no earthly king.” Despiteinternational customs that encourage dipping the flag as asign of respect to heads of state, since 1908 US flag bearershave followed a tradition of not doing so.The 1908 Olympiad also prompted the establishment of standardrules for sports, and the selection of judges from differentcountries, rather than just the host. One of the reasons for this14Simply Seatrade June 2008

The Olympic Gameswas the 400-metre run in which the US winner was accused ofinterfering with the British runner. Part of the problem was thedifferent definition of interference under British and US rules.The race was re-run, but the Americans refused to participate.The British runner won by running around the track on his ownbecause three of the four original runners had been American.These games were the first to include winter events. There werefour figure skating events contested. However, theses occurredmonths after the other events.The 1912 Summer Olympics were celebrated in Stockholm. Forthe first time, competitors in the games came from all five continentssymbolized in the Olympic rings. Also for the first time since1896, all athletic events were held within a reasonably short timespan of about one month, from late June to late July. It was alsothe last time that solid gold medals were awarded; modern medalsare usually gold-coated silver. The 1912 games saw the firstuse of electric timing devices and public address systems.While each Olympiad has its unique and unexpected stories,there are a few stories that stand out from the early years:American Myer Prinstein finished runner-up in the 1900 longjump in Paris, despite not even showing up for the finals. Prinstein,a university student, was instructed not to participate inthe finals on Sunday. Qualifying jumps counted back then, sohe took second on the basis of those. As legend has it, he was soangry at eventual gold-medal winning jumper Alvin Kraenzleinfor competing in the finals that he punched him in the face.The 1912 Greco-Roman wrestling match in Stockholm betweenFinn Alfred Asikainen and Russian Martin Klein lasted morethan 11 hours. Klein eventually won, but was too exhaustedto participate in the championship match, so he settled for thesilver.World record, but no gold medal: in 1924, American RobertLeGendre shattered the world long jump record with a leap of7.74 metres (25 feet, 4 inches). However, the jump was partof the pentathlon competition and LeGendre only manageda third-place finish overall. The actual long jump competitionwas won with a jump of 7.47 metres (24 feet, 5 inches).Poland’s Stanislawa Walasiwiczowna won the women’s 100-metre race at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, becomingthe first woman to break the 12-second barrier. When she waskilled in 1980, an autopsy declared her to be a male.The 1956 Olympics were boycotted by some European countries because theUSSR was taking part. The Europeans were protesting the invasion of Hungary.In 1928, it was reported that six of the eight entrants in thewomen’s 800-metre race collapsed at the finish line in an“exhausted state.” Poor training methods and the brutalAmsterdam sun (that’s an oxymoron if I ever heard one) werethe two major causes of distress. That event was subsequentlycancelled until 1960.Imitation is the sincerest form of flatteryOver the years, the Olympic Games have inspired athleteswith disabilities to go for the gold, spawning complimentarygames such as the Paralympic Games and the Special Olympics.The world has discovered that despite their disabilities,these are serious athletes.The 1996 Olympiad in Atlanta spawned something much lessinspiring and a bit disturbing: Each 8 July since, the SummerRedneck Games are played in East Dublin, Georgia. Each year,the Redneck Games are kicked off with the arrival of the propanetorch and the lighting of the ceremonial grill. This year’sSimply Seatrade June 200815

Feature“ofishal skedyule” includes the following events:• Lighting of the Ceremonial Grill (with a propane torch)• Redneck Horseshoes (plungers and toilet seat are theequipment for this game)• Bobbin’ for Pigs Feet• Hubcap Hurl• Mudpit Belly Flop• Armpit Serenade• Butt Crack Competition• Basketball analyst: “He dribbles a lot and the oppositiondoesn’t like it. In fact you can see it all over their faces.”• At the rowing medal ceremony: “Ah, isn’t that nice, the wifeof the IOC president is hugging the cox of the British crew.”• Soccer commentator: “Julian Dicks is everywhere. It’s likethey’ve got eleven Dicks on the field.”• Tennis commentator: “One of the reasons Andy is playing sowell is that, before the final round, his wife takes out his ballsand kisses them . . . Oh my God, what have I just said?”All joking aside, the Olympic Games continue to serve as avehicle for healthy competition between elite athletes and forthe rest of us a diversion from the daily pressures. It’s an opportunityto wave our national flag, celebrate our cultural differencesand common sportsmanship.Howard PosnerSeatrade USAPrevious years’ events have also included Dumpster Diving,Seed Spitting Contest, Cigarette Flip, Big Hair Contest and WetT-shirt Contest.The winner of the Summer Redneck Games receives the ultimateprize: An empty, crushed Bud Light can mounted as atrophy. The event draws more than 10,000 annually.A funny thing happened on the way to the ForumThe 1936 Olympiad featured the first live television broadcastof the games. Live events are always treacherous for televisionnetworks, announcers and athletes. The 2004 games in Athens,Greece were broadcast in the USA by the NBC network. Hereis a list of the top nine comments made by NBC commentatorsthat they wish they could take back:• Weightlifting commentator: “This is Gregoriava from Bulgaria.I saw her snatch this morning during her warm up andit was amazing.”• Dressage commentator: “This is really a lovely horse and Ispeak from personal experience since I once mounted hermother.”• Paul Hamm, Gymnast: “I owe a lot to my parents, especiallymy mother and father.”• Boxing analyst: “Sure there have been injuries and evensome deaths in boxing, but none of them really that serious.”• Softball announcer: “If history repeats itself, I should thinkwe can expect the same thing again.”16Simply Seatrade June 2008

VolleyballTournament 2008On 24 May, we all gathered on Antwerp’s Linkeroever (Leftbank) where we had organized our internal Seatrade volleyballtournament.Triton had sent two teams and Groningen brought one team tocompete against our Antwerp star team. For the first time wealso had a mixed team of Antwerp, Leer and Groningen whichseemed an unbeatable combination!As you all know, Groningen and Triton usually have it easyagainst us, but this time we could surprise them with a brandnew team. Three matches later it was clear: Antwerp had wonall their matches and became proud winner of this year’s tournamentclosely followed by the mixed team. Third place wasfor Groningen, and fourth and last in line was Leer.After all the hard work we were invited to have dinner in thecentre of Antwerp, and following a very nice meal we decidedto go for a final drink in town.Some say, that Antwerp, Groningen and Leer are very different;however, at the end of the night we could say that this is basedon incorrect facts!Tilly Timmermans & Bas de VaalSeatrade AntwerpGroningen in action against LeerWe can still win!Feel the competitiveness!Simply Seatrade June 200817

PresentingGlobal producer-exporter of quality fresh bananas, pineapplesNestled in the verdant plains of Mindanao, in SouthernPhilippines, is Lapanday Foods Corporation (LFC) a companywith over 30 years experience in growing, packing andexporting fresh Cavendish bananas to steadily growing marketsin the Asia Pacific region and the Middle East. Its managementteam is currently led by Regina Angela L. Davila, Chairman ofthe Board and Federico Z. Vasquez, President.Bananas being ‘carried’ across the farm on a cableInnovationLapanday’s sustained focus to innovate and respond to marketneeds led it to inaugurate in 1998 its commercial tissue culturelaboratory. It is the first of its kind in Mindanao and the largestin the Philippines. The chemistry laboratory, licensed as a soilslaboratory by the Philippine Department of Agriculture, testsand analyzes soil, plant tissue, fertilizers, and water sources inour farms to ensure quality standards. As a member of the IPEprogramme of the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands,Lapanday exchanges ideas and research data with many of theworld’s most advanced agricultural laboratories.One of the Lapanday farms in bird’s eye viewWith over 7,000 hectares of rich soil where some 5,000employees nurture, care for and help grow the healthy fruit, thecompany has metamorphosed as a recognized world-class andhigh quality fresh produce provider of choice in the region. Itsfarm workers are meticulously trained to maintain a keen focuson quality, carefully monitoring the plants as they go throughthe various stages of growth - from tissue culture to harvest.When the Lorenzo family acquired their first banana plantationsin 1982, it was initially a banana grower of multinationalcorporations like Del Monte and Chiquita de Nadai, with itsGrade A bananas exported to various Asian countries underthe Del Monte and Chiquita brands. In 1997, transforming thecompany from a purely FOB grower of multinational brands,the shift signalled to the fresh fruit world that a major growerin the Philippines was venturing into direct export to markets.This saw Lapanday directly exporting to Japan, the Middle East,Korea, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, andSingapore.In all its farms, Lapanday follows growing practices thatguarantee food safety and are environmentally responsible. Itsbanana plantations, equipped with well-designed facilities suchas irrigation and drainage systems, aerial tractors, and cablewaysystems, rank among the most advanced and productive in thecountry.Lapanday’s research and development facilities develop thebest methods to propagate healthy and high-yielding plantingmaterials. It keeps a close watch on soil fertility, plant nutrition,and pest and disease prevention in all our farms.Washing the bananas prior to packing them18Simply Seatrade June 2008

Lapanday FoodsCorporationLapanday’s plastics manufacturing facilitiesThus, through the years, what was a small company operating inDavao City, has expanded its operations to become a preferredprovider not only of Cavendish bananas, but pineapples as wellfrom its farms located in Bukidnon and outlying areas.TransformationA cornerstone of its successful transformation is Lapandaycreating brands specific to the market where its produceis available. To entrench itself in the Chinese market, LFCstrengthened its presence by bringing fruit on a consistent basis.This assures its partners that the company is there for the longhaul.It has leveraged technology to ensure the excellent qualityof its products. A state of the art cold storage has been builtat the Madaum Wharf, in Tagum City. This facility uses the“forced air technology” to extend the shelf life of bananas whileguaranteeing and maintaining freshness. With the cold storagefacility, Lapanday has been able to ensure a steady supply ofbananas while controlling freight cost. The same approach toensuring quality and freshness is being done with its pineappleswith its new facility in Aglayan Bukidnon, which includes“forced air” pre-coolers and a holding room specially designedfor pineapples.Being the first Filipino company to export and market bananasunder its house brands in China, it successfully launched anaggressive campaign to win the support of Chinese buyers whopatronized its Mabuhay and Aloha brands, controlling 35% ofthis particular market. This has been successfully replicated bycapturing a respectable slice of the stringent Japanese market.Here, the company introduced its Estrella and Aloha brands.This proven approach has given Lapanday the confidence tomake its presence felt in such other markets as Korea, Singapore,the Middle East, and Hong Kong, which have lead to a steadilyincreasing market share in these areas.Loading our cargo at Davao for one of the manydestinations in the Asia Pacific regionConsistent with its seed to shelf capability to supply bananasand pineapples on a weekly basis, it not only rationalized itsmaterial purchases in order to be more cost efficient, Lapandayalso put together a sound forward-backward integration strategy.This aims to strengthen its position as a global producer-exporterof fresh produce. By providing for its own packaging and plasticsrequirements, it now operates its own state of the art packagingand plastics manufacturing facilities, the most modern inSoutheast Asia, located at the First Mindanao Industrial Park inMandug, Davao City.While the company has embarked on a transformation thatwill consolidate its operations across its various business units,Lapanday is steadfast in making sure that the environment andthe communities where it is present grow and ultimately benefitfrom its successful operations.Investing in human capital, Lapanday’s corporate socialresponsibility has a preferential bias for education. Through itsLapanday Skills Training Center, it provides free technical andskills training using the German-developed dual-tech approachto learning and skills improvement. Its programmes includewelding, plumbing, carpentry, masonry, computer applications,sewing, food processing, heavy equipment operation, roadconcreting, and mobile phone repair to community-basedbeneficiaries.Lapanday Foods Corporation is committed to ensure that worldclass Philippine bananas and other fresh produce are grown,packed and shipped to many other places in the world. Itsvision to be the fresh produce provider of choice in the regionis founded on the firm belief of its founder, Luis F. Lorenzo, Sr.,that the continuous success of the company translates to a betterquality of life for the Filipino, especially those in Mindanao.Federico Z. VasquezSimply Seatrade June 2008 19

Special eventsAnnual anniversary party, 4 April 2008Friday 4 April 2008, during the annual anniversaryparty, attention was paid to the retirement and 25thanniversary of a number of seafarers.We celebrated the retirement of Chief Engineer PietRensen and Bosun Miguel da Cruz and the 25thanniversary of Capt. Harry Brouwer and GP JorgeTolentino. The party made a head start at the MercureHotel Haren and was thereafter moved to lakesiderestaurant “de Twee Provincien” in Paterswolde.Also this year many (former) seagoing and office staff,family and friends were present, contributing to thewarm ambiance. Mark Jansen opened the evening,after which Marnix van Overklift came up with somenice anecdotes about the seagoing careers of the guestsof honour.The guests of honour with their familiesAfter the speeches a sumptuous hot and cold buffetcould be enjoyed whilst exchanging personalrecollections. Capt. Harry Brouwer spoke a word ofthanks on behalf of the guests of honour. Mark Jansenclosed the evening thanking everybody for theirpresence and the organising committee for the wellorganisedevent.Hope to see you all next year!Andrea de BoerSeatrade GroningenSeatrade’s Andrea de Boer, Captain Harry Brouwer, KarinStaal, Adrie Arts and Lisette StaalGP Jorge Tolentino, Captain Harry Brouwer, Bosun Miguel da Cruz and ChiefEngineer Piet RensenRestaurant “de Twee Provincien”20Simply Seatrade June 2008

Seatrade 10 years in South AfricaOn 1 April 2008 Anlin Shipping (PTY) LTD was 10 years old.To commemorate this milestone, a function was held with theAnlin/Seatrade clients in attendance. Marnix and Irma vanOverklift attended the function and celebrations on behalf ofSeatrade. At the function Anlin’s Anton du Preez delivered thefollowing address:“It is true what they say – Time flies when you’re having fun.Looking back on the past 10 years one realises that certainthings are still the same as they were in year one but that anumber of things have changed over time. There were manyhighlights but certainly also some disappointments over thepast 10 years.Roelf Pienaar (Unifrutti), Deon Joubert (Capespan) and Chris Conradie(Afrifresh), with NatashaSeatrade introduced the first specialised reefer liner servicefor fruit shipments from South Africa to the United Kingdomand Europe in 1998. We started by shipping 240,000 palletsin year 1 and managed to peak with 420,000 pallets in 2004.Over the 10 years we shipped 3.1 million pallets with 988 sailingsto various destinations worldwide.I am particularly proud of the fact that we still have most of theclients that we started with in 1998. Over time we were ableto grow with our clients. Our sincere thanks to all our clientsfor their loyal support.My personal thanks to the Anlin Staff (some of which havebeen with Anlin from day 1 for their hard work and loyalty. Wemake a great team and it is a pleasure to work with you all.My sincere thanks to Seatrade for the business. I believe ourrelationship is stronger today than what it was 10 years ago.We look forward to the next decade.”Standing: Piet Nel (Afrifresh), Charles and Christelle Gantz (Anlin)Sitting: Nico De Lange (Expofrut), Danie Maartins (Fresh Produce Terminals),Kobus Van Der Merwe and Nico Veldsman (both of New Vision)By Anlin ShippingSeatrade’s Irma and Marnix van Overklift with Anton and Linda du Preez ofAnlinMarius Nel (MaxTend), Connie Papageorge (Direct Reefer), Natasha and ReynDreyer (Anlin), Laurence Du Toit (Independent Shipping Services) and GeoffCroxford (Exsa)Simply Seatrade June 2008 21

From the Winter 2008 issue of The Geest Line’s Freight Bitea fit seafarer=a happy seafarer, and a safer ship!Welcome to the Seatrade world!Casper, son of Nathalie Springuel (Public Relations)and Hans Mol (Commercial Manager),Seatrade AntwerpHugo, son of Erwin van Eck,project manager, Seatrade AntwerpNadia, granddaughter of Santiago Albitre of Hispafrio,Seatrade’s agent in Spain

And with their departure the specialised reefer fleet has been reduced by afurther 1.2 million cubic feet.Name Built Bale capacity Floor space DWT LOA Beam Speed &ConsumptionFor many years The Royals served us well – three sister vessels, Bay, Cooler andReefer, that over the years carried anything from bananas to fish, anywherearound the world. Between April and May this year, they left us forever.Royal ReeferRoyal BayThe hands-on approach of a Seatrade agent: UK’sMark Holmwood assisting the lashing gang!Royal CoolerApril Fools?On 1 April the announcement was distributed of the purchase by Seatrade of the Marítima del Norte reefer fleet; some might have assumed it tobe a joke.Seven vessels are included in the deal, ranging from 136,000 to 262,210 cbft. Two vessels involved in the deal are to revert to their original namesof Coppename and Jarikaba, rivers in Suriname (see also article ‘In the picture’).Sierra Laurel 1998 260,050 2,925 5,972 117.27 17.50 17 knts @ 18.5 mt 3 3BowthrusterSharftgeneratorSierra Leyre 1997 260,050 2,925 5,972 117.27 17.50 17 knts @ 18.5 mt 3 3Sierra Loba 1997 260,050 2,925 5,972 117.27 17.50 17 knts @ 18.5 mt 3 3Sierra Lara 1996 260,050 2,925 5,970 117.50 17.50 17 knts @ 18.5 mt 3 3Coppename 1990 221,916 2,550 4,797 108.80 16.40 15 knts @ 12.5 mtJarikaba 1986 191,000 2,215 4,797 107.96 16.01 15 knts @ 12.5 mtSierra Cazorla 1984 136,200 0 2,829 91.85 14.20 11.5 knts @ 7.6 mt 3Photos with kind permission of FotoFliteSierra LaraCoppenameSierra LobaSierra CazorlaWelcomeSierra LeyreSierra LaurelJarikaba

Magnum, Soleroor Rocket?Over time a lot of ships have been built, launched and recycled. Here is a story about a shipthat caught our eyes some time ago; a ship not built of steel like so many today, but rather of...ice cream sticks!A former Hollywood stunt man now living inthe Netherlands launched his greatest project todate in Amsterdam on Tuesday 17 July 2007: a45-foot replica Viking ship made of millions ofwooden ice cream sticks and more than a tonof glue.Rob McDonald named the ship the “Mjollnir”after the hammer of the mythic Norse god ofthunder, Thor. After the 13-ton boat was liftedinto the water by crane, “Captain Rob,” as heis known, stood calmly on the stern as a teamof volunteers rowed the apparently sturdy vesselaround the IJ River behind the city’s centralstation.“I have a dream to show children they can doanything,” McDonald said before the launch. “Ifthey can dream it, they can do it.”He said he was confident the ship would float,but organizers had prepared an alternate pressstatement just in case something went wrong.The biggest fear was that the ship’s keel mightbe too light and it would capsize. But the launchwent smoothly, and McDonald plans to applyfor a mention in the Guinness Book of Records.McDonald set the previous record in 2003 witha smaller version of a Viking ship built from370,000 wooden ice cream sticks, which hasbeen approved by the Guinness Book of WorldRecords.McDonald, an American who lives withhis Dutch wife and their son in the city ofEmmeloord, had help from a host of advisers,sponsors and neighbourhood children.works.” She said she didn’t think McDonald wascrazy at all. “He’s funny sometimes. He’s verynice,” she said.McDonald and his son Rob Jr., 11, fixed a finalceremonial “15 millionth” ice cream stick,made of gold, shortly before the launch. Rob Jr.,sporting a Viking helmet and a wooden sword,appeared ready to go on a voyage of looting andpillaging.The inside of the boat is reinforced with fibreglassand it can be propelled by its modern mast andsail, or oars, or a backup motor.Afterward, the boat was moved back onto dryland and would be on display at Sail 2007, amajor show for antique ships.Just recently this story continued, as on 8 April2008, the Viking ship made from ice cream sticksset sail for England from the Netherlands. Theship was laden with cuddly toys with CaptainRob planning to reach London and visit childrenin hospitals.Later on, he and his crew hope to cross theAtlantic on the ancient Viking route to NorthAmerica via Iceland and Greenland.At Seatrade we wish the ice cream vessel well,but want to reassure our customers that this hasnot given us any ‘funny’ ideas, and despite thehigh steel prices the Seatrade newbuildings willnot be made of the ‘free-bees’ of an ice creammanufacturer.Source: The InternetHe estimated that in all, he used up to 2.2 tonsof glue and 15 million birch wood ice creamsticks donated by an ice cream manufacturerand found by neighbourhood children.“I’m proud,” said 8-year-old Kim Jaasma, one ofthe volunteers on hand for the launch. “I hope it24Simply Seatrade June 2008

What’s cookingWho are you?Raphael Colmo, 39 years old, and chief cook onboard mv SpringPanda. I was born 24 October 1968 in Ilo Ilo, Philippines. I ammarried to Jeanette Colmo and we have two daughters. I amliving in Passi City, Ilo Ilo.When did you start sailing?I started in 1993 as utility worker on the passenger vessel QueenElizabeth II. My first Seatrade vessel was mv Antartic in 2005.What do you like about sailing?I like to cook, and doing this I hope to give my daughters agood education and hopefully a good future. I can also help mymother and sister because of my work.You always show a happy attitude, how do you do that?I like my work, and I like to see people happy when eating myfood, and this makes me a happy person.Please share some of your favourite recipes with us.My favourite recipes are Carbonnade of beef and Green peasoup.Carbonnade of beefGreen pea soupIngredients:200 g green split peas (soaked overnight if necessary)1.5 l white stock or water50 g carrot (whole)25 g leeksbouquet garni50 g onion100 g celeriac, cut into small cubes50 g knuckle of ham or bacon (smoked)1 pc (Unox) smoked sausagePick and wash the beans.Place in a thick-bottomed pan, cover with cold water or stock.Bring to the boil and skim.Add remainder of ingredients, and skim and season.Simmer until tender, and skim when necessary.Remove the bouquet garni, carrot and ham.Pass through a sieve or liquidize.Pass through a medium conical strainer.Return to a clean saucepan, bring to the boil again, and correctthe seasoning and consistency.Serve with sliced (Unox) sausage.Ingredients:400 g lean beef or topside25 g flower25 g dripping or oil200 g sliced onions250 ml beer10 g castor sugar20 g tomato puree500 ml brown stockCut meat into thin slices.Season with pepper and pass through flour.Quickly colour on both sides in hot fat and place in casserole.Fry the onions to a light brown colour and add to the meat.Add the beer, sugar and tomato puree and sufficient brown stockto cover the meat.Cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer gently in a moderatelyhot oven, 150-200°C, until the meat is tender in approximately2 hours.Skim, correct the seasoning and serve.Bon appetite!Simply Seatrade June 2008 25

The MermaidBefore I decided to study law, the idea of becoming a sailorcrossed my mind. Wouldn’t sea-going life be wonderful? Callingexotic ports, being on a unique sea adventure and cominghome with impressive stories? Although life took a differentcourse, when I got the opportunity to experience the life onboard and to increase my knowledge of the cargo operationson a Seatrade vessel I couldn’t wait to board. Furthermore,sailing on a reefer vessel would not only be the experience ofa lifetime but would also help me understand the way thingswork in “real-life”, something that would definitely come inuseful in my position as claims handler, working in the legaldepartment of Seatrade Antwerp.The intention was to experience several loading and dischargeports during the voyage so I flew to Puerto Bolivar (Ecuador)where I intended to board mv Caribbean Mermaid, whichregrettably due to schedule changes could not bring me to mynext destination. Luckily the white and shining mv Salica Frigowas in the area and I was able to board.While in port I had the opportunity to visit a local “Hacienda”where bananas are harvested, washed and packed, andwitnessed the loading operations for break bulk and palletizedbanana cargo. It was interesting to see the different loading gearand stowing techniques and I was impressed by the speed the26Simply Seatrade June 2008

vessel was loaded. Upon completion of loading, the holds weresealed and the Salica Frigo set sail towards the Panama Canal.On board, a lively and friendly Spanish crew introduced me intothe seaman’s life. When crossing the equator, a local “rainfall” (alarge bucketful of water, kindness of the crew) hit me. The Masterdeclared I had been accepted into the Kingdom of Neptune, whonow knows me as “la sirenita” (the mermaid). Hence I was allowedto cross the seven seas and that was more or less what I did. Thepeaceful weather on the Pacific Ocean convinced the Master tohand me the wheel to steer. It was an incredible experience and Iam proud to report that no damage was done!The Salica Frigo was authorized to sail through the PanamaCanal during daytime. Little locomotives and local workers,who had boarded the ship, guided the vessel through thedifferent locks and the beautiful surroundings of the Canal.While the Salica Frigo set sail to the Black Sea, I disembarkedin Cristobal (Panama) in order to board the Spring Tiger thatwas waiting for me in Philipsburg (St. Maarten).One of the purposes of the voyage was to get acquaintedwith real life at sea and as in real life, sometimes things gowrong. The Spring Tiger sailed from Philipsburg to Oranjestad,Willemstad (Netherlands Antilles), Turbo (Colombia) and MoinSimply Seatrade June 2008 27

The Mermaid(Costa Rica) before it arrived in Hamburg (Germany). Duringthe first calls of the trip containers were shifted. At the sametime, the holds were being prepared to take another bananacargo on board. I watched how gratings were repaired andhow the holds were cleaned.undertake the Atlantic crossing successfully. We sailed withoutmajor delays (with the exception of a fire alarm that – of coursewentoff in the middle of the night). I then realized, what thecrew has to stand, non-stop working in a noisy, rough andsometimes dangerous environment, miles away from home.The first days crossing the Caribbean Sea were calm. The creweven had the time to arrange a barbeque on deck, which wasmost enjoyable. During the ocean crossing, I was also able togo on deck and to check the container temperatures and hadthe chance to look into the engine room and find out moreabout the working of the brine refrigeration system.In Turbo small bongos came along side the ship that wasanchored in the bay. Palletised bananas were transhipped fromthe bongos into the vessel’s hold. Security guards would stabeach pallet with a machete to prevent stowaways and narcoticsfrom travelling with the ship and I was hoping no blood wouldappear on their knives. When the loading operations werefinished, the bridge officer on duty was sent to his cabin andthe Master asked me to sail from Turbo, which I was delightedto do. Thankfully collisions were avoided (even though I mustadmit that there were no ships around).In Moin, a container was damaged upon loading; this requiredthe crew to make the necessary repairs for it to be able toOnce the vessel passed the Windward Passage, the weatherforecast for the upcoming days became clear. Even though theSpring Tiger took the most favourable route, bad weather waswaiting upon the vessel’s approach to Europe. Increasingly, thevessel was rolling and pitching. It was a real mission takinga shower on board. Stairs became mountains and soup wasdrifting away from the plate. After a few days the weathercalmed and the vessel reached Hamburg safely. The cargo wasfine and the damaged container was discharged in Rotterdam,without any incident and with its contents in good condition.Being back in the office I realized the amount of thingsI learned during the voyage. Most of vessels’ parts are nowfamiliar and the amount of information one is able to pick upwhile on board (even subconsciously) is amazing. I thereforewish to thank our management and the Master and crew onboth Salica Frigo and Spring Tiger for giving me the chance tobe part of this unforgettable seagoing adventure.Sylvie De SmetSeatrade Antwerp28Simply Seatrade June 2008

Sports pageA few weeks ago I was asked if we would like to take part in a charityGo-Kart event organised by the local Round Table, and being a bigkid at heart, immediately jumped at the chance and entered TeamSeatrade!Sports PageTeam Seatrade on the racetrackIt is more often than not that you reflect on this sort of spontaneous decisionsometime after opening your mouth. I must say that it was only ashort time after that I realised I had agreed to enter a small team of novicesinto a 3-hour race on what can only be described as a tea tray supportedby a wheel in each corner, a steering wheel and an engine more thancapable of propelling the driver around a track at speeds in access of 110km/hour. Still, every one seemed excited and was looking forward to thechallenge; “So not much chance of backing out now then”!Towards the finish but after 3 hours who knows what position wewere in...The day soon came round and we set of with our respective families inconvoy to the track only half an hour’s ride from where we live all feelinglucky yet a little nervous as to the challenge that lay ahead. Luck thoughhad obviously not been packed along with the overalls and other gearthat we were taking, as 15 minutes into the journey myself and one ofthe other cars were involved in an accident. And although thankfully onlyminor with no real injury being suffered, one of the cars was completelydisabled. After a few frantic phone calls we were able to arrange transportfor us all to make it to the venue with only seconds to spare. After crashingin on the briefing session that had already started we hastily donnedoveralls and crash helmets just in time to start the practice laps.A wet track made for some slippery fun!The afternoon consisted of a total of 25 teams with each team consistingof three or four drivers and a minimum of eight pit stops to be madeduring the course of the 3-hour race. On this basis being a team of four,elected to make 3x 15 minutes drives each, with each driver having tomake a minimum of three practice laps each prior to the race. Our teambeing relative novices looked set to start well down the grid but in truecharity style a small donation in the right hands soon moved us up intopole position, which we managed to keep for all of half a lap!The bright sunny day that we had been blessed with at the start of therace soon gave way to darker clouds and eventually some heavy rainwhich although a little disappointing made for some very interesting drivingwith karts spinning off left, right, and centre. In the closing minutes ofthe race we were showing 21st place on the score board which probablywas a fair position given our experience, but once again the charitabledonation soon improved our ranking, moving us up into first place evenif only momentarily with more sizable donations knocking us back intovery healthy 4th place at the end of the day.Two young wannabe racers!All in all, it was a tremendous fun day and an experience that I wouldcertainly recommend to anyone who fancies himself as a bit of a Fangioor Lewis Hamilton!Mark HolmwoodSeatrade UKTeam Seatrade UK f.l.t.r,: myself, Ben, Son Ashley and ChrisSimply Seatrade June 200829

Games & puzzleSend in & winTriviaDid you read this Simply Seatrade?1. What name did Neptune bestow on Sylvie De Smet?2. Who won the 2008 Seatrade Volleyball Tournament?3. What is the name of the town where Seatrade USA Northeast officially opened its offices recently?Crack the code (Sudoku)This puzzle is played over a 9x9 grid, in each row there are 9 slots, some of them are empty and need to be filled. Fill in thegrid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. The number should appear only oncein a row, column or box. Below you find two Sudoku puzzles. In each of the below Sudoku puzzles three slots are coloured.When you have found the numbers in one or both puzzles, you will have three-digit codes (composed by the numbers in thecoloured slots, starting top left and - moving horizontally - ending bottom right). Send us either one or both codes, and youmight be the lucky winner of an exclusive Seatrade watch!EASY3 6 7 9 47 4 8 11 3 55 8 4 6 96 3 81 8 2 78 5 93 4 8 75 7 2 4 1HARD6 5 98 19 4 32 5 6 95 9 78 3 55 7 93 67 1 8Join the competition: Send us theCodes and/or the answers to theTrivia by either E-mail or post, andtry to win one of three Seatradewatches!Deadline for your response is15 August 2008. The names ofthe winners will be published inthe September issue of SimplySeatrade.The answers of the puzzle and trivia in the March 2008 issuewere:Puzzle: easy code = 646 / hard code = 219Trivia: 1) Olympia, Greece; 2) Forbidden City, Beijing, China;3) North Dakota, USAThe winners are Barend van Wijk (puzzle - easy), Myrthe &Ria Reiche-Ketelaar (puzzle - hard). No three correct answerswere received for Trivia. The winners will all receive a beautifulSeatrade watch. Congratulations!Send us your response to this issue’s puzzles and win yourself!E-mail: simply-seatrade@seatrade.comAddress: Seatrade Reefer Chartering NV, Attn.: Editorial Team “Simply Seatrade”, PO Box 10.012, 2030 Antwerp 3, BelgiumSend us your response to this issue’s puzzles and win a beautiful Seatrade watch, which is exclusive to winners of the puzzles in Simply Seatrade!30Simply Seatrade June 2008

Vessels operated by Seatrade Reefer Chartering N.V.FleetlistVessel Cbft Sqm Built Vessel Cbft Sqm Built Vessel Cbft Sqm BuiltLombok Strait 626,011 7,341 2002 Runaway Bay 516,227 5,852 1992 Fiona 272,314 3,209 1986Luzon Strait 626,011 7,341 2002 Aconcagua Bay 512,361 5,894 1992 Nostalgic 265,245 3,209 1986Nagoya Bay 490,178 5,608 1983 Neerlandic 265,245 3,209 1985Atlantic Reefer 600,558 6,870 1998 Cloudy Bay 476,950 5,481 1984 Breiz Klipper 265,246 3,144 1991Pacific Reefer 600,202 6,869 1999 Storm Bay 476,278 5,484 1983 Holland Klipper 261,262 2,961 1989Everest Bay 449,201 5,219 1989 Sierra Laurel 260,050 2,925 1998Hansa Stockholm 590,654 6,687 1991 Whitney Bay 449,175 5,208 1990 Sierra Leyre 260,050 2,925 1997Hansa Lübeck 590,654 6,687 1990 Changuinola Bay 440,365 4,862 1988 Sierra Loba 260,050 2,925 1997Hansa Visby 587,974 6,653 1989 Kailash 440,016 4,861 1988 Sierra Lara 260,050 2,925 1996Hansa Bremen 587,974 6,653 1989 Koala Bay 438,802 4,917 1984Glacier Bay 435,491 5,047 1985 Nova Zeelandia 238,985 2,684 1986Royal Klipper 580,754 6,613 2000 Sable Bay 435,491 5,047 1983 New Takatsuki 237,136 2,552 1991Comoros Stream 580,754 6,613 2000 Kasuga Bay 433,013 4,804 1984 Nova Bretagne 236,869 2,535 1990Yasaka Bay 432,949 4,803 1983 Nova Australia 234,651 2,656 1984Polarstream 564,280 6,495 1999 Kashima Bay 432,831 4,805 1984 Nova Flandria 233,573 2,562 1990Polarlight 564,160 6,493 1998 Izumo Bay 432,756 4,803 1983 Polestar 233,432 2,561 1990Atlantic Hope 412,215 4,677 1984 Euro Star 230,745 2,537 1984Elsebeth 549,326 6,226 1998 Pioneer Bay 411,868 4,677 1982 Nova Terra 230,014 2,535 1985Emerald 548,718 6,244 2000 Hudson Bay 409,295 4,794 1983 Coppename 221,916 2,550 1990Elvira 548,666 6,244 2000Esmeralda 548,643 6,243 1999 Prince of Streams 428,618 4,613 1993 Antigua 199,618 2,213 1991Prince of Sounds 419,896 4,521 1993 Antilla 199,618 2,213 1990Pacific Mermaid 540,572 6,075 1992 Prince of Waves 402,900 4,569 1993 Aruba 199,618 2,213 1990Atlantic Mermaid 540,026 6,066 1992 Prince of Tides 402,574 4,546 1993 New Hayatsuki 192,443 2,298 1990Tasman Mermaid 539,670 6,068 1993 Pacific 398,470 4,736 1996 New Hirotsuki 192,368 2,297 1990Caribbean Mermaid 539,648 6,068 1993 River Phoenix 394,396 4,538 1993 Jarikaba 191,000 2,215 1986Coral Mermaid 539,634 6,066 1992 Sea Phoenix 394,255 4,543 1992 Nickerie 190,525 2,213 1985Summer Phoenix 393,855 4,535 1993 Asiatic 191,810 2,144 1986Timor Stream 535,112 6,004 1998 Marine Phoenix 393,429 4,541 1994 Arctic 187,535 2,029 1983Agulhas Stream 535,109 6,004 1998 Lake Phoenix 393,291 4,539 1992 Antarctic 185,739 2,014 1982Benguela Stream 535,109 6,004 1998 Prince of Seas 371,412 4,121 1993 Adriatic 182,510 2,006 1984Klipper Stream 535,109 6,004 1998 Cool Express 362,350 4,312 1994Discovery Bay 534,246 5,922 1997 Ishikari 139,960 1,253 1984Badrinath 373,776 4,012 1987 Joint Frost 139,335 998 1979Southern Bay 535,093 5,924 1997 Kedarnath 372,951 4,008 1986 Sierra Cazorla 136,200 1984Eastern Bay 533,899 5,915 1997 Tama Hope 350,922 3,802 1986Hope Bay 531,764 5,939 1996 Tama Star 350,922 3,802 1987Mexican Bay 532,061 6,351 1994 Non-Pool vessels managed by Seatrade Groningen B.V.Fortuna Bay 532,061 6,351 1993 Bristol Bay 355,438 3,826 1984 -Reefers-Eagle Bay 527,422 5,853 1992 Boston Bay 355,393 3,826 1983 Vessel Cbft Sqm BuiltCondor Bay 527,401 5,856 1990 Barents Bay 354,958 3,814 1984 Cala Pino 720,000 7,781 1999/2007Buzzard Bay 526,909 5,852 1992 Tasman Bay 333,081 3,543 1989 Cala Pula 720,000 7,781 1999/2006Hawk Bay 526,764 5,851 1992 Cala Palma 720,000 7,781 2000/2007Falcon Bay 525,925 5,839 1993 Salica Frigo 336,436 3,685 2001 Cala Pedra 720,000 7,781 2000/2007Frio Hellenic 499,546 5,898 1999 Cape Vincente 300,124 3,441 1991Cape Passero 300,124 3,441 1991 -Container vessels-Santa Catharina 463,986 5,140 2000 Vessel TEU DWAT BuiltSanta Maria 463,963 5,140 1999 Nova Galicia 305,010 3,364 1983 Cala Pancaldo 2,700 37,212 2007Santa Lucia 463,652 5,140 1999 White Dolphin 300,996 3,282 1988Cold Stream 456,785 5,217 1994 Nova Florida 298,320 3,512 1989 Cala Portofino 1,730 23,051 2002Nova Francia 298,217 3,514 1989 Cala Ponente 1,730 23,051 2002Spring Tiger 470,494 5,569 1984 Nova Friesia 296,538 3,161 1987 Cala Positano 1,730 23,023 1997Spring Bear 466,871 5,543 1985 New Breeze 293,044 2,966 1983Spring Panda 461,816 5,534 1984 Khorol 271,739 3,045 1990 all particulars believed to be correct but not guaranteedSpring Bok 461,106 5,535 1984 Kraskino 270,252 3,045 1990Spring Bob 460,895 5,540 1984 Dalnegorsk 270,237 3,046 1990 Status 28 May 2008Spring Dragon 454,207 5,414 1984 Nova Caledonia 263,003 2,946 1986Spring Deli 453,088 5,410 1984Simply Seatrade June 200831

It’s not a bald spot; it’s a solar panelHuman nature is such that when confronted with a traumaticlife event, eventual acceptance only comes after a series ofpredictable stages. It’s no different for those of us are destinedto endure the humiliation of the dreaded affliction of malepattern baldness.Stage 1: DenialYou’re in your late 20’s, enjoying life, you’re on the career fasttrack, the ladies love you, and things are looking up. Then- bam - it happens: You’re enjoying an evening out with theboys, when one of them comes up behind you unexpectedlyand utters those dreaded words, “Dude, you know you’vegot a bald spot back here.” You try to act cool and blow offthe comment, but as soon as you get home you’re in front ofthe mirror. Nah, it can’t possibly be true. You’re still way tooyoung and, well; Dad’s still got a full head of hair. It must bethe barber. Yeah, that’s what it is. You keep trying to convinceyourself of this, as you desperately try to fall asleep that firstfitful night.You spend the next few years avoiding having people standbehind you. You always take the chair against the wall. Youavoid mirrors in public places. Every time your stylist makes a“cute” comment about your growing friend, you find anotherstylist. You start wearing more hats.Stage 2: AngerYou’re in your early 30’s and OK reality finally sinks in.You’re losing your hair. Dammit! How could this possiblyhave happened? Damn your parents, your grandparents, yourentire bloody lineage - this despite the fact that both yourgrandfathers have a full head of luxurious hair and are wellCrow’s nestinto their 70s. Why did you wear hats all the time? Whydidn’t the stylist or your friends warn you about this earlierso you could have done something to stop it? How could thispossibly be happening to you? Life sucks. Now you’ll neverget that promotion or that hot chick from accounting.Stage 3: BargainingWait, they have pills for this. Yeah. Science has this thinglicked. You pop a few pills and all your worries will evaporate.OK, so the pills don’t work and neither does the Rogaine.Now what? You grow the hair even longer and find yourselfspending even more money on gels and sprays. It’s not exactlya comb-over, but if you position things just right you can getaway with it. What about that hair in a can stuff? They’redoing great things with toupees these days. That guy in the ITdepartment got one last year and if you don’t look too closelyyou can’t even tell where the wig stops and his real hair starts.Oh hell, maybe it’s time to consider surgery? Yeah, those guysin the commercials seem to have all the hot chicks and caneven go swimming - as long as you don’t mind looking like awalking Chia Pet.Stage 4: AcceptanceWell you’ve hit the big 4-0 and all of your efforts have beenfor naught. That little patch of skin on the top of your headhas grown into a valley. Your teenage daughter tells you yourponytail is creeping out her friends. As you look in the mirror,you realize that you have reached the proverbial end of theroad. If you can’t beat it, you might as well embrace it. Yourun to the closest barber and when he asks what you wantyou tell him you want it short. “Number 3” on the clippers, heasks, tentatively? You start there, but when that doesn’t quitedo the job, you tell him to go for Number 1. As the barber isbrushing away the last vestiges of your hair from the collar ofyour shirt, you’re checking yourself out in the mirror. This isgoing to take some getting used to, you think to yourself. Thenthe barber tells you that it makes you look 10 years younger.Hmmm. You find yourself a bit wary as your leave the shop.Wait a second; did that 20-something Goth chick just smile atyou? Whoa, maybe there is something to this. You find friendsand family telling you that you’re looking much younger. Youhave a new bounce in the step. You’re actually going to thegym. You’re buying new clothes. You wonder why in the helldidn’t you do this earlier. The only down side is that you findyourself at the barbershop every three weeks. If you should letyour hair grow even a half-inch you go from being the coolguy to being the old, bald guy.Howard PosnerSeatrade USASimply Seatrade is the corporate magazine of the Seatrade group of companies, published quarterly in March, June, September and December