Freighter
Fantasy
Charlotte Phillips
CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN
Everyone donned life vests for a safety drill. That's helpful crewman Ronald Sogo-An in the yellow helmet.
Seafarer’s adventure
exceeds expectations to
its bittersweet end
It's a balmy night, cooled by an ocean breeze. Marinated chicken, pork, beef, sausages and fish sizzle on the grill in the back yard. A long table is laden with fried rice, cole slaw, potato salad, fruit salad and condiments. Beer, wine, rum and soft drinks flow and music plays, as the blazing sun sinks into the ocean. But there's no scent of flowers in the air because this isn't a typical island party. Our "back yard" is the Sea of Japan and the festivities are on board the German freighter Trade Bravery.
This morning, as the murkiness of the Asian coastal waters gradually gave way to the pristine Sea of Japan, Capt. Ronald Kellner and Hans-Jurgen Wendt, the chief engineer, announced that we would have a barbecue before reaching the cold Aleutian Islands. Hans-Jurgen had hinted at a party on the voyage over, but I thought it was just one of his jokes. We didn't have a chance to find out because the weather didn't cooperate, but today, it did. Magnificently.
Everyone not on duty at dinnertime gathered on the third deck, where the second and third officers, the second and third engineers and the electrician are housed. Their deck has a large, open area that's ideal for a party. Cook Cipriano Eugenio and mess man Ronel Montero worked all day, preparing our feast.
As we skimmed across the water, leaving a frothy wake, the setting sun put on a spectacular show. It seemed close enough to touch. Crewmen on duty were relieved by others so everyone had a chance to eat, but those on duty had to wait until their watch was over to drink. Chief officer Steffen Mydlak, on duty in the wheelhouse, said no one "drinks and drives."
Soon, moonbeams were bouncing off the water and stars were flickering in the clear sky. By then, the food had nearly disappeared, but the beer was far from depleted, so the bosun, Manuel Tres Reyes, and crewman Ronald Sogo-An brought out the karaoke equipment they had bought in Chiwan, China, and we saw what hams some of the crewmen are. I kept expecting someone to pull out an ukulele because I keep forgetting that even though they seem like local guys, the crewmen are from the Philippines, and they have never been to Hawaii. The party carried on into the night because no one wanted it to end.
CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN
The author is dwarfed by the anchor of the 680-foot German freighter Trade Bravery.
BY THE TIME Trade Bravery left Pusan, South Korea, yesterday, it had unloaded its 1,600 containers of cargo in Hong Kong, Chiwan and Shanghai, China, and in Pusan, while picking up about that many 45-foot, 40-foot and 20-foot containers to take back to California.
I stayed in the wheelhouse with the captain and Steffen until the South Korean harbor pilot left the ship, and all vestiges of land were out of sight.
After dinner, the captain and I had a surprise for Steffen and Hans-Jurgen, who were on duty and unable to go ashore with us in Pusan. Rather than change our remaining won back to dollars, we bought up the supply of Flensburger beer from a restaurant we had patronized.
It has just been one day since our deck party, but we have gone far enough north that we are shrouded in fog, and it is too cold to stay outside for long. Before I went to the officers' mess at dinnertime, I took my laptop to the crew's mess room and left it so all the crewmen could see the photos I had taken of them at the party.
We have no television, phones, Internet, fax or e-mail out here, except for the captain, of course, who communicates through the ship's satellite connection. He gives me a daily synopsis of the news he picks up. He also has a phone that he uses from shore when he can get a signal so when we arrived in Chiwan it was an unexpected treat that he let me make a short call home. I look forward to the local English-language newspapers, which the captain gets from agents at each port and passes on to me after reading them.
Our last two Wednesdays at sea came one after the other. In a reversal of the procedure on the way over, we have been setting our watches forward each day, but we've again passed the international date line so we're repeating yesterday today.
Yesterday, the chief called a fire drill. Oh, no, the dreaded knotted-rope-out-the-porthole ordeal. But we pretended this fire did not hamper access to the stairs so instead of climbing out the porthole when the alarms sounded, I donned my life vest and headed to the muster deck, where the crewmen all went for hoses or fire extinguishers, according to plan. Two men struggled with the heaviest hose. Powerful streams of water that would have extinguished a real fire spewed into the ocean. Or mostly into the ocean. The decks and crew got pretty wet.
Today, we had a rescue drill. We're on Hawaii time for the day because we're at the same longitude, though a good bit farther north. No one had to jump overboard, but the drill was still scary. I was glad we were all safely on the ship instead of maneuvering the small boat, trying to save someone. It took a few tries to get the outboard motor working, but there were no other hitches in getting the boat poised for launching. Everyone knew what to do and did it rapidly. That was the last practice drill. If there's another alarm, it'll be the real thing.
CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN
Karaoke time comes after the party food is gone. Third officer Julieto Obillos takes his turn at the microphone while other crewman sing along and the captain (in cap) listens.
M/V TRADE BRAVERY, a cargo vessel of 25,705 GRT (gross registered tons), is German owned and identified, but it flies an Antigua and Barbuda flag of convenience, which means the owners pay a fee to Antigua for the privilege of flying its flag, thus escaping some heavy taxes. This is a common practice, engaged in by companies worldwide, including many in the United States, according to a report in a seafarers' journal I found in the rec room.
Although, according to the journal, some convenience-flagged ships have a bad reputation for ignoring environmental rules, being lax about the upkeep of the vessels and treating crewmen poorly, none of that applies to Trade Bravery. The officers and crew are strict about ensuring that all discarded materials are properly sorted into glass, tin, plastic, paper and food waste so they can be disposed of according to international shipping regulations. Also, the ship is constantly being cleaned, repaired and painted, inside and out. It was launched in 1999 and has made many voyages, but it looks brand new. As for the crewmen, they eat well and all have private cabins. Their duties can be perilous, but safety always comes first.
I still haven't gotten accustomed to the constant drone of the ship, and I probably talk too loud to compensate for it. Also, I don't make it up the batch of 80 steps as fast as I would like, but I make a pretty good seafarer. I don't get seasick and I am never bored. When I'm not on deck, or gazing out the four large portholes of my cabin, or socializing with the officers, I'm at my laptop: I store pictures, listen to music, read my friend's draft of his upcoming novel, consult the World Book, look at maps, play DVD movies and study languages.
CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN
Cook Cipriano Eugenio tended the barbecue grill during a celebration as the ship passed through the Sea of Japan.
The only downer is that my iPhoto program crashed my last Sunday aboard the vessel and I lost about 300 of my photos. Fortunately, I had made CDs for the captain, Steffen and Ronald so I was able to retrieve about 200 of the lost photos from them. The rest are gone. But Hans-Jurgen, to cheer me up, made me a CD of still photos and 30-second movies from this trip and previous trips. In some of them, the ship is covered in snow.
And the captain gave me a panoramic photo of Vitoria, Espirito Santo, Brazil, taken from Trade Bravery's sister ship, Venezuela, because he knew I used to live in Vitoria. He also gave me an 8-by-10-inch photo of the rec room's tall, tiered bamboo centerpiece that I admire so much. The photo was taken last Christmas when they bought the centerpiece in Hong Kong.
I am savoring these last days on the ship, albeit with a heavy heart: the early-morning coffee in the wheelhouse, from where we can see forever; the three meals a day with the officers; the teas and drinks; the laughter and camaraderie; the sharing of photos, movies and stories; the rec room and the strolls on deck, peering through ocean spray, musing about the wonderful creatures that live far below the ship and thinking about the ancient gods of the sea and those marvelous Howard Pease freighter adventure books that I so loved so long ago. I will miss the seagulls and the boundless sea. I will miss Trade Bravery.
CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN
The view of the back of the freighter's stern shows the wheelhouse, which looks over the cargo containers toward the bow. The enclosed lifeboat that accommodates everyone on board hangs nose down at the left.
I BOUGHT THE slop chest's last case of Beck's beer for the crew and its last box of white wine to share with the officers at dinner. I gave Ronald my last box of macadamia nut candy for getting me on the ship that first day. And I'll give cook Cipriano and mess man Ronel tips for the 108 meals they will have prepared and served by the time we reach port.
Time is flying. I want to grab hold of it and slow it down. But it's too late. We are entering Long Beach Harbor. Two armed U.S. Coast Guardsmen have boarded the ship and are in the wheelhouse with the captain, Steffen, the harbor pilots and me.
We are flying three flags above the wheelhouse, near the ship's funnels: the Antigua and Barbuda flag, a pilot's flag to indicate the harbor pilot is on board and the American flag, flown as a courtesy when the ship is in American waters. Other countries' flags are hoisted when the ship enters their waters.
I asked one of the guardsmen if they board every ship. He replied, "No, only ships of interest." He didn't say why we were of interest, but I presume it has to do with the foreign flag and where we've been. He told me he was impressed with Trade Bravery's cleanliness.
When we reach Long Beach, things will change. I will head home to Hawaii.
The charming and handsome chief officer Steffen will go home to eastern Germany, near Dresden, on his two-month leave, and will make his 200th skydive with his club by the time his leave is over.
The roguish but lovable chief engineer, Hans-Jurgen, heads home to his wife, daughter and son in eastern Germany, near Hamburg, for his three-month leave. The captain will have new officers to replace them on Trade Bravery's next trip to China in a few days.
And then, in two months, the captain will begin his four-month leave in England with his wife and daughter, after which he'll be assigned to a different ship and a different route. Even this ship could be renamed and reassigned.
Crews also undergo constant changes. Any future Trade Bravery passenger likely won't have the good fortune to have Ronald there to help overcome the gangplank intimidation. Or Julieto Obillos there to wipe off the gangplank grease. Had I hand-picked the crew and the officers, I would have picked these 19 men. And had I hand-picked the ship, it could only have been Trade Bravery.
As the voyage nears its end, it is as if Trade Bravery is but a mirage. Everything came together in a perfect combination for a special moment in time, and soon it will disappear forever into the mist.
Everything needed for journey
Packing for a freighter voyage is like packing for any long trip except you can't plan to buy things along the way. Each ship varies in its supplies, but except for beverages, Trade Bravery's slop chest contained only soap, shampoo and toothpaste for sale. And port stops are iffy, so don't count on buying necessities in ports.
fits in 1 suitcase and
a computer bagTake enough prescription medicine to last the whole trip. My doctor prescribed an antibiotic in case of a skin or ear infection, and medicine for diarrhea and for seasickness. I did not end up using them, but it was comforting to know they were on hand. You also will need a full supply of everything you use on a daily basis, such as vitamins, supplements, toiletries, cosmetics, regular and waterless soap and first-aid supplies (freighters do not have doctors on board).
It helps to put an open suitcase in a corner of a room a few weeks before your trip so you can toss in things as you think about them, such as washcloths, Kleenex, earplugs, a travel alarm, scissors, needle and thread, cellophane tape, a shower cap, tweezers, nail clippers, disposable razors, emery boards, safety pins, rubber bands, paper clips, cotton balls and swabs, note cards, pads of paper, addresses and several ball-point pens.
A list is essential for packing. Don't trust your memory. Add things as you think of them. Cross things off as they're thrown into the suitcase, then do your final packing the night before. Be sure everything is crossed off the list before you head for the airport.
Walk through every room of your house before leaving to ensure you have everything you may not have packed in advance, such as glasses and sunglasses, tickets, boarding papers, passport, and money.
Take some souvenirs for gifts and some sweets to share with the officers and crew. You must entertain yourself so take crossword or jigsaw puzzles, books, a deck of cards, or hobby supplies.
Pack clothing for warm and cold weather, but don't carry a lot. Freighters have washers and dryers and supply the soap. You won't be dressing up, so keep it casual. Leave all but the most basic jewelry at home. Bring rubber-soled shoes (one pair of regular athletic shoes and one pair that you can slip into and out of easily at the doors to your cabin and the officers' mess).
Buy a fanny pack if you must, but avoid purses. I found cargo pants perfect, with enough pockets for everything. A photographer-type vest also would work -- anything that keeps you from having to hand carry things that can get lost or stolen in port.
Only cash can be used on freighters, but nothing larger than a $20 bill. Take along one credit card in case you go ashore in large cities, but don't count on using it, and have a supply of small bills for small ports. Your huge wad of money won't amount to a lot, but you can put some in all those pockets and keep the rest locked up in your cabin. The ship, while at sea, is safe. The officers assured me I could leave my door open and no one would bother me. I closed and locked it only when I went to bed, but that was out of habit, not necessity. When in port, however, everyone locks their doors whether they're in the cabin or not.
Now comes the bulky part. If you are taking a laptop, buy a carrying case. You'll also need a surge protector and a voltage converter if your laptop doesn't automatically convert, plus the computer's extension cord and a supply of CDs. If you have a digital camera, you'll need an extra photo card and a USB cable to put the photos into your computer. You'll also need batteries, a battery charger and a voltage converter and adapter. Trade Bravery uses 220 volts and European-configured outlets. You can take your cell phone to use before boarding, but it'll be useless at sea, and you'll need an international calling plan to use it in foreign ports.
I was able to put everything into one medium-sized suitcase with wheels, which I pulled along with its strap, and I put all my papers in my computer case, which was hanging from my shoulder. I put my camera, extra batteries, money, passport, a pen and a small writing pad in my cargo pants, so except for on the gangplank, I never needed help with my baggage.
Charlotte Phillips is fulfilling a lifelong desire to travel via freighter.
If you go ...
Where to catch the freighter: As long as the 83-year-old Jones Act remains in effect, foreign-flagged ships cannot carry passengers or cargo between American ports. That makes freighter travel especially inconvenient for Hawaii residents, who must fly to the mainland to catch a ship. Depending upon the trip you choose, you will need to go to one of many port cities, such as Long Beach and Oakland in California, Savannah, Ga., Houston, Miami or New York.When to go: Freighters sail year-round. Remember that seasons are reversed south of the equator so plan accordingly. Fares sometimes vary seasonally. You should choose a route at least six months in advance to give you plenty of time to get your passport renewed, if necessary, and to get various visas and possibly shots.
Length of trip: Trips run from as few as 14 days to as many as 140 days.
Passengers: Freighters can carry from one to about 12 passengers in single or double cabins with private baths.
Cost: Estimate $90-$100 per day for the freighter, plus about $240 for the required emergency evacuation/travel insurance and $12 for port fees. In addition, you will have to pay for airfare to and from the port city and accommodations there, plus taxi or shuttle fares to and from the airport and dock. You won't need a lot of money on board, but plan on beer for the crew and tips for the cook and mess man. You'll also need money at any ports where you're able to go ashore. The longer the trip, the more ports you'll call at and the more chances you will have of visiting several of them.
How to book: For best results, book directly through:
Transeste Schiffahrt GmbHPhone: +49 40 36 28 25
Mattentwiete 5
D-20457 Hamburg
Germany
Fax: +49 40 36 71 81
E-mail: transeste@t-online.de
Check the Web address for information on Trade Bravery and the eight other ships in Transeste's fleet: www.transeste.de/contact.php
Tips: I wanted to book directly but the shipping agents insisted that I could only book through them. I have since found that to be untrue. I used Travltiups, which then booked through Freighter World. They could not answer basic questions because they were unfamiliar with the ship and its route. They gave me wrong information about many things and no one told the ship's officers or port security or anyone that I was coming. Trade Bravery would have sailed without me had I depended upon those companies instead of making final arrangements on my own. Upon my return, I called both companies, but they refused my calls. I wrote letters that no one answered. I am still pursuing my complaint. By booking directly, you will probably save money, and you will surely get more accurate and timely information. The Transeste ships are excellent, but if you want to go somewhere they don't go, you can check the Web for information on TIM Shipping Line, Blue Star Line, CMA CGM, Leonhardt & Blumberg, Martime Reederei, Rickmers Reederei, H. Buss/Oltmann Shipping, Grimaldi, Lykes, and Canada Maritime, for starters.
Related stories:
06.22.2003: Be a seafaring vagabond on a trip to anywhere
07.20.2003: Freighter crew pampers its unexpected passenger
09.14.2003: Adventure on the high seas
10.19.2003: Chinese officials jerk away the welcome mat
