Merchant ship guys - Bulk Carriers

[Sac Arrow]

Let's say, for sake of discussion, you have a 30,000 ton Handysize class bulk carrier operating between Germany and Venezuela. What cargo is it carrying? I'm thinking wheat on the Venezuela run and soybeans on the trip back to Germany. Sound about right?

Crew of about 25, right?

 

[Clark1961]

http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=German+agriculture

 

[denverpilot]

Let's say, for sake of discussion, you have a 30,000 ton Handysize class bulk carrier operating between Germany and Venezuela. What cargo is it carrying? I'm thinking wheat on the Venezuela run and soybeans on the trip back to Germany. Sound about right?

Crew of about 25, right?

25 might be too many. Not by a lot but most of the merchant marine runs pretty light on crew. Three watches and a lot of automated stuff.

There's some merchant marine folks on YouTube who shoot a lot of video and show the lifestyle. Might be able to engage one of them via comments or private messages. Some of them seem to be involved in marketing the job and their companies so they seem "overly" accessible.

I just like watching the time lapses they shoot to see the weather out on the ocean.

 

[Sac Arrow]

25 might be too many. Not by a lot but most of the merchant marine runs pretty light on crew. Three watches and a lot of automated stuff.

There's some merchant marine folks on YouTube who shoot a lot of video and show the lifestyle. Might be able to engage one of them via comments or private messages. Some of them seem to be involved in marketing the job and their companies so they seem "overly" accessible.

I just like watching the time lapses they shoot to see the weather out on the ocean.

I've watched quite a few of those videos.

As a cursory Google search revealed (prior to the benefit of @Clark1961 excellent suggestion) a general minimum of 8 and a typical crew of 20-30 regardless of size on anything bigger than 20,000 tons. My boat is older with not that much automation.

The question could be re-phrased as "give me a reason to have a bulk carrier travel from Hamburg to Venezuela." Maybe scratch Venezuela, they don't seem to have much in the way of major ports. Panama will work.

 

[Clark1961]

Venezuela doesn't have much in the way of exports other than oil. Something to do with nutzo politics. Maybe fertilizer out of Europe and who-knows-what out of Carib. Maybe phosphate.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

I've watched quite a few of those videos.

As a cursory Google search revealed (prior to the benefit of @Clark1961 excellent suggestion) a general minimum of 8 and a typical crew of 20-30 regardless of size on anything bigger than 20,000 tons. My boat is older with not that much automation.

The question could be re-phrased as "give me a reason to have a bulk carrier travel from Hamburg to Venezuela." Maybe scratch Venezuela, they don't seem to have much in the way of major ports. Panama will work.

When is the story? Current or before the current political situation in Venezuela? They do grow corn down there. If another ship could work, maybe a container ship full of car parts or machine parts, or specialty chemicals for the petro industry. Germany does export potash and other chemicals, some of those would be on a bulk carrier.

 

[Sac Arrow]

When is the story? Current or before the current political situation in Venezuela? They do grow corn down there. If another ship could work, maybe a container ship full of car parts or machine parts, or specialty chemicals for the petro industry. Germany does export potash and other chemicals, some of those would be on a bulk carrier.

Current day, and you're right about the nutso political situation. I think I'll have it go to Panama instead. I kind of want to keep it an outdated, limited use, not overly large boat run by third rate operator, not a modern container ship. Yeah, potash might work.

 

[Fearless Tower]

I've watched quite a few of those videos.

As a cursory Google search revealed (prior to the benefit of @Clark1961 excellent suggestion) a general minimum of 8 and a typical crew of 20-30 regardless of size on anything bigger than 20,000 tons. My boat is older with not that much automation.

The question could be re-phrased as "give me a reason to have a bulk carrier travel from Hamburg to Venezuela." Maybe scratch Venezuela, they don't seem to have much in the way of major ports. Panama will work.

Low 20s is pretty standard, even on ships that are highly automated. While engineering watchstanders are reduced, you still have the same people, just doing daywork/maintenance.

And almost every ship out there (including US Flag) has a handful of third world welders onboard working around the clock.

 

[Sundancer]

Dogs of War, Frederick Forsyth. . .