The internet guide to freighter travel.
May 18, 2004 9:21 AM Subscribe
The internet guide to freighter travel. "Traveling on a containership is not better than sex, though it does last longer."
This is so awesome. Now I want to cross the Atlantic in a freighter.
posted by Hildago at 10:00 AM on May 18, 2004
posted by Hildago at 10:00 AM on May 18, 2004
This sounds like a blast; I would so love to spend my retirement doing this!
posted by TedW at 10:12 AM on May 18, 2004
posted by TedW at 10:12 AM on May 18, 2004
this is awesome!
although, who has a month and a half for a trip?
nevermind...i think the answer to that is "most non-americans"....fucking puritanical work ethic.
posted by taumeson at 10:21 AM on May 18, 2004
although, who has a month and a half for a trip?
nevermind...i think the answer to that is "most non-americans"....fucking puritanical work ethic.
posted by taumeson at 10:21 AM on May 18, 2004
I've often dreamt of this - just me, a comfortable sand chair to put on top of a container, sunscreen, a giant suitcase full of books, and nobody else I know for 90-ish days.
Other than not having a month or three free, it's also not that cheap (though spread over the length of the voyage I suppose it's not so bad.)
posted by jalexei at 10:55 AM on May 18, 2004
Other than not having a month or three free, it's also not that cheap (though spread over the length of the voyage I suppose it's not so bad.)
posted by jalexei at 10:55 AM on May 18, 2004
Thanks Bingo! I've always wanted to try freighter travel.
posted by shoepal at 11:26 AM on May 18, 2004
posted by shoepal at 11:26 AM on May 18, 2004
Yes, but $100 US per day? $3000 for a month long voyage? Am I missing something?
posted by danny the boy at 12:03 PM on May 18, 2004
posted by danny the boy at 12:03 PM on May 18, 2004
I remember this topic being the opening gimmick of an early Hardy Boys book. I can't remember which one, but I do remember the name "Thaddeus McClintock."
Oh yes, The Phantom Freighter.
posted by brownpau at 12:38 PM on May 18, 2004
Oh yes, The Phantom Freighter.
posted by brownpau at 12:38 PM on May 18, 2004
At $65-125/day, it's cheaper for me to take a month off, fly to some remote location and hang out on an isolated beach.
...so why would I want to travel by freighter, if we assume that I'm not especially interested in cargo ships as a destination unto themselves? I'm serious; I don't get it.
What's the attraction?
posted by aramaic at 12:57 PM on May 18, 2004
...so why would I want to travel by freighter, if we assume that I'm not especially interested in cargo ships as a destination unto themselves? I'm serious; I don't get it.
What's the attraction?
posted by aramaic at 12:57 PM on May 18, 2004
Yeah, I don't really get this either. It's interesting to read about, but hanging out on a commercial ship in the middle of the ocean for a week at a time between ports with a bunch of foreign sailors would get old pretty damn fast.
posted by smackfu at 1:10 PM on May 18, 2004
posted by smackfu at 1:10 PM on May 18, 2004
...so why would I want to travel by freighter, if we assume that I'm not especially interested in cargo ships as a destination unto themselves? I'm serious; I don't get it.
I think that is the point. Some people collect train routes. Some people collect old highways. Some people travel by freighter. Personally, I would not mind trying this once because my grandfather was a WWII Merchant Marine officer (officially an armed services veteran now, quite reasonable given that the merchant service had a distressingly high mortality rate.) Sometimes, the journey is the destination.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 1:40 PM on May 18, 2004
I think that is the point. Some people collect train routes. Some people collect old highways. Some people travel by freighter. Personally, I would not mind trying this once because my grandfather was a WWII Merchant Marine officer (officially an armed services veteran now, quite reasonable given that the merchant service had a distressingly high mortality rate.) Sometimes, the journey is the destination.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 1:40 PM on May 18, 2004
I think it would be awesome, or at least a good excuse to start writing.
posted by ejoey at 1:55 PM on May 18, 2004
posted by ejoey at 1:55 PM on May 18, 2004
With that $65 to $125 a day, I believe you get full meals and a fairly nice little room, also beer and whatnot. I don't believe that's too high of a charge, or even halfway inflated when you consider what meals and private rooms cost on land in the U.S. and other industrialized nations. Even so, you'd have to *really* like the sea to try it.
posted by raysmj at 1:56 PM on May 18, 2004
posted by raysmj at 1:56 PM on May 18, 2004
Why not just work on the ship?
Two words: certification and insurance.
With the development of multi-mode transport pretty much all of the menial jobs in shipping have been replaced by technology and the large crews have been replaced by small teams of professionals. Even in my father in law's day you were living cargo unless you were licensed.
As a result, no commercial freight company is going to trust an amateur in a position that might put thousands (if not millions) of dollars and a dozen lives at risk.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 2:25 PM on May 18, 2004
Two words: certification and insurance.
With the development of multi-mode transport pretty much all of the menial jobs in shipping have been replaced by technology and the large crews have been replaced by small teams of professionals. Even in my father in law's day you were living cargo unless you were licensed.
As a result, no commercial freight company is going to trust an amateur in a position that might put thousands (if not millions) of dollars and a dozen lives at risk.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 2:25 PM on May 18, 2004
small teams of professionals
No shit. During the dock worker's strike a couple years ago, a local TV station revealed that those guys can make up to $140K a year. That's doctor money!
posted by kindall at 2:43 PM on May 18, 2004
No shit. During the dock worker's strike a couple years ago, a local TV station revealed that those guys can make up to $140K a year. That's doctor money!
posted by kindall at 2:43 PM on May 18, 2004
Great link bingo...thanks.
Thing is, 2 people can live, full board, on $50 a day on a quiet beach in Sri Lanka & it costs $900 to get there.
posted by i_cola at 3:40 PM on May 18, 2004
Thing is, 2 people can live, full board, on $50 a day on a quiet beach in Sri Lanka & it costs $900 to get there.
posted by i_cola at 3:40 PM on May 18, 2004
Can you drink alcohol on these ships?
posted by thomcatspike at 4:26 PM on May 18, 2004
posted by thomcatspike at 4:26 PM on May 18, 2004
You can buy all the beer and hard liquor you want to mellow out, tax free. But, don't expect to find your favorite Scotch or Rye whiskey on board. Selections are limited, but there is enough booze on board to keep any hard core alcoholic happy. A carton of Marlboro's is about $10.85.
posted by thomcatspike at 4:29 PM on May 18, 2004
posted by thomcatspike at 4:29 PM on May 18, 2004
This is good if you have lots of time and want the romantic adventure of travel by sea but it's not any cheaper than flying but a lot more interesting.
posted by stbalbach at 4:47 PM on May 18, 2004
posted by stbalbach at 4:47 PM on May 18, 2004
kindall: I guess that's little considering the values they handle and the insurance fee increases they avoid by operating well, not mentioning the need to do all their work on a often tight schedule.
On a tangent : how much is the crew paid ? I heard a rumor most of the crew on freighters are from philipines.
posted by elpapacito at 6:38 PM on May 18, 2004
On a tangent : how much is the crew paid ? I heard a rumor most of the crew on freighters are from philipines.
posted by elpapacito at 6:38 PM on May 18, 2004
It seems surreal to me that with the amount of money it must cost to keep a ship running and the amount of revenue generated by the freight-that-don't-talk-back that it makes any sort of sense to take on passengers for a measley hundred dollars a day. Perhaps the crew enjoys the company or derives some other benefit?
Sounds like a fun trip to me, however. I'd like to sign up for about a three-day trip instead of a month, though.
posted by stet at 6:51 PM on May 18, 2004
Sounds like a fun trip to me, however. I'd like to sign up for about a three-day trip instead of a month, though.
posted by stet at 6:51 PM on May 18, 2004
Also, John McPhee wrote a book called Looking for a Ship on life in the Merchant Marine that I read about fifteen years ago. It was a bit of a downer. I'm pretty sure the longshoremen have a better union.
posted by stet at 6:54 PM on May 18, 2004
posted by stet at 6:54 PM on May 18, 2004
those guys can make up to $140K a year
I read that too, but those guys were longshoremen: they load/unload ships.
posted by Utilitaritron at 7:23 PM on May 18, 2004
I read that too, but those guys were longshoremen: they load/unload ships.
posted by Utilitaritron at 7:23 PM on May 18, 2004
Oh for the love of...
Would someone please ban Comic Sans already?
posted by Tubes at 8:57 PM on May 18, 2004
Would someone please ban Comic Sans already?
posted by Tubes at 8:57 PM on May 18, 2004
On a tangent : how much is the crew paid? I heard a rumor most of the crew on freighters are from philipines.
On American-flagged ships, crews are paid very well. However, it's very difficult to get a job, so it balances out very quickly. My father was in the Merchant Marine, and he worked about half the year as a relief engineer. The other half of the year, he drew unemployment.
On foreign-flagged ships, crews are paid significantly less, even if they use American seamen, but it's still a good wage for those who can get it.
I'm pretty sure the longshoremen have a better union.
Not really - they're just in a better situation. You can't outsource longshoreman work to foreigners. However, if you're a shipper, you can easily sail your ships under foreign flags. Consequently, there's little work for American seamen - the job pool is shrinking constantly. It's cheaper to operate under foreign flags for other reasons, too - there aren't many safety regulations in Liberia, for example. Liberia is like the Delaware of shipping companies - they sail under Liberian flags because there are fewer regulations.
posted by me & my monkey at 4:13 PM on May 19, 2004
On American-flagged ships, crews are paid very well. However, it's very difficult to get a job, so it balances out very quickly. My father was in the Merchant Marine, and he worked about half the year as a relief engineer. The other half of the year, he drew unemployment.
On foreign-flagged ships, crews are paid significantly less, even if they use American seamen, but it's still a good wage for those who can get it.
I'm pretty sure the longshoremen have a better union.
Not really - they're just in a better situation. You can't outsource longshoreman work to foreigners. However, if you're a shipper, you can easily sail your ships under foreign flags. Consequently, there's little work for American seamen - the job pool is shrinking constantly. It's cheaper to operate under foreign flags for other reasons, too - there aren't many safety regulations in Liberia, for example. Liberia is like the Delaware of shipping companies - they sail under Liberian flags because there are fewer regulations.
posted by me & my monkey at 4:13 PM on May 19, 2004
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posted by brownpau at 9:32 AM on May 18, 2004