Felixstowe
September 30, 2021
HM 164. Felixstowe Container Port.
My notebook brimmed over when Ashley Parker, HM of Britain's busiest container port, gave me a guided tour:
- Felixstowe is the largest container port in the UK. Its success is due to the speed it can move boxes inland, with 65 train movements every day.
- Nearly every container ship originates from China, and most stop in Rotterdam before unloading in Felixstowe or one of the other "hub" container ports (Liverpool, London & Southampton).
- With ships getting deeper (16 metres), rather than longer (400m) or wider (60m), the challenge is ensuring a fully loaded ship can come alongside safely. Felixstowe's deepest berth is just 18m.
- Containers are measured in "TEUs," which stands for "Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit". Stacked 24 wide by 24 deep (12 rows below deck and 12 rows above deck) the largest ships carry nearly 12,000 x 40ft containers. Each weighs between 5t empty and 30t fully laden. A surplus of empty containers builds up in the UK, and empties are taken back to the Far East.
- Once at sea there might only be one look-out on the bridge... something for us yachties to remember when we cross shipping lanes!
- These massive ships are still tied up by rope, but Ashley told me there is now a way of holding a ship to the quay by a "vacuum mooring system"- interesting.
- I had to ask him, has a container ever fallen off a ship in his harbour? Yes - just 4 in 8 years - not bad for a few million movements I guess.
There was much more that he told me but I don't have room! Ashley, who has a close association with The Seafarers Charity - thank you - and I love your favourite mariner's saying "When you have seen one harbour, you have seen one harbour!" I will use that in my book.
My notebook brimmed over when Ashley Parker, HM of Britain's busiest container port, gave me a guided tour:
- Felixstowe is the largest container port in the UK. Its success is due to the speed it can move boxes inland, with 65 train movements every day.
- Nearly every container ship originates from China, and most stop in Rotterdam before unloading in Felixstowe or one of the other "hub" container ports (Liverpool, London & Southampton).
- With ships getting deeper (16 metres), rather than longer (400m) or wider (60m), the challenge is ensuring a fully loaded ship can come alongside safely. Felixstowe's deepest berth is just 18m.
- Containers are measured in "TEUs," which stands for "Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit". Stacked 24 wide by 24 deep (12 rows below deck and 12 rows above deck) the largest ships carry nearly 12,000 x 40ft containers. Each weighs between 5t empty and 30t fully laden. A surplus of empty containers builds up in the UK, and empties are taken back to the Far East.
- Once at sea there might only be one look-out on the bridge... something for us yachties to remember when we cross shipping lanes!
- These massive ships are still tied up by rope, but Ashley told me there is now a way of holding a ship to the quay by a "vacuum mooring system"- interesting.
- I had to ask him, has a container ever fallen off a ship in his harbour? Yes - just 4 in 8 years - not bad for a few million movements I guess.
There was much more that he told me but I don't have room! Ashley, who has a close association with The Seafarers Charity - thank you - and I love your favourite mariner's saying "When you have seen one harbour, you have seen one harbour!" I will use that in my book.