DELAYED DEPARTURE
Monday last week I finally boarded Höegh Trooper in Durban. The layout of the ship is pretty much the same as on Höegh Jeddah, but Trooper is twice as old and, naturally, visibly more worn. Built in 1995, Trooper is the oldest vessel in the Höegh Autoliner fleet. Since such an old vessel poses more challenges in terms of maintenance, the crew is slightly larger than on the other ships, counting 26 seafarers all in all. During daytime they are all busy making the ship run smoothly, drilling, cleaning, repairing, removing rust, painting, fixing the pipes, dealing with paperwork, and so on. I try to look helpful, at least. In the evenings, there is always something going on, be it dart competitions, chess, poker, basketball, table tennis, or video games. And karaoke, of course. The crew is Filipino, after all.
If I’m ever to travel on a freight carrier again, there is one mistake that I will avoid making: I will not buy a return ticket before embarking. Truth be said, I was warned that delays are to be expected, I just didn’t foresee the full scope of these expected delays.
When I left Oslo, the estimated time of arrival was December 16, so I bought a flight ticket from Tokyo departing on December 29, assured that I had calculated generous margins. But then bad weather hit Europe, and Höegh Trooper was drifting for a week north of Normandy. Then bad weather hit Durban, and we had to stay longer in port than planned. Now we are drifting outside of La Réunion, waiting for our turn at the small, congested port.
The upside of all these delays is that I got to spend a week longer in beautiful South Africa after disembarking from Höegh Jeddah. As an extra bonus, I will get to spend Christmas with the cheerful crew at Höegh Trooper. The Christmas tree is already lit, and the crew has been planning for the celebration since June, so my expectations are sky-high!
Delays and last-minute changes are part of the everyday life of seafarers, and I’m slowly learning the game.
The delays of the modern shipping industry are, of course, merely trifles compared to the impediments the Portuguese seafarers encountered in the 16th century, frequently having to wait for months for supplies or for the wind to change direction.
Our blue planet is not getting smaller, as it is often claimed, but we are certainly circumnavigating it faster, even when the weather is not cooperating and the ports are congested.
Next time, however, if there ever is one, I will at least make sure that I buy a flexible return ticket.
Over the course of 50 days, the renowned anthropologist and writer Erika Fatland, known for her insightful depictions in the critically acclaimed books "Sovietistan" (2014) and "The Border - A Journey Around Russia" (2017), will travel with two of our vessels Höegh Jeddah and Höegh Trooper.
🛳 The voyage will take her along the coast of Africa and across the Indian Ocean, all the way to Korea. This journey is part of her research for her upcoming book, "The Navigator. A Journey through the Lost Empire of the Portuguese." The title is inspired by Henry the Navigator, a Portuguese prince who financed maritime expeditions down the African coast in the early 15th century.
09 December 2023
Uniting the World Against Corruption
The 2023 International Anti-Corruption Day focuses on the link between anti-corruption and peace, security, and development. We can all play an active role in preventing corruption and tackling this shattering crime.
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