Malta-Dubai; 16-17 August 2016 – Days 7&8, Towards Suez

16 August

12.43

Steaming through the Mediterranean towards Port Said anchorage

We are going incredibly slowly at 11.4 knots towards Port Said anchorage. The ship is filled with reefers – with even more having been loaded at Mersin. Much of the hazardous chemicals seem to be destined for Jabal Ali. Not sure what is in the reefers, but perhaps fruit and vegetable given that most were loaded at Damietta, Beirut and Mersin and most are intended for Jeddah and Jabal Ali?

It is a very slow day in the wheelhouse today. And it shall be slow all the way to Jeddah, where we are supposed to arrive on Saturday.

19.18

Looking at the sea and feeling only boredom today I wonder if I have affectively arrived at the place where seafarers are: looking upon the deep, that vastness, and feeling a longing to go home.

17 August

10.32 (GMT +2)

Steaming towards Port Said anchorage

Wellheads

Land birds circling and flies buzzing

Giant golden dragonflies

Helicopters above

Warships that look tiny, puny, in comparison with the giant commercial ships

Fishing boats

Endless tankers steaming away

Containerships steaming towards the anchorage

The cranes of Port Said in the distance in the haze

Impressionistically speaking, last trip, there were so many more Maersk ships everywhere. I am yet to see any Maersk ships at all or even any big MSC ships (there was a smaller one in Beirut). There are loads of ships from other parts of the world; certainly those which don’t advertise their names in big letters across their hull (except for Arkas). And there are many smaller feeder ships.

20.20

Well, those impressions were somewhat faulty. There was a Maersk ship steaming towards Europe; and there are containerships from MSC, NYK Line, Hapag Lloyd, OOCL, China Shipping Line, and a few others at anchor in the deep-draught anchorage. As I stood under the full moon, a Zim ship steamed towards medium-draught anchorage, so it will be in a convoy with us.