New 61,000-tonne ship has crew of just nine
- Wed, 22 Feb 2012
Boaters who say they need help to run their boats should consider themselves lucky - a huge new container ship that has just entered service is expected to be operated by a total complement of just nine men. The 61,000-tonne Safmarine Chilka is the first of a series of so-called WAFMAX (West Africa Maximum) ships built for Danish container giant A.P Moller-Maersk.
The captain and his crew will spend much of their time at sea ensuring that the 249m long vessel - that's an equivalent of over 27m per man - is navigated safely. They will also need to ensure it is properly maintained and that its 36,000 horsepower diesel engine runs smoothly, so each crewman will welcome the chance to relax in his own well-appointed cabin.
Safmarine Chilka has been purpose-built for the trade with Africa and has been deployed on Moller-Maersk's Safmarine Line between the Far East and Africa.
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February 24 17:15
Bob the Sailor
Lets count! 3 x officers of the watch plus one AB each = 6, +Master = 7, + Chief officer = 8, + Cook/Messman = 9. You can fill in all the missing positions about engineering, cargo, safety etc. as you think of them. A crew of 13 for a blue seas voyage was just about manageable, 9 is planning for a disaster. Keep well clear.
March 04 11:44
supersparks
Extra line handlers board with the Pilot for harbour operations. Then normal watches for blue seas conditions, but 8hrs on and 4 off for coasting and the Singapore Straits. Takes a special type of crew to multi-task, but if someone has an off-day or something goes wrong - DISASTER, and I won't go there. Wives and teenage kids are useful eyes and ears, and encourage a better safety culture, but try telling that to the insurance brokers.