Ocean Currents Numbers refer to the currents shown on the map. Warm Currents flowing from the tropical regions 1. Mozambique Current 2. Agulhas Current, 3. Brazilian Current 4. Gulf Stream 5. North Atlantic Drift (a relatively warm current in the area close to North-west Europe). 6. South Equatorial Current Cold Currents flowing from the polar regions 7. Canaries Current 8. Benguela Current 9. West…
The gravitational pull of the moon and the sun have an effect on the oceans, raising the water level on one side of the earth and causing a high tide. Because of the rotation of the earth, centrifugal force causes the water level to rise on the opposite side of the earth at the same…
The ocean has many moods. On some days, it is beautifully calm and shipping operations can continue without interruption. On other days, the ocean can be wild, with enormous swells that have a negative effect on shipping operations and can even be extremely dangerous to ships. Similarly, windy conditions can be problematic to shipping, as…
International regulations for the maritime sector are drawn up by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), while general laws are agreed to by members of the United Nations (UN) and other international bodies. Some of the crimes against which shipping operators have to guard are : Piracy and Ship Hijacking : This is when a person…
Trade is the exchange of goods from a place (or country) that produces items that people in another place (or country) need. Those goods obviously need to be moved from the producer to the place of demand, e.g. South Africa produces iron ore that is needed in China and a number of other countries. The…
Click here for SOUTH AFRICAN SHIPPING PART 1: Up to 1960. Click here for SOUTH AFRICAN SHIPPING PART 2: 1961 to the Present.
When calculating the cost of a voyage, it is important to find out how long a ship will take to steam from one port to another. In these calculations, the distance between the ports and the speed of the ship are important. Example 1 A ship leaves Port A at 08:00 on 24 July and…
The Capesize bulk carrier Smart that, in August 2013, broke down and went aground soon after sailing from Richards Bay, South Africa, with a full cargo of coal. She broke in three. Each of the three parts was removed by salvage contractors, an operation that was completed in 2015. Photograph: African Marine Solutions (AMSOL) Salvage…
African Marine Solutions (AMSOL) is a South African company with an association with the famous Dutch salvage and ocean towing company Smit, founded in Rotterdam (Netherlands) in 1842. The South African origin of the company dates back to the 1970s when Safmarine (then South Africa’s largest shipping company) formed Saftug to own and operate two…
