She is called the Hyundai Singapore, a Cyprus-registered container ship, operating under call sign 5BZP3 since 2006. She measures 303 metres by 40 metres and has a dead weight tonnage (DWT) of 85,250. And she is “our ship” – the one that is transporting our stuff from Cape Town to Wellington. “Our stuff”
One never really thinks about shipping routes, vessel speeds or the total time taken by ocean freight, until you are directly involved… like Waiting for your ship to come in… from half-way around the globe!
It is almost disheartening to see from the world shipping routes map that Wellington is actually “off the map”! That’s not a good sign…
31 January – Depart Cape Town
On 28 January, we received the following email. They managed to get my name wrong in the subject line. Let’s hope that’s the only mistake they make in the move!
Allied Pickfords Ref 947887 personal effects shipment for Mr T Andrew
I am pleased to advise your personal effects for Mr T Andrews are due into the country soon. At this stage the shipping line have advised it has sailed from Cape Town with an approx date of arrival into Wellington on the 8 March. Once the shipping line confirm the vessel details and arrival date we can send you out the necessary declaration forms for NZ Customs & Quarantine. These should be completed and returned to us as quickly as possible at which stage we can get the clearance process underway. This may involve a Quarantine inspection - particularly if your shipment includes outdoor furniture, gardening equipment, Xmas decorations, sporting or camping gear, bicycles etc. There is a charge for any inspection but we will confirm this as soon as known.
Hyundai Singapore (to be called by the affectionate abbreviation “the HS”) only left Table Bay somewhere around 31st January, according to the shipping watch website, headed for Las Palmas.
11 February – Depart Las Palmas
I have never been to the Canaries and know even less about the archipelago. The Canary Islands, also known as the Canaries, are a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 kilometres west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries consist of (largest to smallest): Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro, La Graciosa, Isla de Lobos, Montana Clara, Roque del Este and Roque del Oeste.
I am not quite sure where the HS is headed, but she is making her usual progress at 18.1 knots direction 15ยบ (33.5 kph @ 1.852 conversion).
As I am keenly awaiting my scanner, battery charger and a change of socks and underclothes, you will understand that I keep a close watch on shipping progress, just like some folk look at their Facebook pages. With (maybe) another 15,000 km to go – I really don’t know, travelling at 30 kph, the HS should dock in Wellington in … 15000 divided by 30 = 500 hours = 20 days??? That’s barring stopovers in ports along the way…
To be updated on a regular basis.
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