Captain Ken #33 - "Ship Shape & Bristol Fashion"

I little thought when I began my series of interesting memories, that I would include my year based ashore in the City of London.

It was in the very early days of containers and we were a small team of ship planners appointed by TRIO Lines, UK, Germany and Japan.  The shipping companies included were Ben Line from Scotland, Overseas Containers Limited from England, Hapag Lloyd from Germany, and NYK and OSK from Japan.  We little thought at the time that this new system would change the entire global business.

Prior to containerisation the cargo liners' cargo was planned by the ship's chief officer, who was well aware that the profit or loss on the voyage depended on the cargo planning.  Due to the present Red Sea crisis we are seeing enormous ships regularly on our TV screens.  Some carry as many as 24 thousand (twenty-foot equivalent) containers, and I frequently think what a skill and responsibility their planners must need.

One Friday night when I was working late in my London office, planning a ship loading in Taiwan, I received an urgent call from the manager of a circus in Germany.  He had booked his circus on one of our ships sailing to the Far East.  He said "You've agreed to carry two circus staff on your ship together with all the animals, could you possibly take an extra one?"  I just couldn't contact any of our management that deal with these matters so I joked, "I've recently sailed on the ship, so I know she won't notice one extra clown, so that's OK".   

When Monday morning came round my phone was red hot.  By giving another free passage to another circus hand it was against the Conference rules and thus considered a bribe to help secure the whole booking!  And of course our Company would not stoop to such behaviour.

Anyway, I managed to make up for accommodating the extra clown.