Nov. 14 Noontime Position: Lat 29deg 48,3 N; Long 122deg 41,3 E
In the East China Sea outside Ningbo, China.

The only thing I have to say about Ningbo is that it is an anagram for “boinng”! But Hanjin Copenhagen didn’t bounce into this seaport. Last night, in fact, we shut the main engine and drifted until morning, as there was no dock space for us until later in the day. I had expected drifting to be quiet, but the howl of ventilators and generators still invaded the night air as I stood at the ship’s very top, beside the funnel.

The dense, silvery mist still holds, and visibility has been barely 1-2 miles. Fishing vessels from a vast flotilla appear and disappear in the fog, and we slowly weave in and out of them following the “pass on the port side” navigation rule. This is simple in principle, but Hanjin Copenhagen isn’t a speedboat and it takes much time for her to change course and stop. The captain yells at the radio a few times, but then he’s the type of guy who is only happy if he is pissed off.

As we approach the Chinese coast and get our pilot, the water turns from grey-green to a dirty caramel colour. A phalanx of Gantry cranes eventually appears under a pale, intermittent sun. The ponderous turning procedure brings us dockside slowly, prodded by two churning tugs. Shoreside, safety-vested dock workers haul the ship’s cables with the help of a forklift and tie them to the bollards. The cranes are put into position and the loading/unloading begins. No moments to lose. We are scheduled
to leave at 0030hrs, and will arrive in Shanghai tomorrow.

A few notes:

*After Kwangyang’s unloading, Hanjin Copenhagen’s stern is 4m deeper in the water than its bow. It’s like the ship’s doing a modest wheelie.

*We were served Coca-Cola at lunch today. Normally, mealtime beverages are tea, coffee, milk and powdered juices.

*The Hanjin Copenhagen has a “slop chest”, a small supply of goods that can be purchased on board. All I’ve bought is water, shampoo and toothpaste. Of the 51 items available, 27 are alcohol or tobacco. Sample item prices (USD) below.

Beck’s beer (24 cans): $23.34 – Most expensive item in the slop chest.
Marlboro cigarettes (carton): $16.36
La Terra Chardonnay: $3.66
Coca-Cola (12 cans): $5.98
Colgate (tube): $3.98
Pringles (tin): $2.88