Shipping Lines - The real value of a reliable shipping/port agent can’t be underestimated

Some are seen but others relatively unseen, but whose responsibilities are essential nevertheless. One such category is that of a shipping or port agent.

One source quotes the following description that the term is used to describe a company that is appointed to handle operational and legal requirements for a commercial vessel’s call at a port for the purposes of cargo handling, loading/discharging, emergency calls, crew changes, repairs, etc and to protect the interests of their principals

A deep knowledge of the shipping industry is imperative as he or she can be called upon at any time to attend to a ship’s requirements. After all, the old saying states: “time and tide waits for no man”.

Such port personnel ensure essential supplies, crew transfers, Customs documentation, waste declarations to mention but a few matters requiring an agent’s attention or assistance. Shipping agents will usually take care of all the regular routine tasks of a shipping company quickly and efficiently. Nowadays with so many nationalities in the composition of ship’s crews, nation states including “flags of convenience”, life is much more complicated even for experienced agents.

Not all requirements are routine and there are some unusual requests from time to time which prove something of a challenge to the respective agent. One local example, a few years ago, was the arrival of the Norwegian-owned Hav Dolphin.

The resultant event involved Mrs Barbara Brown, then manager of Kinnes Shipping who received an email request from the managing director of the ship’s owners in Norway - “Could she acquire a floral tribute to be placed beside the statue of the sea dog Bamse?” The initial request came from Royal Norwegian Navy Commander (rtd) Jan Lyder Nilsen.

The request also included a visit to the Montrose Museum to view the Bamse album if time permitted in Mrs Brown’s normally busy workload, and, additionally, would it be possible to fit in a visit to Bamse’s grave site on the dunes slightly to the east of the Upper Light. It all seemed relatively straightforward. The visit was slightly complicated, however, as the ship was under the command of Captain Kozlov, a Russian seafarer from Kaliningrad.

Retired Commander Nilsen’s interest in Bamse began when he attended the Norwegian Naval Academy and continued throughout his Navy service. He left the Navy in 1968 and went on to study at Trondheim Technical University prior to entering commercial ship management.

A ship with an unusual bow design, Onego Isle, port of registry Douglas, Isle of Man, arrived recently to load a part cargo of used oilfield tubulars. Although under charter to the Dutch-based Onego company, she is still listed as owned and managed by Carisbrooke Shipping at Cowes, Isle of Wight having had an original name of Vectis Isle. Slightly shorter than the previous big vessel on the North Quay, after loading she reportedly sailed to Camden in the United States.