Shipping Lines - Tramp shipping: a way of operating which is in a class of its own

It is the opposite of vessels participating in a liner service. The vast proportion of shipping movements through Montrose therefore concern the former class of vessel which tend to trade on the ‘spot’ market. One of the exceptions is the ships of the Swedish Ahlmark Line, headquartered in Karlstad, which make calls at Montrose as part of a general cargo liner service between the Swedish Lakes and UK ports such as Hull and King’s Lynn etc.

The maritime tramp is thought to have originated from the middle of the 1800s with the advent of steam propulsion, with ships giving a more dependable timetable than sail. Good quality Welsh steam coal was required in most ports around the world, requiring transportation by sea. Within a few years, tramp ships had captured this booming market. From 1900 to 1940 tramps remained in the 7,500 to 10,000-ton deadweight range. Then the US-built Liberty ship and its later variants, entered the scene at a standard 10,500-ton deadweight capable of carrying almost any type of cargo.

Small cargo ships of Ahlmark Line such as the Aspen and Skagern came after the white-hulled Mangen and Unden although there were also larger vessels seen from time to time such as Barken, Visten among others when additional cargo was on offer. The Aspen called in December with forest products departing for King’s Lynn, while on the big ocean-going tramp side saw the arrival of the Rotterdam-registered freighter Onego Rio.

She was built by the Nikolaev Shipyard Okean in Ukraine in 2003 Her present owners were founded in The Netherlands in September, 2001. Their market includes chartering and operation of Atlantic routes from an office in Rhoon, near Rotterdam. More recently a further office was opened in Houston, Texas.

The Onego Rio has had quite a few names during her time on the high seas. She reportedly arrived at Montrose from Hareid, a small settlement on the west coast of Norway near the town of Ulsteinvik. Berthed on the North Quay, the 143-metre long, 10,300-ton deadweight, Dutch-flag cargo vessel towered over the harbourside properties. She departed for Rotterdam after loading a part cargo of used oilfield pipe.

Much smaller in scale, arriving in early December, was the Portuguese-flag Sky Wish, bringing what could have been her first cargo to Montrose from the port of Jorf Lasfar in Morocco, a modern and developing port in North Africa.

The Finnish-owned Prima Lady arrived in the South Esk shortly after her ‘fleetmate’ Prima Queen had departed, both vessels being homeported at Borga in Finland. Arriving shortly after, the coaster Aberdeen, recently the Wilson Aberdeen but with no apparent Scottish connection.

She had been in Montrose previously when a visiting seafarer asked why she was flying the Dutch flag.

His colleague corrected him, pointing out it was the state flag of Luxembourg, which is very similar.