Federal Kumano loading in Montreal
I mentioned my new job in the last post – no time for travel, so I’m afraid pictures of boats loading wheat is as exciting as it gets for now.
Jan 7, 2010 – This is the first ship that we’ve loaded for our new company; a little over 30,000 metric tons of wheat loading in Montreal for delivery in West Africa. People who know me will see the irony in the name of the ship.
We arrived to the above – it was lunch time so there was no activity. The ship was sitting there, it’s hatches closed. Below is a view in the other direction towards the Jaques Cartier bridge.
We boarded the ship and were invited for lunch by the Indian captain (a lot of ship crews are Indian). Below are pictures from the Captain’s office looking out over the ship (note the closed hatches) and from the mess (ie. the kitchen)
At 1 pm the ship started loading again, the hatches open and the wheat spewing from the spouts. The wheat may look like sand, but I’m told that if you fall in it you’ll sink in there like its quicksand, the grain being so fine. It’s happened. Another story I heard was about a guy slipping on the dock and falling in the crack separating the ship from the dock. They never found the body (just the ship rocking a bit would have pulverized the guy’s body into the shape of a thin pancake).
The ship still loading as we left:
I guess there’s more exciting things then a ship loading wheat in the middle of winter, but it’s always amazed me how these guys come here for a few days, enduring -30C temps at times, then cross the North Atlantic (just thinking about it makes me want to spew from both ends) to finally cross the equator and see land, arriving at a port of call which might be 60 degrees warmer then where they came from. I think it makes most of our travel stories pale in comparison.
Tags: 1, Montreal, PHOTOS
f_thomae
Hi! Cool blog and photos! I stumbled upon your site looking for pictures of the Eastern Townships as I sit here homesick in Calgary. Keep it up; it’s very interesting reading/viewing. One day I’ll get back there and make a home for myself too. Thanks.