The cabin rocks and vibrates. The wind whistles through the window, outside the containers creak. The "CMA CGM Rossini" is located approximately 350 kilometers off the coast of Australia. She will spend 48 hours on the high seas before she will moor in the port of Fremantle, near Perth. There it will be unloaded and loaded with new goods.
For the four passengers of the container ship, who are already on board five days since leaving Port Klang in Malaysia, there is not much to do at 10 o'clock except reading in the room. On the outer deck, under the containers, nobody likes to walk this morning. It is stormy, a cyclone whirls only a few hundred kilometers away over the deep blue sea. At noon, the foam-crowned waves are four meters high. The ship rolls groaning over the water.
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Cargo ship "CMA CGM Rossini": seven days at seaNevertheless, Jaypee Abar punctually launches lunch in the dining room of the officers at 12.15. As a steward, the 29-year-old Filipino is responsible for cleaning the officers 'and passengers' rooms and serving meals. At lunchtime and in the evening, he wears a four-course meal. The "Rossini" rides under the French flag, baguette and cheese are daily on the menu. There is also wine, only for the passengers. In addition to the author and her friend Alex Schulz, who travel around the world without an airplane, two men from the USA and Switzerland are on board.
Way of St. James or container ship?
"The food is very good, but on my last ship it was even better," says Friedrich Probst from Waldshut. The 63-year-old retiree has short gray hair and blue eyes, wearing a blue cycling shirt. "I always told the cook: You're the only star chef at sea." He had gained three kilograms during his 25-day journey from Venice to Kuala Lumpur despite daily laps around the ship.
He already had the idea of traveling on a cargo ship while working as a machinist in Switzerland, Probst tells his passengers. At age 62, he retired, he wanted to use the time gained for a longer adventure. "The choice was the Way of St. James and the container ship," he says. Now he is already driving on the second. Actually, he wanted to travel directly from Europe to Sydney, but the connection was canceled shortly before departure.
He still enjoyed the trip. On the Mediterranean, the sea had been the heaviest. In the Gulf of Aden, off Somalia, the engine then fell off for five hours, the ship drifting on the water. "I suppose that was because the crew got twice the salary in pirate areas."
After dinner, Probst moves back to his room. His English language books and the daily nap are waiting. On the freighter there is a lounge with DVDs and books, a sports room with equipment and a small swimming pool, which is filled on the high seas. A program of shows or fitness classes as usual on cruise ships is not offered. The passengers are left to themselves most of the time.
Kangaroo on the dashboard
For Douglas Patton, that was precisely the reason for taking the cargo ship trip: "In the middle of the ocean, with no internet or distractions, you have the opportunity to be with yourself."
A tour of the engine room is still a welcome change for the 60-year-old retiree from Ohio. Equipped with yellow safety vest and white helmet, he follows chief engineer Sven Leroy into the control room above the engine. The engine room itself is very loud and hot - not a good place to explain how the ship works.
Although the Rossini was only built in 2004, the control room is reminiscent of an installation from the eighties, with square monitors and red and green buttons. On the mint green dashboard sits an inflatable yellow kangaroo with green boxing gloves. It smells of oil, the engine can be heard behind closed doors.
The Rossini is 277 meters long, up to 40 meters wide. She can transport up to 5782 containers. It can be up to 25.3 knots quickly, normally it is more likely to travel at 16 knots - that is around 30 km / h.
The engine is powered by heavy fuel oil, says Leroy. "Depending on the speed, it consumes 80,000 to 150,000 liters per hour." For emergencies, there are still three diesel generators. In fact, there is a backup for almost everything, said the 37-year-old: "The most important thing is that the ship reaches its destination in time."
Leroy once came to the lake because he did not want to just sit in the office. He usually spends three months at a stretch on the sea, after which he has just as long a holiday. At home, near the iconic Mont-Saint-Michel in northern France, he spends a lot of time with his family and in nature. "After three months on the blue, I need three months in the countryside."
Most of the time, there is nothing to see around the ship but blue waves. Only at the beginning of the journey and at the end is the view more scenic. From the container port of Port Klang, the Rossini first passes the Strait of Malacca, before going through the open sea between the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java.
"If you have children, the job is very hard"
A total of 28 crew members accompany the Rossini on their way to Fremantle. While the officers and engineers are French, the crew, except for two Indians, comes from the Philippines. They have different working conditions than their European counterparts, says Ronel Bello during his service on the bridge.
For four hours, the 29-year-old Filipino keeps an eye on the fixtures and watches the sea. Sometimes dolphins swim near the ship, even whales Bello has already seen. Everything that seems suspicious, he passes on to the watch officer. Luckily you will meet pirates off Australia but almost never.
Bello's contract runs for nine months, after which he has three months unpaid leave. For him, this scheme is fine. "The Philippines is a very cheap country," he says. "As a full seaman I earn comparatively very well - and on the ship we are all the same anyway."
Not all of his compatriots see it that way. Especially the long time apart from the family is very stressful for many. Keeping on the high seas is difficult. Internet is available on the Rossini, but every minute costs. "Of course I do this job because of the money," says Bello. "If you have children, he is very hard.My three and a half year old son grow up without me.When I come home, he does not recognize me again."
Karaoke singing helps him against loneliness. On this evening, the passengers are invited to the party in the lounge of the team grades. The karaoke machine is running at full volume, it smells of beer and cigarettes. The sailors take turns singing Filipino brats, System of a Down and Ed Sheeran. No way! "Says Douglas Patton, laughing as Jaypee Abar inquires about his favorite song. "Nobody really wants to hear that."
The evening is still very sociable - and unusually long. Only shortly after 22 o'clock there is a ship's rest. Outside, the wind whistles.
Travel by cargo ship
duration
If you want to take a freighter, you have to be flexible: Both the route and the departure time can change at short notice. The duration of the trip depends on the booked route. On many routes, passengers have the option of embarking or disembarking at a port other than the start or destination port, ie not traveling the entire route.
requirements
Some routes have age restrictions. Since there is usually no doctor on board, passengers must present a current health certificate. Depending on the route, they may also require certain vaccinations, health insurance and / or visas. You should therefore start planning as early as possible.
costs
Per night and person fall in the double cabin about 90 to 110 euros, including food. It is not possible to work on board against food and lodging.
providers
Container ship journeys can be booked through specialized travel agencies, for example in slow voyages or cargo ship journeys Pfeiffer
