The Solar Sally from Shandong Shipping sailing south of Île d’Orléans. Summer 2023.
Above, Shandong Shipping’s Solar Sally photographed south of Île d’Orléans. I positioned the horizon according to the rule of thirds and gave plenty of room to the sky, filled with beautiful contrasts. The clouds let the sun filter through for a brief moment, bringing out the vegetation and horses. All that remained was to wait for the ship to enter the field of vision before taking the shot.
The Soulanges in front of Lévis in 2015.
The photo above shows the Soulanges, a tug built in 1905, on the St. Lawrence River in front of the city of Lévis. Seen from a distance, this type of vessel always looks like it’s sinking. The water seems to be overtaking the stern of the boat, but there are very few waves.
The Barcelona Express and the MSC Tuxpan on the St.Lawrence Seaway 2023
The Barcelona Express and the MSC Tuxpan meet in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, off Île d’Orléans. Lacking a telephoto lens on hand, I captured the scene with a Canon Ef 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens and enlarged the photo. The boats were at a much greater distance than they appear here. I used an image processing software with artificial intelligence to improve the focus after cropping.
The Federal Skye and Mona Lisa ships on the St. Lawrence seaway near Quebec City
Above, the Mona Lisa (green hull) sails from Montreal to the port of Tanger Med in Morocco. The container ship sails under the Liberian flag. The port of Tanger Med boasts an exceptional geographical location when it comes to transshipping goods to Europe, the Mediterranean and Africa. Also visible in the photo, the Federal Skye arrives from Vila do Conde Brazil (BR VDC) and heads for Les Escoumins in Quebec, Canada (CA QLE). This port has a dry dock where major repairs can be carried out. The Federal Skye sails under the flag of the Marshall Islands.
The MSC Tampa vessel by Quebec City in 2024.
A final photo shows the MSC Tampa sailing between Liverpool, Great Britain (GB LIV) and Montreal, Canada (CA MTR). This 294.12-meter-long container ship sails under the Liberian flag. The photo was taken from the Grey Terrace in Quebec City’s Parc des Champs-de-Bataille.
Sea kayaks at Saint-Laurent-de-l’Île d’Orléans 2023
On Sunday, September 24, 2023, the company Quatre Natures organized a certified level 1 sea kayaking course the St. Lawrence River, starting from Île d’Orléans. As registration was done well in advance, we had to be a bit lucky during the activity, as it would take place as much in good weather as in bad.
So, I take a chance. Fortunately, an incredible day awaits the six students: full sun and twenty degrees Celsius. How should we dress for the circumstances? We know that the human body temperature is 37 degrees Celsius. The kayaker adds up the water and air temperatures and compares the total to the temperature of the human body. With the river that day at 18 degrees and the air around 20 degrees, this gives a total of 38. As this figure is slightly higher than normal body temperature, we can wear normal clothing for water activities, rather than a wetsuit.
The morning is used to cover theory. No one sets foot in the water. The instructor discusses what the kayaker must have on board, the relative quality of different equipment, preparation, communications and radio frequencies, safety and hypothermia prevention, and so on.
Sea kayaking activity at l’île d’Orléans (photo Vadym Kravchenko)
After lunch, the kayaks are placed on the lawn and the vocabulary related to each part of the kayak is learned. The student then settles into the kayak and learns how to adjust the footbraces, hold the paddle, install the spray skirt, and so on. The boats are then brought to shore and kayaking begins.
First, we learn the basic maneuvers. How to embark and disembark, the trajectory the paddle should follow in the water depending on whether you want to go forward, backward or turn. We discuss the correct position of the body, arms and wrists on the paddle, and the importance of rotating the pelvis to force the paddle properly. We quickly realize the influence of side winds on the kayak, especially when it has no centerboard or rudder.
The river is considered level 2 for kayaking. The current is strong, and we have to deal with three-metre tides. The wind around the island is also stronger than in Quebec City. Level 1 kayakers are encouraged to seek out Level 1 locations to gain experience, and never to set off alone at this stage of their learning process.
During the exercises, you can see the container ships and the various pleasure boats offshore. The larger vessels generate waves that take between five and ten minutes to reach the shore. When these approach, the instructor warns novice kayakers to turn to face the wave, so as to limit the effects on the boat.
The container ship Hapag_Lloyd Quebec Express and the container ship MSC Paola are sailing around Île d’Orléans near Quebec City.
The BBC Manila carries wind turbine blades on the St.Lawrence Seaway near Quebec City.
Then come the emergency maneuvers: what’s the procedure for getting out of a kayak that’s just capsized? How do you help someone who has capsized?
I didn’t have time to get to this stage of the course. I capsized before. I don’t remember how I managed to extricate myself from the kayak and get back to the surface, but we’re not talking about an approved method here. The brain immediately detects the danger and organizes itself so that the body gets out of the kayak and the head doesn’t stay underwater for too long.
In the minutes that follow, the instructor teaches us how to perform the classic exit from a capsized kayak. We work in pairs. At Level 1, there’s no question of using the paddle to force the kayak to turn.
To obtain KDM 1 certification, everyone must lean sideways so that the kayak tips over. Once submerged, the student leans forward, unhooks the spray skirt attached to the kayak, and slowly taps the kayak’s hull three times to signal that he is in control of what he is doing. The instructor wants to avoid unpredictable reactions. We then push ourself out of the kayak by placing our hands at hip height on the coaming. As soon as we are out of the water, it’s imperative that we hold on to our kayak, thanks to the lifeline. It only takes a few seconds. Here and there, you can hear a little coughing as the student surfaces, but nothing more. A good sip of St. Lawrence River boosts the immune system.
Next comes the recovery of the person in the water. As we work as a team, the kayaker in difficulty clings to the front of our kayak and stays there until we catch up with his or her kayak, lift it onto our boat, empty it of water, turn it over and position it correctly.
Sea kayaking course level 1 with Quatre Natures (photo Quatre Natures)
The person clinging to the kayak then releases his or her grip, and depending on the method taught, climbs back into the boat while the latter is being held securely. The important thing here is to keep the center of gravity as low as possible. If the person doesn’t hurry and proceed step by step, the operation is a success every time.
A few more exercises follow, and it’s back to the beach on Île d’Orléans a few hours later. Once all participants have dried off and put on their warm clothes, the course concludes with a few weather notions, including the need to consult weather forecasts and radars, and to return quickly to shore when storm cells are present.
We also cover tide calculation (rule of 12) and how to attach a kayak to a car roof. How many attachment points? What equipment is available to make the job easier? Where should harnesses go to avoid breaking the kayak? Etc.
The KDM 1 certificate is awarded approximately eight to nine hours after the start of the course, depending on the instructor’s assessment. I noticed that on the way home, in the heat of the car, I really didn’t feel like rushing on the road. But you quickly come back to reality when you see how fast the cars are coming up behind you.
The container ship Hapag_Lloyd Quebec Express and the container ship MSC Paola are sailing around Île d’Orléans near Quebec City.
Those two container ships that sailed near Quebec City in July 2019 reminded me of recent news regarding the Port of Quebec‘s installations and the will to receive always bigger container ships.
To take the picture, I waited that the Quebec Express had completed his turn west of Île d’Orléans. From that moment, the photographic distance between the two container ships started to diminish. The MSC Paola’s bow became an artificial frame that included part of the Quebec Express.
The way Mexico is treated by Donald Trump’s government is not politically astute. Because of a disagreement on illegal immigration between the two countries, the American President has deemed necessary to solve the problem in the public arena by using statements that make the Mexicans lose face on the world stage. When a country’s government loses face, it is a sure recipe to stall negotiations and escalate political tensions. Saying to the Mexicans that they will pay for a wall that forbids them to enter in United States is reckless.
The economic input of Mexicans in United States
The American economic growth has always relied on a good proportion of workers accepting low salaries and poor working conditions, especially when they are considered illegal workers and come from Mexico and Central America. To eliminate that manpower and force the employers to double if not triple the salaries will only help increase the price of American products and risk a decrease in competitiveness. This will also impoverish Mexico and increase the inequalities between the two countries, since many “illegal workers” send money to their family abroad.
A wall that will be inefficient in controlling the influx of drugs into the United States
While generating endless tensions between land owners, political parties and countries, the wall will also require tremendous expenses that will in the end not really help to slow down the importation of drugs into the USA. Why? 95% of the containers coming in from Europe and Asia are not inspected in depth due to lack of human resources and material, as much as for the desire to expedite commercial operations. Time is money. So there are still important holes in the screening process. The book “Ninety percent of everything”, by author Rose George, develops on that very subject:
There is no easy way of stopping the importation of drugs in America or any other country. The importation of drugs will continue until the most serious gaps have been filled, and that means efficiently controlling what is inside the containers. This is where the billions of dollars have to be invested, not in the construction of a wall…
For more articles on geopolitics on my web site, click on the following link : Geopolitics
Here are a few recent photos taken during the month of May 2016 using a Canon 5DSR camera equipped with a Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens. I was on île d’Orléans for the photo session, near the Horatio Walker promenade in Sainte-Pétronille.
The vessel Shelduck (Monrovia) in front of Quebec City in 2016. The photo was taken with a Canon 5DSR
The picture above shows the vessel Shelduck flying the Liberian flag. It just crossed the narrow channel between île d’Orléans and Levis. This ship, built in 2012, is a bulk carrier. In the background it is possible to see Quebec City, with the Château Frontenac and the Hotel Le Concorde Quebec.
The photo below shows the Silver Carla (Majuro), a tanker used to carry oil and chemical products. It is moored at the Quebec harbour installations. The ship was built in 2014 and sails using the Marshall Islands flag of convenience.
The vessel Silver Carla (Majuro) and some of the Quebec harbour installations in May 2016
In the picture below, the tanker Cap Jean, property of Euronav, is approaching île d’Orléans. This tanker was initially supposed to be named St. Jean but the name’s religious connotation could have caused problems in some parts of world. The name Cap Jean was thus chosen.
The vessel Cap Jean, property of Euronav, in front of Quebec City in 2016
The photo below, also taken from île d’Orléans, offers an interesting view of Quebec City just before nightime. The Hotel Le Concorde Quebec’s new lighting system is visible in the distance. In the foreground, you can see the ship Laurentia Desgagnés.
The vessel Laurentia Desgagnés moored in front of Quebec City during a May 2016 evening.
Below, the ship Nilufer Sultan is heading towards Quebec harbour. Built in 2008, this oil tanker also uses the Marshall Islands flag of convenience.
The vessel Nilufer Sultan in front of Quebec City in 2016. Also visible are the Château Frontenac and the Hôtel Le Concorde Quebec.
The photo below shows the tanker Sloman Herakles, normally based in St. John’s, Canada. It sails under the Antigua and Barbuda flag and is heading to Sarnia, Ontario.
The vessel Sloman Herakles (St. John’s) in front of Quebec City in 2016
The two photos below show the container ship Toronto Express, property of the Hapag Lloyd Company. I chose to transform the first picture in black and white since the ship did not contrast enough with the background in the colored picture. It is actually slightly inclined since it is turning towards the right while approaching île d’Orléans. On the next picture, we can see in the background the smoking chimney of the Papiers White Birch Company, formerly called Daïshowa and later Stadacona.
Black and white photo of Hapag Lloyd’s Toronto Express in front of the Quebec harbour installations in May 2016
The Vessel Hapag Lloyd Toronto Express near the Quebec City Harbour in 2016. Photo taken with a Canon 5DSR full-frame camera
Below is the chemical tanker Mayaro (Japan) arriving near Quebec City in May 2016.
The vessel Mayaro (Tokyo) and Quebec Château Frontenac in the background. The picture was taken in 2016 with a Canon 5DSR
Taking pictures in the evening
Trying to take pictures of moving ships in the evening, using the smallest possible ISO, forces a photographer to use a tripod, a remote trigger and the camera’s mirror lock-up function to reduce vibrations. Ideally, it is best to find a spot where the tripod will be protected from the wind while ensuring that the camera’s strap is not moving at all. There is no need to use a polarizing filter at this time of the day: that would only be detrimental to the photo.
The Canon 5DSR DSLR full frame camera allows the photographer to take a picture in two steps, reducing even more the possibility of secondary vibrations. First, the mirror is lifted up. Then, two seconds later, the photo is finally taken. For a sharper image, it is best to use the Liveview function with a 16X enlargement and do a manual focus adjustment.
Risks associated with photography!
On île d’Orléans, many visitors use the surroundings banks to let their dog roam freely. This can cause a problem as the animal sometimes perceives the photographer and his photographic equipment as a potential threat to a master that it must protect… You will have been advised!
For other ship photos posted on my website, click on the following link:
The container ship Maersk Pembroke under the Quebec Bridge, May 2016
Choosing what is important in a camera
Since there is actually no camera that has everything, whatever the brand, the buyer of a new camera must make choices: the type of sensor, the number of megapixels, the weight and size of the camera, the automatic focus’s speed and ability to follow a subject, the number of images per second, the performance under low light, the possibility to greatly enlarge a picture while maintaining its quality, advanced video functions, electronic communications with other devices, an extensive choice of lenses, etc. The list can be quite long…
The Canon 5DS(R): a specialized camera
A photographer happy with the Canon 5DS or 5DSR is one who needs a specialized camera offering both sharp images and the possibility of greatly enlarging the pictures it takes while maintaining the initial quality. This camera allows for more creativity as the possibility of extreme cropping beats, for now, everything that is on the market in the DSLR format.
Testing the potential of the Canon 5DSR when it comes to enlarging a picture
Here is an example of what this means: the photo below shows the yellow M of the McDonald’s restaurant photographed with a 50mm lens. Not easily visible…
Mc Donald’s restaurant’s yellow M captured with a 50 mm lens. Hard to see, of course!
Then the next photo was taken with a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens set at a 200mm focal length.
Testing the Canon 5DSR: the Mc Donald’s restaurant’s yellow M enlarged through a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens. Focal length used: 200mm.
But the picture can be enlarged a lot more using the amazing resolution of the Canon 5DSR. The following picture shows the result after cropping the 200mm image: the yellow M now takes the whole vertical space available in the picture without any loss in quality.
The Mc Donald’s restaurant’s yellow M, after having been enlarged (focal 200mm) and cropped within the Canon 5DSR.
From my position on the hill, the yellow M was barely visible with the naked eye. By using a 200mm focal length, followed by serious cropping, I was able to obtain the result above. So it is possible to photograph a subject that is almost invisible without a telephoto lens and transform it into the principal subject of the picture without any loss in quality.
I chose the 5DSR because the anti-aliasing filter has been neutralized in the model R to offer even sharper images, although there is a risk of occasional moire effect when there are repetitive patterns in a scene. This is the compromise that Nikon users must also have to deal with.
Rethinking photography
The 50.6 megapixel full frame sensor in the Canon 5DS or 5DSR allows a new approach of photography for those who do not have access to a much more expensive and larger medium format camera that does not necessarily give really superior pictures.
When I go outside for a photo session, it seems to me that I now carry a huge telephoto lens without the weight and the cost. A lot of what seemed to be unavailable possibilities are now accessible.
Taking pictures of people in the street is now less complicated: there are no more suspicious looks, artificial poses or people hiding their face. This is an ideal camera to capture people acting naturally without disrupting their routine. Gone is the feeling that you are bothering them in any way.
Quartier Petit-Champlain Old Quebec May 2016
The photo below was taken while I was standing at least 300 meters from the scene, just after sunset. For those who are from Quebec City, I positioned the tripod on a high wall on the other side of Chemin St-Louis, near the St. Louis Gate. I had to slightly brighten up the picture to make the details more visible, risking at the same time to increase the digital noise. It was a May 2016 warm misty evening, which is clearly visible by the lack of details in the background as we look in the distance.
Quebecers defying gravity in Old Quebec, May 2016
But those are not the only possibilities of this camera. The Canon Company, in its promotional video, explains what exactly the camera was designed for:
How can someone maximize the use of a 50.6 megapixel full frame sensor
In order to bring a subject closer to you while fully benefiting from the Canon 5DSR 50.6 megapixel full frame sensor, it is obvious that there must be absolutely no vibrations. The photographer must therefore use a tripod, a remote control release and the mirror lock-up function. This allows for a very low ISO setting while avoiding a blurred picture.
The mirror lock-up function is very well thought through, with the possibility to choose a totally automatic processus according to a timing chosen by the photographer (between 0 and 2 seconds). The system eliminates any secondary micro vibrations.
In order to ensure an even better picture, the photographer must use Liveview and set it to the 16X enlargement available on that camera (versus 10X on my Canon 5D MKII) to manually adjust the focus. It is then possible to see the slightest vibrations caused by the wind. Doing so, I realized that my camera strap, lightly swaying in the wind, was causing some minimal vibrations. Every detail taken into consideration will improve the final result.
One must then ensure to immobilize the strap and even diminish the tripod height if possible when the wind is blowing. These steps will allow an incredible enlargement of a subject while maintaining the initial quality of the image offered by a full frame sensor.
Superior mirage effect (cold mirage)
The photo below shows a ship being helped by two Ocean tugboats on its way towards the Quebec Harbour. The ship was at a good distance from the harbour; it is then possible to witness the superior mirage effect (cold mirage) resulting from a temperature inversion immediately over the water. The boats are deformed but the important close-up has not lowered the image quality. It has instead allowed to increase the atmospheric phenomenon effect.
Superior mirage (cold mirage) effect. Vessel and two Ocean tugboats on the St-Lawrence seaway heading to the Quebec Harbour, May 2016.
Once closer to the Quebec Harbour, the cold mirage effect decreased, as shown on the picture below:
Quebec Harbour, May 2016
The Canon 5DS or 5DSR without the use of a tripod or mirror-lock
Obviously, a tripod is not necessary if you do not intend to use a lot of cropping to enlarge a photo. You will obtain excellent results with the hand-held camera providing that you remember that this Canon DSLR is a specialized tool.
So many megapixels on a sensor of that size require that the photographer adapts his technique. But, as you can see from the picture below, it is totally possible to capture an aircraft in movement, even at dusk (May 11, 19:49), when the camera’s parameters are correctly adjusted. A higher shutter speed than normal is, in this case, absolutely mandatory.
The photo below shows an Air Canada Express Bombardier DHC-8-402NG (C-GSJZ) on final for runway 29 at the Quebec Jean-Lesage international airport (CYQB).
Bombardier DHC-8-Q-402NG (C-GSJZ — Air Canada Express) on final for the Quebec Jean-Lesage international airport, May 2016. Photo taken with a DSLR Canon 5DSR.
The Maersk Pembroke with the camera hand-held
The photo below shows the Maersk Pembroke container ship photographed with a hand-held camera using a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens during Spring 2016 near Quebec City. The focal length was only 140mm and the shutter speed 1/1000. The lens was equipped with a polarizing filter and the photo taken when the vessel was approaching the Quai des Cageux.
The Maersk Pembroke container ship on the St-Lawrence seaway near Quebec City, May 2016
The colours produced by the Canon 5DSR
The digital processing of the image and colours produced by the Canon 5DSR require different adjustments than what was necessary with the Canon 5D MKII. I am still learning how to handle the results produced by this camera so I will wait a bit before commenting.
View of Old Quebec from the St. Louis gate. Quebec City, May 2016
Night photography
Here are two photos taken during the evening in Quebec City. The photo below required a 200mm focal, an ISO set at 4000 and a shutter speed at 1/30 in order to obtain something else than trailing lights. Luckily, the traffic was moving slowly…
Night photography, Grande-Allée avenue, Quebec City, May 2016
The picture below, taken with a 200 mm focal, required an exposure time a bit longer that one second with the ISO set at 800. To take the photo, I took advantage of the fact that the cars were momentarily stopped at a red light, so that they would be clearly visible.
Night photography, Tourny fountain and Quebec lower town, May 2016
The images per second of the Canon 5DS(R)
The Canon 5DSR is so far quite an impressive camera. I would have appreciated that Canon offer a higher rate of images per second (7 instead of 5) to make it more versatile.
The camera allows taking pictures with smaller formats than 50.6 MP, the two other options being 28 MP and 12 MP. If the camera can deliver five images per second with 50.6 MP RAW files, we can deduct that it is able to offer more speed for smaller formats. But the camera is blocked at 5 IMS so that it, I suppose, does not compete with other existing Canon models of the same category…
Nonetheless, Canon says that the rapid sequence of shooting lasts longer if the photographer uses the smaller files provided. So it is not faster, but it keeps on firing for a longer period. My guess is that it would only require a new firmware version to improve this camera’s number of images per second.
For other night pictures, click on the following link to my site:
The book “Ninety Percent of Everything” from author Rose George
If there was only a book to be read to learn about the unknown aspects of the maritime business, it would be “Ninety percent of everything” from Rose George. The New York Times says of this book that “it is consistently absorbing, timely as well as deft and that it cracks open a vast, treacherous, and largely ignored world“.
This book holds real surprises. The author was authorized to come aboard the container ship Maersk Kendal to make the journey from Rotterdam towards Singapore, via the Suez Canal. The reader thus learns about the daily operations on these immense ships. But there is more: because the book is extremely well documented, links are established between significant facts of the maritime history and today’s events.
Maersk is Denmark’s biggest company and its sales are equivalent to 20 % of the gross national product of the country. Maersk’s fleet counts more than 600 ships. Its 2011 income was established at 60 billion dollars, which places it just under Microsoft.
Trade carried by sea increased by 400% since 1970. A majority of ships (68 %) navigate under flags of convenience, such as those of Panama or Liberia. It allows for tax reductions and the hiring of low wage immigrant workers. The seafarers are also less protected because the laws of a specific country differ from those in effect once the ships are in international water. The statistics show that 2000 sailors die at sea annually. On the flags of convenience black list: North Korea, Libya, Sierra Leone and Montenegro.
According to International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) ” the maritime and fishing industries “ continue to allow astonishing abuses of human rights of those working in the sector…Seafarers and fishers are routinely made to work in conditions that would not be acceptable in civilized society””. A striking example: a Manila company requires that seafarers looking for a job work for free for several months before they can be hired officially. It is worth reading this book, if only to acquaint of the MV Philipp seafarers story. The owners of this vessel, Vega Reederei in Germany, paid their Philippine sailors only a third of the agreed salary.
Given that a container ship can unload and reload thousands of containers within 24 hours, the crew does not have time any more to leave the vessel to profit from stop overs in the various countries like that was done in the past. A seafarer is confined on the boat for months.
There is no efficient way to know what is in all the containers. The United States receive annually 17 million containers and can inspect physically only 5 % of them. In Europe, the percentage is lower, between 1 and 3 %. This means of transportation is thus favored for weapons, drugs and human trafficking. Illegal weapons are regularly sent in separate parts, through several containers, and then reassembled once at the destination.
When a container ship goes through the Suez or Panama Canal, there is no rest authorized for the staff. The captain can be on watch for up to 36 hours in a row. The Suez Canal is nicknamed Marlboro Canal because of the packages of cigarettes handed to the customs officers, the police, the security guards and other official representatives in order to avoid delays that would immobilize the vessel for the most improbable reasons. The transit expenses, as for them, amounts to $300,000 for a ship the size of Maersk Kendal.
The Maersk Patras on the St-Lawrence seaway. The shot is taken from La Malbaie in 2012
The reader learns about the facts surrounding the wreckage of several ships, among which the Danny FII and the Erika. He also acquaints with obligations that bind the companies when a maritime shipping accident arises. The bodies and conventions dictating these procedures are UNCLOS, SOLAS and MARPOL.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) considers maritime transport as “a relatively small contributor to atmospheric emissions”. However, if we consider the global scale of trade carried by sea, it then becomes a top issuer of greenhouse gases. The fifteen biggest ships were the cause, in 2009, of a pollution equal to 760 million cars. It is interesting to note that “seventy percent of the pollution occurs within 250 miles of land, near coastlines linked to busy shipping lanes […]. In Los Angeles, half of all smog from sulfur dioxide comes in from ships”.
Part of the book deals with hijacking at sea. Again, Rose George offers extremely pertinent information. She explains what the easiest preys are for the Somalian and Yemenites pirates and indicates that the cargo does not present real interest for the pirates. They wish only for the ransom. The chapter covers the adventure of Maersk Alabama, the recent hijacking of MV Golden Blessing, the international recommended transit corridor (IRTC) along the Yemen coast, the protection obtained by the EU-NAVFOR, the pirate’s behavior once aboard ships and the effects on the equipage, before and during the lengthy negotiations.
She unveils surprising information as to the ways negotiations are made during situations of K&R (Kidnap and ransom). The negotiators, often working from London, know the habits and particular requests of the pirates and kidnappers of every problematic region. They know what amount of money will be demanded and how long it will take to solve a crisis. Act too quickly and the demands will increase. If an owner agrees to pay a high amount of money within a short time, the sums are going to increase. The negotiators thus respect the established scales.
There are so many interesting subjects in this book. The reader even learns about the help offered by rare volunteers to needy sailors, during certain stopovers. It is also possible to learn about the increasing noise pollution at sea, a pollution which largely affects marine mammals. There is also a very interesting section covering rescues at sea and the exploits of the merchant navy sailors in period of conflict.
This is a book that I strongly recommend. You will not see a container ship the same way after reading “Ninety percent of everything “.
