On the morning of my embarkation I was taken to the (New) Port of Busan by a port representative. I was one of five to be collected and I spent the journey of just under an hour getting to know the other four. Two were a retired couple from Germany, Reinhard and Roswitha, who were also circumnavigating the planet without flying. The other two were Filipino crew starting a six-month period at sea. On arrival at the port we completed the necessary immigration and customs formalities before being driven to Pier 3 to board the Hanjin Geneva – our home for the next thirteen-days.

**Rheinhart, Captain & Roswitha / Hanjin Geneva - PACIFIC OCEAN**

Boarding required climbing a steep gangway with our luggage in tow. It was a task none of us quite expected. Once onboard we were greeted by the steward, a Filipino named June, who took us to meet the captain. Said captain was a former submarine captain of the East-German, then reunified German, navy. After welcoming us he briefed us on the vessel – a 278m long / 40m wide container ship with a gross tonnage of just over sixty-five thousand. At full capacity it can hold 5,608 20ft shipping containers (TEUs) over 24 rows with each row holding eight below deck and six above deck. The captain advised us that we were free to go anywhere on the vessel except for the engine room – which required prior approval by the Chief Engineer and being accompanied.

My cabin was located two floors below the bridge directly under that of the captain. It contained a lounge and an ensuite, double-bed, bedroom. The lounge was spacious. It had a sofa, coffee table, television/DVD player, fridge and dinning table and chairs. I also had use of a communal washing machine.

By the time I had unpacked it was time for lunch. I made my way down to join Reinhard and Roswitha in the officers’ mess where we, as passengers, had our own table. Here we met Jessie, the only other passenger onboard. He was from Canada and had boarded a few days earlier in China. He also had the idea of circumnavigating without flying but fell short in Kazakhstan due to a misunderstanding over his visa. This delayed his progress long enough that he would miss the ship unless he flew to Beijing.

Meals onboard the Hanjin-Geneva were as follows: breakfast 06:00-08:00; tea/coffee at 10:00; lunch 12:00-14:00; afternoon tea (with cake) at 15:30; and, dinner 17:00-19:00. Chef was another Filipino called Cookie (which I assume was his nickname). Meals were served by June. Lunch and dinner were a 3-course affair. The crew, all Filipino, had their own mess – along with their dedicated rice cookers. On Saturdays everyone came together in the evening for a spit-roast pig barbeque with beer and wine.

**New Port of Busan / Busan (South Gyeongsang Province) - SOUTH KOREA**

I spent most of the first afternoon on the bridge mesmerised by the dancelike rhythm of the gantry cranes going about their work – moving the 3,750+ kg containers in-and-out of the hold with such ease they could be mistaken for matchboxes. Yet it is a complex operation. Not only must the right containers be taken to-and-from the vessel but also correctly positioned and stacked in it. This is in addition to being identified and moved around the port amongst the other 62,826 containers that may be held there at any one-point in time. The loading/unloading is facilitated by twelve wharf cranes that cover three deepwater berths and supported by 42 rail mounted gantry cranes. The captain was keen to explain how he used to have to calculate factors such as centre of gravity and residual stability the old-school way with a ruler and calculator. Most of the process is now automated with algorithms running the show and the captain assigned to drinking copious amounts of coffee instead. I asked the captain if it was OK to take photos. “Not really,” he said, telling us that taking photographs of port operations was forbidden. But he then said, shrugging his shoulders, “if you happen to take a few photos discreetly from inside the bridge, who will know?” So, Reinhart and I got about shooting, discreetly of course.

We left the port late afternoon. The next time we will set foot on terra firma will, if all goes to plan, be in 13-days and c. 7,500 km away. Our route was to take us in a north-east direction through the Sea of Japan and the Tsugaru Strait (the body of water between the Japanese islands of Hokkaido and Honshu) before entering the Pacific Ocean. From there we were, in an arc like trajectory, to head into the Bearing Sea before re-entering the Pacific Ocean west of the Aleutian Islands before steering towards British Columbia and the city port of Prince Rupert. But all that was ahead of us. I spent the remainder of the day watching the sun set over last vestiges of South Korea. It was a warm sunny evening and a fitting end to my time there.

**Farewell Korea / Hanjin Geneva - PACIFIC OCEAN**

The next day I woke to find us (well the ship) under attack from a group of Japanese fishing boats. I went to the bridge after breakfast where the captain and first officer were. The fishermen, according to the captain, were aggrieved about the large vessels crossing their catch area. To show their feelings they placed their boats directly in the way of said vessels. I asked the captain what he was going to do. “Nothing,” was his reply, nonchalantly adding with a little smirk, “Darwin’s Law in action [and besides] it is a lot easier for them to get out of the way than us.” He was right. They soon moved and we continued on our pre-programmed heading without deviation.

As we crossed into the Pacific Ocean from the Tsugaru Strait there was a noticeable change in the colour of the water. The captain joked that this marked the point where we had to stop and pay a toll to continue. It was a bit of a tumbleweed moment. Sadly, this point also marked the beginning of eleven-days of fog. At times visibility was so poor you could not see the mast of the ship. So rather than bore you with dull tales about the monotony of life at sea I will share with you some interesting facts.

Interesting Fact Number One

Did you know that the standard twenty-foot container (TEU) is not actually twenty-foot in length but 19-foot and ten-and-one-half inches. The reason for this is that this length allows them to be stacked flush with their 40-foot counterparts. Containers are not held down by gravity alone. All are connected in their respective stacks through twist locks and the outer units are secured to each other and the ship with lashing rods.

**Electrician / Hanjin Geneva - PACIFIC OCEAN**

Interesting Fact Number Two

I guess you have probably never wondered how time is managed on a cargo ship that goes between ports in different time zones. When is the onboard clock adjusted so that it matches the port of arrival? Well, as I am sure you are eager to learn, there is no set rule. Provided that the onboard clock matches the local time of the time zone of the port it is leaving/arriving the captain has carte blanche in determining onboard time.

On the Hanjin Geneva this meant that for 8 of the 13-days the clock went forward by one hour every night: on days 3-6 and 8-11. When we crossed the international date line on day seven it went back by 24-hours. In effect we relived the same calendar day twice – that famous extra day Phileaus Fogg gained that was critical to him arriving back at the Reform Club in time to win his wager.

Interesting Fact Number Three

While the Chief Engineer spends most of his worktime in the engine room, deep below deck within the superstructure, they hold the same rank as the captain. I guess this is why their cabin is on the same floor, and just as big, as that of the captain. Below the captain (command, not cabin, wise) are three officers. The first officer, also known as the Chief Officer, is second-in-command to the captain. On the Hanjin Geneva the first officer was a chap from Romania and a man of few words. The second officer was a Polish man who had spent most of his merchant navy life on oil tankers and preferred them to cargo ships. Melvin, the third officer, came from the Philippines. Each officer stands watch for 4-hours twice a day: 08:00-12:00 & 20:00 – 00:00 / 12:00-16:00 & 00:00-04:00 / 16:00-20:00 & 04:00-08:00.

**From the Mast / Hanjin Geneva - PACIFIC OCEAN**

Interesting Fact Number Four

Going eastward as opposed to westward brought a couple of advantages. One of these was that it meant that I did not need a US visa or ESTA because I was entering the US by land, from Canada. Had I travelled westward I would have entered the US by sea. And why is this an advantage? Well, to be eligible under the US visa waiver programme you must, if entering by sea or air, enter on a participating commercial carrier: i.e. passenger carrying aircraft or cruise ship; not cargo ship. The advantage then – a saving of $116 GBP.

And so, we come to the penultimate day of my time onboard the Hanjin Geneva. We were skimming the southern boundary of the Gulf of Alaska. The weather was finally clearing, and I was, after being fitted with the correct safety gear and under supervision, able to climb the twenty-meter mast for a birds-eye view of the ship. Now twenty-four meters may not seem much, but I can tell you it was enough. Battered by its cold metal structure and the freezing wind made for a very unpleasant experience. I also visited the engine room where the thirteen-meter high twenty-fiver-meter long 2,300 ton 14-cylinder engine was housed. It was big.

The Port of Prince Rupert is tiny compared to that of the Port of Busan. A direct 1-2-1 comparison is difficult. Volume wise the difference is stark. In 2013 Busan had a container throughput of 17,686,099 TEUs. Compare this to that of 536,439 TEUs for Prince Rupert. Still, the Port of Prince Rupert has a claim to fame – is has the 3rd deepest natural harbour in the world. Plus, you really cannot argue about the beautifully wild and mountainous backdrop that is British Columbia.

Around the World in 63 Days / Part 2

Around the World in 63 Days / Part 3

Around the World in 63 Days / Part 1