Agroaldea
At 15:30 local time Nagato Reefer docked at the Port of Southampton after four and a half days cruise.
Adventure undertaken by the Spokesman of the Platform for the Defense of the Tomato, Fruits and Vegetables Canary Islands and responsible communication FEDEX ACETO, He is approaching its end. Today arrived at Southampton where you have downloaded 1.160 pales, caei 280.000 kilos of tomatoes.
Communication problems of the ship with satellite Internet signal, not have allowed the crossing were able to follow live on social networks enabled.
The only way that allowed me to be captain 3 minutes to update, did not allow for much, but I think enough to illustrate the journey.
In order to provide the daily "chronic" adventure of this trip tomatoes, We add this article, the story of the first four days of sailing adventurer.
FIRST DAY.
At last, after stowing all cargo '1,707 pales tomatoes!!, a success in this last shipment boat campaign, followed undocking operation, pilot, practical and tugboat. For those who have not seen this operation, if they have an opportunity they recommend.
At 22:06 enfilábamos hours and leaving the port of La Luz and Las Palmas route to UK. The truth, It is giving the feeling of being touring a city to be in open sea, the number of ships and platforms that glinted hundreds of meters from us. I was on deck until the moisture began to sink and batteries of all that I carry pots began beeping, including mine.
The sea is great, looks like a pool. Barely felt the movement, except bobbing speed. We are going to 18 knots, that those skilled in sailing is quite, taking into account the burden that we.
Life on the ship is very disciplined and orderly. There turns around, but the camaraderie is great. Imagine you take a character like me, firm ground, stumbling down stairs and corridors, they must mean 'exotic'.
Meal times are a bit complicated. At 7:00 breakfast, to the 12:00 lunch and the 17:00 price. I learned that this schedule is international and governs all cargo ships.
It is very difficult to describe the feeling it gives be in the midst of this tremendous ocean, stare at the horizon and just being surrounded by sea and clouds. A sea of an intense dark blue.
This same route just passed the ships of British companies loading tomatoes on deck heading towards UK. It seems that the "British and Africam Steam Navigation Company" made the crossing from 1869. Then the main charge was composed of potatoes, onions, potatoes, figs and oranges.
SECOND DAY.
Sometimes things happen that are difficult to prevent. And one of them has been somewhat catastrophic for this adventure. The internet communication system of the boat is not working very well, seems to be, a problem with the router and the satellite signal.
This situation affects much updating cruise, as he had designed; so I apologize to all / as as / as followers.
Nevertheless, I can upload only text, once or twice a day and for three minutes, so I will not waste time giving explanations about the failed telecommunications. Sorry I can not answer comments, or upload photos and videos, for now. But I promise I will as soon improve communications.
The journey has been fantastic. Yesterday on 5:15 we were passing very close to the Savage Islands and on 14:15 We are leaving behind the archipelago of Madeira. From the deck a finite horizon in which around no more otea to sea. Very rarely we spotted a boat yonder.
Life on the ship is synchronized like a Swiss watch machinery. The whole crew knows what to do at all times and where necessary: maintenance, kitchen, cleaning, bodegas, machines, puente, cover….
I'll tell you some stories about the hazing of being 'boy' on this journey. Maybe they think they already knew, but who they have not had the chance to sail on a freighter, sure I shall disclaim like me.
There are certain issues that deserve some expertise. For example, If you do not put soap in either compartment as him in the shower, run the risk that a stroke of sea shot out into the hallway and when you need it have to get out of the shower after him. But far worse is that when you have it almost, Sea another blow you right out of the cabin and you're in the middle of the main hall soaping after a pill with sponge and some crew hallucinating.
In this sense, and forgive the scatological, something similar happens when you're sitting in the cup of the water. You have to know when to get up exactly, like Swiss watches. If not, run the risk of wrong in momentum and movement of the boat makes you reseating against your will. And if you do not manage to encompass mosques and momentum can be so few good minutes.
Except these little domestic details and schedules dining (7:00/12:00/17:00), the experience is exceptional. These people do not know much about growing tomatoes, but transportation are true specialists. The captain has been doing this route 37 years and on this trip and retire.
By the way, Last night I had a mystical experience – religious at dinner. I say last night, say something, because here is dinner at 17:00 hours. The fact is that the captain invited me to try the exquisite wasabi paste that is brought from Japan. to test, as stipulated in Japan, the chef had prepared sashimi (I do not know if you write well): filets of raw tuna on salad finely chopped.
My they educated me 'when in Rome do as the Romans do you' and he had already been implemented on a trip I made to Niger, where I had to kneel down a bowl of camel milk, freshly milked, his belt.
The fact is that the wasabi, according to Captain, must desleirla in soy sauce. This mixture is left to macerate raw tuna steak and then comes. At first, allowed to eat, but as it will wasabi soy mixing with, he is moving the characteristic itching. To him she fucks the havaneros and peppers Whore Mother! a great friend of mine. This is pure fire.
My second piece, in no less than five seconds I did mourn nearly five minutes. I could not stop the tears and, unlike pepper, burning sensation – itch is not going to throat, but the nose. It's like nose meddle directly in the vivaporub. And you can imagine the effect on the crew; I think they have had for a long time ... entertain addition, They stare at me, I greet and laugh. Watch where you've brought joy the boat!.
It seems that the English were experts on this route. Who maintained trade with its colonies in Africa, Canary was a strategic location for maritime links.
At the settle in the islands several companies, the British discovered the excellent climate of the islands allowed to grow at any time of the year.
This condition would provide agricultural products in winter that did not exist in England in recent months. Thus began the cultivation of tomato export.
In addition, at the end of the nineteenth century they came into operation new steamships, faster and safer, that fruit could be moved to Liverpool and London 7-8 days. In the first shipments, They are traveling in boxes tomatoes mixed with sawdust or moss, on the deck of the ship.
At first, Fruit quality was not very good on arrival at the destination ports, so the path loss were substantial. However, the profit margin was so high that ensured the profitability of their trade.
THIRD DAY.
Today (for Saturday) I was baptized as a cabin boy. A mixture of brutal Breakfast, brava tide with a wiggle here and I hope, I did throw up everything in him and more.
As had been the 8:00 with the second board down to the cellars and see him test cold that makes tomatoes every day, I tried to recover as soon as I could, very difficult thing when the sea is not getting worse.
Celso, that this is how it is called the first official, I explained that it is normal to cast all up. They often make a circuit consisting of vomit-eat-work, and so continue until it ends its journey and stomach has nothing more to throw, I trully.
The truth was that I think of this loop again resulted and after leaving the camera had to go back to the cabin for fear of not having a place to take whatever came.
cold tomatoes is controlled daily in each of the wineries. This boat has four wineries, of which three have four floors and bow, only three. Of the fifteen rooms in total, in this trip they are occupied only five of them to the full capacity, and two half.
Total travel with 1.707 pales, of which 1.160 and they stay in Southampton 547 and Rotterdam; 27 Cherry tomato pales are the rest 1.133 Canary tomato pales in all commercial varieties of companies Bonny, Coagrisan, the Nicolases, Yeoward, Unex Tomates, Hortícola Aldeana, Gran Tarajal, Cortés exports and Raymi, I think I will not stay any, because targeting names with the cold weather down there is not easy.
Celso explained to me the importance of maintaining stable cold between 7 and 9 ° C and check the temperature of the fruit and chambers daily, because it depends on the quality of the fruit and selling it on arrival.
A wineries accessed from cover, for a small portholes and walks and climb stairs a mini you need to know to handle with the movement of the tide.
In this journey we're lucky, says Celso. The difficult part of this job is to take measurements and down to the cellars where the waves leap over cover. The sea, sometimes, complicates everything. Activity, speed and meet the crossing. And as I said when Felipe II Invincible succumbed, the elements can not fight.
This is one of the most important handicaps for tomato and cucumber export canary. The route used, during the months of November, December and January, it becomes a true 'hell' stormy.
On the boat there are several inclinometers. They are devices using a needle that reflect the inclination of the boat relative to the horizon. Today I am the captain said in December, on several occasions, the needle was practically lying.
At last, I give them reason and affirm that I have been very lucky because being in tremendous time to be impossible to overcome.
This morning we were about 300 Lisbon kms, As we continued up, the sea became more bravo. It was raining until late afternoon, in which we had already reached the height of Oporto (Porto) to northern Portugal.
When it stopped raining, the third officer who was in command on the bridge, I called urgently to rise. Well worth. To starboard we could see the entire arc of the rainbow, perfect half circle with each of its colors.
If anyone could think that here one is bored, is wrong plane. Of course whenever you have the mood to chat and converse with whom you go finding.
While the crew carries out its tasks, I take the opportunity to read and continue to deepen in the history of the export of tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables since the British initiated at the end of the nineteenth century.
One of those who have investigated more respect has been Manuel Rebollo, of which they highly recommend his book 'The tomato in Gran Canaria. Culture, company and export '. To "compensate" I recommend also 'Growing Tomatoes in Tenerife' Eustaquio Villalba.
It seems that the pioneers in growing tomatoes were the Blisse English, Swanston, Miller, Wolfson, Fyffe, Alfred Leacock and Luis Jones. Like this, Britain appear in the statistics of trade canary as a customer and main supplier, until the thirties of the twentieth century.
The tonnage of vessels berthing English flag in the Canary ports annually exceeded 50% of the total. It was the declaration of free ports 1852, which meant the real take-off in business with the English, what prompted the construction of the Puerto de la Luz 1883. At last, English chose it as a benchmark between the Cape of Good Hope and the Metropolis.
The idea of testing with tomato wine determined, Between other reasons, by boats. When they unloaded the coal ports canaries equipment for the steamboats, UK returning empty; In addition, many ships compulsorily passed through our ports offering spaces with cheap freight.
And since then, technological advances applied to steam navigation allowed the construction of larger ships and cargo capacity.
The English settled around the construction of the dock, clearly they saw the possibility of sending merchandise return empty boats, obtaining higher returns on the trip and so chose the banana and tomato, mainly.
Vapors of shipping Elder Dempster and Castle were the first to promote these services. At the start heading to Liverpool and London, in a time ranging between 7 and the 9 days. His biggest concern, the fruit arrived in good condition, Note that this is still the main concern in this ship.
This boat is not small. Nagato Reefer, it's called, It is a reefer who has fifteen years, ie comes of age (It is in Ecuador of its life). Its dimensions are 135 meters in length (long) and 20,60 meters wide (width) and weighing 7.367 tons. Complete traverse through the corridors, vericuetos scales and may involve several kilometers.
I say this because, even so, there has been no corner of the boat where you have not known about my baptism 'naval'.
The sailors invited me to the recreation room to hang out with them. I could not deny because I know I'm being a great source of entertainment for them. When I arrived they were singing karaoke with an international luxury.
When not in port, this is the only option that remains next to the movies, because the TV can only tune when berthed, normally.
They explained that in the Philippines, from which all, from very small start in the 'noble art singing' and go if in their blood.
How could it be otherwise, I chose several songs like La Bamba, what will be and terrifying macarena, from which I could sneak.
At last, He came out of nowhere an acoustic guitar and ended up in the room the whole crew, except those who were on duty and were leaving very sorry that had to happen in their divisions. A nice day.
FOURTH DAY.
After yesterday's adventure, today with better sea, curiously, I visited the innards of the ship. The engine room is an amazing place. It's like a Swiss Army knife precision, where each of the parts fits so millimetric.
Here, to the same as in the wheelhouse, There are shifts the 24 hours. The noise is deafening, but I wonder if the sweltering heat is worse. Eight pistons the size of a car each, tremendous move crankshaft, at the same time, propeller spins to reach 18 Knots of constant navigation.
There is a control room where officers take turns machine. Here is all the necessary aparataje to know what to do at all times. Two monitors the temperature information to which tomatoes are received, in each of the holds and compartments, in real time.
The ship has three diesel generators 7060 kW each, that supply electricity to the ship and cold cellars. According to the chief engineer, it is very difficult something goes wrong because control is comprehensive.
In the talk we had, I was surprised by the comment of the chief engineer on the quality of Canary Island tomatoes on the rest has had a chance to try. I said it takes 25 years sailing around the world, mainly in the Pacific and Indian, and he had not tasted tomatoes like these.
At 4:10 Cape Finisterre pass and from here it shows the temperature drop. And you can not be on deck without shelter. Occasionally falling rain with wind gusts that give a sense of polar cold, but we are about 9ºC – 14ºC.
The tide is great and there are a lot of encouragement among all because tomorrow we will be in Southampton. I have almost passed the test sailor in excellent condition. I have said all I had extraordinary luck by sea conditions; rather it is the luck of the beginner, les answer.
In January they had several very rough trips where they could not even move around the boat. It coincided with the days when the captain told me that the inclinometer was almost horizontally.
Everything was flying on the ship. The worst was the cook standing out. The pan with boiling oil shot out and came to stop one leg. They take much resignation. They are the occupational hazards. The truth is that I do not want to imagine.
But everything you see around, confirms that you navigating in extreme conditions. There is no single element that is not tethered, bolts, cinches, strap included American and extension rods; boxes for all gadgets and tablecloths slip rubber in virtually all surfaces.
In the long history of the tomato export to the European continent, Transport has been one of the most important handicaps. From the beginning, transportation and commerce were in the hands of the English, monopoly, during decades. The British company Elder and Fyffes Cº was the one in charge of transport and commercial management.
When well into the twentieth century canaries create exporters employers' associations to manage shipments and reception, They prove that when negotiating freight rates with shipping companies are always at a disadvantage compared to British companies, Ltd. as Fyffes, who refused to lose monopoly.
Transport prices to Liverpool and London were non-negotiable and so did the fruteros ships heading to the continent. Charging expenses to France and Germany proved excessive and major companies bearing fruit these countries, Otto Thor Essen e Iberican line, They charged a much higher price to the canaries.
Since the beginning of export, the shipping Castle, on his return from Cape Town, offered also bear fruit in seven days from the Canary Islands to London. London was the most commonly used port Canary Wharf until, in the seventies, the destination is changed to Southhampton and New Haven.
There are many British shipping, German and Swedish whose names are attached to the transport of Canary Island tomatoes: Elder Dempster, Yeoward, Ferword, Thor Essen y Fred Olsen, They were the first to land on this business.
Canaries exporters managed to create a shipping company, Navicasa, to compete with foreign and prevent monopoly and high freight rates, but the result is not paid off.
As I write these lines on the bridge, I notice as it starts to be more movement from the usual. Three officers armed with binoculars respective try to find a fishing, seems to be, four miles and we just have to cast nets over our route.
Fishing also has noticed our existence and called to learn our history. From the bridge, the first official decides to get around to what we have to change course. As we approach the Channel, ship traffic increases and you have to be constantly alert.
To be continue.