- The M/s Birka Carrier transports paper e.g. to Spain
Birka Cargo – a cargo shipping company from the Åland Islands has seven vessels sailing under the Finnish flag. Three of these vessels, the M/s Birka Transporter, the M/s Birka Exporter and the M/s Birka Shipper are being chartered by the Swedish company Hollmen Paper AB. The six year long contract began at the beginning of this year. The M/s Birka Excellent has already been chartered out to the same company since 2007.
Birka Cargo’s largest vessels the M/s Birka Trader, the M/s Birka Carrier and the M/s Birka Express transport cargo for Finnlines. The vessels mainly transport containers, trailers and paper rolls to destinations as far away as Spain.
The M/s Birka Carrier arrives at the Vuosaari Harbour approximately 12 hours behind schedule. A sudden storm surprised the vessel and other ships sailing in the waters south of Gotland. The weather forecast had been as silent about the storm as a cuckoo clock that has lost its spring. Because of the strong winds and ice the vessel had trundled towards Vuosaari at a rate of only four knots an hour. However, as the dawn was breaking the Carrier at last docked and the guy ropes were tied.
Seafaring work is also suitable for those with a family
Because of the storm many people only got a little sleep, but their reddish eyes did not disturb their work. You see, for most of the crew it was the change of shift day. Nothing else to do but gather up your gear put your knapsack on your shoulders, head towards the shore and freedom awaits! Behind them is a four week shift, which is the normal length of time for work on a cargo ship. However, sometimes plans can change, if for example the ship’s route changes or the ship does not arrive at the harbour on time, because of the weather.
”Organising holidays with the family is – shall we say – challenging – if the shift stretches longer than that which was planned… A trip can be taken if you allow for some leeway in the timetable and you plan to take the journey in the middle of the holidays”, thinks Anders Blåberg the ship’s cook/steward in the mess room where his wife is standing next to him.
The clock shows seven in the morning, but his wife has driven from Parainen to Vuosaari to meet her husband.
”He is still here”, his wife winks.
Shared moments are rare. Anders still has a few weeks of his shift left.
”Yes, this sea-life is okay – and it works – also quite well for those who have a family. However, we have decades of experience behind us”, the parents of two children have the same opinion in this matter.
The deck is shining when paper is transported
The Carrier is in Vuosaari Harbour for only five hours. The containers, trailers and other cargo which were onboard will be unloaded. After this it is time to clean the cargo hold. From Vuosaari the ship will travel to Kotka, where it will take onboard paper rolls that are to be transported to Bilbao in Spain.
The deck must be spotlessly clean so that the paper rolls are not damaged. The brushes of Sam Hänninen the Boatswain and Ordinary Seaman Kristian Donner are swinging furiously in the vessel’s cargo hold in Vuosaari. There is a rush, because not all of the work has been completed yet. The wheels of the cars and the containers also bring snow to the deck. Melted water drops into the pockets in the deck, to which the cargo will be secured. Water is poison for paper, so the enemy must be removed from the pockets as thoroughly as is possible.
The ship is alive both day and night
At eleven o’clock the ship heads eastwards. The ice lashes and crashes against the sides of the vessel, but this vessel with a 1A-ice classification breaks easily through the busy shipping lanes which are ahead of it. A layer of ice has draped the coast, but in the high seas they are sailing in open waters. In comparison with the previous night there is hardly any wind, but there is fog.
On the bridge, Captain Juha Vähä-Kurki and First Mate Richard Gustavsson keep a close eye on the horizon in front. The sea voyage from Vuosaari to Kotka lasts over five hours. During this time, hard work is being carried out in every department: on the deck, on the bridge, in the engine room as well as in the cuddy, i.e. the ship’s galley. The ship never sleeps.
Text: Saana Lamminsivu
>>See image gallery from the M/s Birka Carrier...
