Ships may be safe in Harbours but that is not what they are built for – the story of Maersk Beaumont.

Recently BBC website started online Mission 2110 interactive site with training from Caleb – well this is The Mission : 2110 online game. Back home, there is lot of storm raised about the feature film – the Rajini starrer ‘Enthiran’ a film directed b S Shankar. This features Superstar & Aishwaraya Rai. Touted to be the highest ever film budget in India the story line is about a robot.

The link is robot - BBC TV is filming adventure game called Mission 2110. in a postapocaluptic scenario, the sci-fi drama is about a breed of robots Roboidz, created as benevolent beings, turning to their dark side and taking over the world, to the point of extincting all human being. One man has the courage to challenge – Caleb. He guides young recruits to battle cybernetic entities ruling the earth, by snatching bio-rods the vital fuel source. Lindsay Duncan (Doctor who, Rome) voices Neuros and Cybele, the good and evil alter egos of Roboidz. Stuart Goldsmith plays the hero – Caleb.

The floating base of evil force - Future Gate is impenetrable, heavily defended against any possible attack by the few humans still left on the Universe. The sheer size and scale of the mighty Roboidz was such that the production team needed to find an alternative location to the traditional studio format to create Future Gate, the Roboidz base. They latched upon Loch Striven on the Clyde which provided the ideal backdrop. Not because of the scenic settings but something else. It was the container vessels beached there – yes large ones designed to carry intermodal containers. Speed is not the forte of these ships but they are the most preferred mode of cargo transportation. The pride of the line up is Maersk Beaumont with TEU of 4170 ; this alongwith its fleet forms the backdrop of the programme.

Loch Striven is a sea loch adjoining the west side of Clyde, a large area of coastal water in Atlantic ocean near Scotland. Because of fall in world trade, four container vessels had been moored in Loch Striven – these vessels belonging to Maersk were on cold lay up, whence they would have the bare minimum crew and would move out once regular orders are on. Maersk Line is one of the leading liner shipping companies in the world, serving customers all over the globe. Having their Corporate HQ at Denmark, their fleet comprises more than 500 vessels and a number of containers corresponding to more than 1,900,000 TEU. The four ships laid up were : the Bentonville, Baltimore, Sealand Performance and Beaumont, generally busy bees on liner routes, the Company decided it cost effective to have them laid up. Vessels being laid up is not new especially when economy slows down. Some reports have it that ships were parked here during the oil crisis of 70s; two gas tankers reportedly were moored for 2 decades and became redundant. At the time, when the vessels started arriving in the harbour, there were protests by the local residents, the liner invited local residents on a tour of a ship and for dinner with Captain which eased the tensions considerably.

                                        Photo courtesy : Hannes Van Rijn, www.marinetraffic.com

This one by the BBC is a 13 episode sci-fi game show in which contestants span time and space to travel to the futuristic setting of our plant, long after mankind has disappeared to try to restore peace and stability. The villain is Roboidz, intelligent towering cybernetic entity ruling the earth. Whilst it is money for the vessel owners (though not from the purpose of their built), BBC promised donating location fee to the local community and charity activities in Loch Striven, in a way to reach out the local community.

Episodes have been filmed on the cargo holds, engine room, the propeller shaft, the bridge and deck of the vessels serving as backdrop.    These vessels are classified as B class vessels with Maersk Boston being the first in the series. It was launched in 2006, registered in London. They reportedly consume 300 tonnes of fuel making them uneconomical in a downturn trend. In the B class ones, Maersk has added design of early warning system for parametric roll conditions.  The berthing of the vessels did spruce the local economy with more opportunities. Whether a thriller or a captivating film, it would still be saddening to see vessels laid up and used for filming rather than intended carriage of cargo.

The good news is that by end June the Baltimore was positioned to allow movement of Beaumont whose speed was picking up. The tugs Battler and Buster pulled her out of protected water. Her frist destination was Le Havre, a long sail from there, she reached Newark, US on 6th July 10; thence Norfolk and on 15th July she was at Panama Canal, Panama. Sure signs that the tides are in her favour and she is back in business.

The loch would look very different without these monster ships. People will miss them. But is it business as usual and after 12 months laid-up on the loch, all the five B-class vessels are all now heading back to service. From Maersk web, they initially will be moving empty containers from North America to the Far East where there is currently an acute shortage of equipment.

That perhaps is welcome news for the Shipping industry at large and all those involved in the trade.

Regards – S. Sampathkumar