Steaming South: Respect for our Merchant Mariners

 

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“Photography is not about cameras, gadgets, and gizmos. Photography is about photographers. A camera didn't make a great picture any more than a typewriter wrote a great novel.” - Peter Adams


    The world watched in amazement this past week as global shipping was in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The ongoing challenge at the Pacific Ocean docks of the United States continues with more than twenty-five cargo ships remaining backed up waiting for a berth to unload their goods, the result of the COVID-caused labor shortage and a surge in orders from American companies anticipating a big increase in consumer spending as the pandemic presumably winds down.

    Far more interesting to the casual observer, though, was the drama in the Suez Canal. The cargo ship Ever Given of the Evergreen Line ended up stuck with its bow jammed into the sand on a particularly narrow stretch of the canal. With low tides and heavy tonnage, little could be done to dislodge the ship until high tides arrived. Arrive they did this very morning! With the help of plenty of tugboat power, the Ever Given was floated, freed, and moved to a wider area of the canal where it anchored for inspection and possible repairs. Fortunately, global shipping through the canal can resume.

    My photograph this week was in monochrome which I felt helped tell my story better. We see a nice beach scene with some dune fencing in the foreground and lots of surf action with decent breakers. Out at the horizon, though, we can just make out an anonymous cargo ship. And it was the crew of that ship, and the many thousands of similar ships that make up cargo shipping worldwide, who I wished to honor and for whom I wished to offer some thoughts in my post.

    I was gently reminded to also honor the longshoremen and Delaware River pilots who commented about their role in Delaware Bay shipping. A "well choreographed machine," one commenter described it. I am looking forward to an opportunity to spend some time with the people of The Pilots' Association For the Bay and River Delaware, ideally going underway with them, photographing them at work, and telling some of their amazing story.

    It was an honor to serve my country and I am grateful for the many thanks I received in the comments. I will never forget my time in the world's greatest Navy and the many outstanding sailors with whom I served. As I wrote in my post on March 27, 2021...

    As the grandson of a United States Merchant Mariner and a twenty-two year Navy sailor myself, I feel fond brotherly respect for those hearty women and men who maintain, operate, and navigate ships of commerce or war. Looking out across the choppy open water at the mouth of the great Delaware Bay, we witness the midday transit of a nondescript cargo ship 'Steaming South' on its way to ports unknown. Like several thousand similar vessels that make their way up and down the Delaware River and Bay each year, it likely transports fruit, petroleum, or containers full of goods. The crew of this particular ship, like sailors heading to sea immemorial, hopes for an easy passage, usually a combination of good health, fine weather, and reliable equipment.

    While we enjoy a relaxing walk on the sand of Rehoboth Beach, these mariners pass by almost unnoticed as they come and go from the busy ports along the upper Delaware Valley. The Port of Wilmington in Delaware, The Ports of Salem, Paulsboro, and Camden in New Jersey, and the Ports of Chester and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania combine to form one of the largest shipping areas in the country, handling well over 100 million tons of cargo annually. The ships that service these ports along the Delaware River navigate the second busiest waterway in the United States. Only the mighty Mississippi River handles more water traffic.

    So let's say a short prayer for the crews of these ships that they may safely reach their next port. I know the value of their service as they help deliver the many things we enjoy daily. Please enjoy this welcome weekend and I hope your lives are full of fair winds and following seas.

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Location: Rehoboth Beach, DE, USA

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