North Sea Collision (Grimsby)
Anchored oil tanker (Stena Immaculate) hit by Madeira-flagged cargo ship (Solong): Apparently 20 crew on Stena Immaculate, so maybe 12 on Solong? It’s a baby boat: 140/22m. All evacuated.
Namibia I
Preparing to travel to Luderitz next week to visit the newly opened (Sept. 2024) Namibian Maritime Museum, with an invitation from director Dr. Angel Tordesillas for a tour (and now, as it turns out we’re traveling on the same flight from Windhoek to Luderitz, an offer of transport from the airport and around town). Learning…
Landlocked ports: eSwatini
I learned in 2024 that SD (Swaziland then) was registered as a port during Apartheid to avoid the sanctions against RSA at the time. Still the case, apparently:
Copenhagen IV: Matador
Det praktiske ved dig er at de har Deres egen skov (“The practical thing about you is that you have your own forest”, S4E6) 1978-1982. 4 Seasons of 6 episodes. The show every Dane has apparently watched, which makes a lot of sense now. Could have been the story of this family: Feeling more Danish.
Copenhagen III: Helsingør Maritime Museum
Hamlet’s castle is not technically in CPH, but it is just up the “whisky belt” – Strandvejen, or “Beach Road”, passing Hellerup; Charlottenlund; Rungsted, where Karen Blixen’s small herregård is now a museum; Humlebæk, home to Louisiana; and finally Elsinore, where the museum is located underground about 20m from the castle. Image below possibly a…
Copenhagen II
Part of UN City Copenhagen, apparently the biggest humanitarian warehouse in the world: Bit difficult to square with its proximity to what used to be a cruise terminal and now an exclusive Padel club. We didn’t see limousines, but plenty of Teslas.
Insights from a Danish Architect
Svend and Wai Ling Hvass lived in Swaziland when we were younger (possibly left late 80s?). Their son Hans was a best friend of sorts: his grandfather in Denmark sent Danish Donald Duck (Anders And) comics every week, and I got to share the stash, not to mention the strange delight of my friend peppering…
Copenhagen I
Made it to HQ on the bus boat (or boat bus – whatever the commuting vessel for normal people is called; ie. not the expensive tourist “See Copenhagen” ones, but literally a normal bus ticket – brilliant!). Cranes at the container terminal clearly more efficient than one human operating an 8-wheeler, as in CT. Need…
Missing Persons (II)
On the death of three naval officers (including the youngest serving woman) in September 2023: A navy source told City Press’ sister publication Rapport that many inferences can be made. “The submarine’s crew did not have enough sea experience because they cannot spend enough time at sea due to budget cuts. They do not receive…
Missing Persons (I)
From the BBC: And from another piece on how many people cross the channel in small boats, confirming that so far 2023 is the only year to have seen a decrease:* *Surely not thanks to fishy Rishi and his floating hostels and other silly ideas? And finally: Looking at you, Fishy.