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Digital Management Of Container Terminal Operations Ning Zhao
Digital Management of ContainerTerminal Operations Ning Zhao ·Yuan Liu · Weijian Mi ·Yifan Shen · Mengjue Xia
Digital Management of Container Terminal Operations
Ning Zhao • Yuan Liu • Weijian Mi • Yifan Shen • Mengjue Xia Digital Management of Container Terminal Operations 123
Ning Zhao College of Logistics Engineering Shanghai Maritime University Shanghai, China Yuan Liu College of Logistics Engineering Shanghai Maritime University Shanghai, China Weijian Mi College of Logistics Engineering Shanghai Maritime University Shanghai, China Yifan Shen College of Logistics Engineering Shanghai Maritime University Shanghai, China Mengjue Xia College of Logistics Engineering Shanghai Maritime University Shanghai, China ISBN 978-981-15-2936-8 ISBN 978-981-15-2937-5 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2937-5 Jointly published with Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers The print edition is not for sale in China. Customers from China please order the print book from: Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers. © Springer and Shanghai Scientific & Technical Publishers 2020 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publishers, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publishers, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publishers nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publishers remain neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore
Preface At present, information technology has been involved in all aspects of the operation management of container terminals. With the further application of Big Data, Internet of Things, Mobile Internet, Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Computing technology, it is necessary to analyze and study the operation management of container terminals from a new perspective. In this book, the core technologies and concepts in operation management of container terminals are introduced as well as how to design and implement the key technical approaches around the terminal operation system (TOS) in the context of information age, aiming at providing valuable guidance through shaping the specific digital management logic and summarizing the previous experience in operation management. The digital management in container terminals is selected as the main line of this book, and the related nodes in the information flow of various main operations as well as their relationship are systematically studied. The operation and management procedures in container terminals including information collecting and processing, resource planning and facility scheduling, and actual operations under the mode of Kanban management are elaborated in detail. A number of dynamic decision-making problems in the procedures of digital operation and management, including vessel unloading and loading, container delivery, container collection, etc, are figured out and analyzed as well. The authors and their team have been engaged in the development of operation system and auxiliary decision support system as well as intelligent decision-making researches in container terminals for years, undertaken a great number of engi- neering projects of Tianjin Port, Shanghai Port, and Ningbo Port in China and overseas companies in the same industry, and accumulated solid research founda- tion and rich experience in port planning, terminal configuration, port logistics equipment design, process simulation, terminal operation and management, auto- matic loading and unloading operations, etc. Meanwhile, the research team have developed the terminal simulation system and terminal operation management system with independent intellectual property rights. A large amount of documents and videos accumulated in the engineering practice have provided a rich source of materials for the writing of this book. v
Audience The audience of this book are port management personnel; students and teachers of port management; and logistics software companies in the field of port and shipping logistics. With the constant improvement of the digital and intelligent level of container terminals and the increased automation degree of port equipment, the intelligent transformation of the container terminals has become the focus of attention. The digital and intelligent operation and management procedures and methodologies of container terminals are studied and analyzed elaborately and comprehensively in this book. For the audience concerning the digital management of enterprises and operations of container terminals, this book is a good reference. Shanghai, China Ning Zhao vi Preface
Acknowledgements The publication of this book is funded by “MI Weijian workshop of intelligent port logistics, an innovation workshop for labor model of Shanghai education system”. Preparation of the manuscripts for this book has involved efforts and comments of my students, and appreciation goes to LI Ye, YANG Zhen, YANG Bin, GU Huajie, SHI Xuexin, LIANG Zhengguang, XUAN Beng, YE Zhilong, MIN He, FANG Shujie, ZHU Junmin, LI Youmei, and ZHANG Shuai. vii
Digital Management Of Container Terminal Operations Ning Zhao
Contents 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.1 Port and Terminal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.2 The Historical Development of Container Terminals . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1.3 Layout and Facilities of the Container Terminals . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 1.4 Handling Facilities Commonly Used in the Conventional Container Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 1.4.1 Handling Facilities at the Quay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 1.4.2 Horizontal Moving Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 1.4.3 Handling Facilities in the Yards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 1.5 Handling Facilities in the Automated Container Terminals (ACT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 1.5.1 Handling Facilities at Quay in the ACTs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 1.5.2 Horizontal Moving Facilities in ACTs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 1.5.3 Handling Facilities in the Yards in ACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 1.6 Key Information of Containers and Data Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 1.6.1 Information About the Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 1.6.2 Information About the Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 1.6.3 Shipping Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 1.6.4 Position Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 2 Operation Management in the Container Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 2.1 Introduction of Operations of Container Transportation . . . . . . . . . 47 2.2 Main Documents in the Container Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 2.2.1 Document System in the Container Terminal. . . . . . . . . . . 50 2.2.2 The Functions of the Documents in the Container Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 2.2.3 Main Documents in the Container Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . 51 2.3 Common Handling Techniques in Conventional Container Terminals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 2.3.1 Handling System of Rubber-Tyred Gantry Crane Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 ix
2.3.2 Handling System of Rail-Mounted Gantry Crane Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 2.3.3 Handling System of Trailer Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 2.4 Common Handling Techniques in Automated/Semiautomated Container Terminals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 2.4.1 Fully Automated Terminals with AGVs for Horizontal Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 2.4.2 Semiautomated Terminals with Straddle Carriers for Horizontal Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 2.4.3 Fully Automated Terminals with 3D Distribution System for Horizontal Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 2.4.4 Semiautomated Terminals with Container Trucks for Horizontal Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 2.4.5 Comparison of Handling Technique Features of Typical Automated Terminals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 2.5 General Introduction on Import and Export Operations in the Container Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 2.5.1 Export Operations in the Container Terminal. . . . . . . . . . . 70 2.5.2 Import Operations in the Container Terminal. . . . . . . . . . . 71 3 Management of the Vessel Unloading Operations in the Container Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 3.1 General Introduction of Vessel Unloading Processes . . . . . . . . . . . 75 3.2 Information Collection and Processing in Vessel Unloading Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 3.2.1 Import BAPLIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 3.2.2 Import Manifest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 3.2.3 Information Verification of Import Containers . . . . . . . . . . 107 3.3 Planning and Scheduling of Vessel Unloading Operations. . . . . . . 108 3.3.1 Storage Plan of Vessel Unloading Operations . . . . . . . . . . 108 3.3.2 Scheduling of Container Trucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 3.3.3 Scheduling of Yard Cranes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 3.3.4 Sending Unloading Operation Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 3.4 Actual Operations of Vessel Unloading and Kanban Confirmation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 3.4.1 Vessel Unloading Confirmation by the QC . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 3.4.2 Automatic Location Selection in the Yard for the Unloaded Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 3.4.3 Container Stacking Confirmation by the Yard Crane . . . . . 134 3.5 A Comprehensive Case of the Vessel Unloading Operations . . . . . 136 x Contents
3.6 Intelligent Vessel Unloading System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 3.6.1 Definition of Intelligent Vessel Unloading System . . . . . . . 150 3.6.2 Development Situation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 3.6.3 The Significance of the Intelligent Vessel Unloading . . . . . 152 4 Management of Container Delivery in the Container Terminal . . . . 159 4.1 Introduction of Process of Container Delivery Operations . . . . . . . 159 4.2 Delivery Reservation Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 4.2.1 Single Container Reservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 4.2.2 Batch Reservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 4.3 Entry Control at Gatehouse in Delivery Operations . . . . . . . . . . . 166 4.4 Delivery Operations in the Yard Based on Kanban Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 4.4.1 Facilities Arrangement for the Delivery Operations . . . . . . 170 4.4.2 Delivery Confirmation by the Yard Crane . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 4.5 Exit Verification of Delivery Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 4.6 Comprehensive Case of Container Delivery Operations. . . . . . . . . 173 5 Management of Container Collection Operations in the Container Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 5.1 Introduction of Container Collection Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 5.2 Information Pre-input of the Export Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 5.2.1 Main Contents of Information Pre-input of the Export Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 5.2.2 Receiving and Converting of Export Manifest . . . . . . . . . . 183 5.3 Port and Tonnage Grouping of Export Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 5.3.1 Function of Port and Tonnage Grouping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 5.3.2 Main Work in Port and Tonnage Grouping . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 5.4 Yard Plan for Export Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 5.4.1 Definition of the Yard Plan for Export Containers . . . . . . . 191 5.4.2 Features and Functions of the Yard Plan for Export Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 5.4.3 Constraints of Container Stacking in the Yard . . . . . . . . . . 193 5.4.4 Making the Yard Plan for Export Containers . . . . . . . . . . . 195 5.5 Operations of Container Entry Through the Gatehouse . . . . . . . . . 202 5.5.1 Introduction of Operations of Container Entry Through the Gatehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 5.5.2 Information Collection in Container Entry Through the Gatehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 5.5.3 Location Selection Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 5.5.4 Container Collection by the Yard Crane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 5.5.5 Exit of the Empty Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 Contents xi
5.6 A Comprehensive Case of Container Collection Operations . . . . . 207 5.6.1 Basic Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 5.6.2 Input of the Export Manifest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 5.6.3 Port and Tonnage Grouping for the Export Containers . . . . 209 5.6.4 Yard Plan for Export Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 5.6.5 Location Selection at Gatehouse for Export Containers . . . 221 5.6.6 Container Collection in the Yard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 5.7 Intelligent Container Collection System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 5.7.1 Definition of Intelligent Container Collection . . . . . . . . . . 225 5.7.2 Major Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 5.7.3 Comparison with Traditional Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 5.7.4 Significance of Intelligent Container Collection . . . . . . . . . 226 5.7.5 Development Status and Case Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 6 Management of Vessel Loading Operations in the Container Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 6.1 Introduction of Vessel Loading Operation Process . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 6.2 Information Collection and Data Preparation for Vessel Loading Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 6.2.1 Information Verification of Export Containers . . . . . . . . . . 236 6.2.2 Dock Receipts and Customs Release of Export Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 6.3 Stowage of Export Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 6.3.1 Meaning and Functions of Stowage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 6.3.2 Factors Affecting Stowage Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 6.3.3 General Principles of Stowage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 6.3.4 Process of Stowage Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 6.3.5 Data Required for Stowage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 6.3.6 General Procedures of Stowage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 6.3.7 Calculation of Stability and Draft Difference . . . . . . . . . . . 272 6.4 Facility Scheduling in Vessel Loading Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 6.4.1 Quay Crane Scheduling During Vessel Loading Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 6.4.2 Container Truck Scheduling in Vessel Loading Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 6.4.3 Yard Crane Scheduling in Vessel Loading Operations . . . . 277 6.5 Instruction Sending of Export Container Delivery in the Yard . . . . 278 6.6 Actual Operations of Vessel Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 6.6.1 Operation Process at Vessel Loading Scene. . . . . . . . . . . . 279 6.6.2 Generation of Container Delivery Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 6.6.3 Container Delivery Confirmation by the Yard Crane . . . . . 280 6.6.4 Vessel Loading Confirmation by the Quay Crane . . . . . . . 283 xii Contents
6.7 Comprehensive Case of Vessel Loading Operations . . . . . . . . . . . 283 6.8 Intelligent Stowage System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296 6.8.1 Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296 6.8.2 Significance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296 6.8.3 Developing History and Current Situation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297 6.8.4 Common Techniques of Intelligent Vessel Stowage in Container Terminals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299 6.8.5 Examples of Technical Architecture for Intelligent Stowage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 6.8.6 Application of Intelligent Stowage Techniques in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304 6.9 Intelligent Vessel Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305 6.9.1 Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305 6.9.2 Developing History and Current Situation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305 6.9.3 Significance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306 6.9.4 Examples of Technical Architecture for Intelligent Instruction Control Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307 Contents xiii
Digital Management Of Container Terminal Operations Ning Zhao
Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Port and Terminal A port, consisting of waters and lands, is an area constructed manually and equipped with infrastructures for vessel sailing and berthing as well as passenger and freight forwarding. The waters are the water areas within harbor line and have to meet two basic requirements, as one is to ensure the vessels safe entry and exit as well as berthing and unberthing, and the other is to ensure steady anchoring and han- dling operations. The waters include fore-dock water areas, entry and exit channels, turning basins, anchorages, navigation aids, etc. The lands are the land areas within harbor line including container handling areas and ancillary operation areas as well as some reserved areas. The container handling areas are equipped with infrastructures such as warehouses, freight stations, railways, roads, stations, passageways, etc. The ancillary operation areas are configured with garages, toolhouse, substations, repair houses, offices, firehouse, etc. Port, as the gate of a country or a region, originates from the ancient Latin “port,” which means the gateway to the coast with shields connecting the water and the land. In Chinese, port means the lanes near water, namely the passage of the land to the water (including rivers, seas, oceans, etc). Ports mentioned in this text refer to areas of waters and lands with clear boundaries equipped with infrastructures for vessels berthing, passengers embarking and disembarking, cargos handling, storing, transferring, and related services. Ports usually locate in or near to the cities and towns along rivers, lakes, and seas with frequent commercial trade activities. Ports are the hubs of water and land transportation, distribution centers of passengers and freights, transshipment joints of domestic and international trade as well as places for goods exchange. A terminal is a part of the land area of a port, and it is used for vessels docking, cargos loading and unloading, and passengers embarking and disembarking. Gener- ally, it also includes warehouses, yards, waiting rooms, handling facilities, railways, and roads. A terminal usually consists of the coastline and working area on the quay- side. The coastline, namely the docking length along the bank, is the intersecting © Springer and Shanghai Scientific & Technical Publishers 2020 N. Zhao et al., Digital Management of Container Terminal Operations, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2937-5_1 1
2 1 Introduction line of the vertical plane and horizontal plane of the terminal constructions on the quayside, which refers to hydraulic structures constituting the quay. The coastline is an important baseline determining the terminal horizontal position and its height, and usually falls into several categories, like deep coastline, shallow coastline, auxiliary coastline, etc, according to vessel draught and the functions. The overall length of all kinds of coastlines is an important index of the port scale, indicating the maximum docking number of vessels at the same time. The working area on the quayside refers to the area from the coastline to the front edge of the first row of warehouse (or yard). It is a location for cargos loading and unloading, transferring and temporary stacking, equipped with handling and moving facilities as well as lanes for mobile machines and vehicles, some even with railways for direct delivery. There is no spe- cific standard defined for the width of the working area, which is usually determined according to the terminal function and the handling technology on the quayside. In China, the width of the working area ranges from 25 to 40 m. The surface course of the working area is generally paved with reinforced concrete and block stones, which can offer the strength needed for moving and handling operations. The terminal is a hydraulic structure for vessels berthing, cargo handling, and passenger embarking and disembarking. Currently, most terminals are designed ver- tically, which improves the operating efficiency by facilitating the vessels berthing and direct distribution of the facilities to the coastline. The inclined terminals, pre- ferred in areas with huge river water level difference, are equipped with pontoons in front of the inclined slope, which may lead to low operating efficiency due to compli- cated handling technologies and indirect distribution of the facilities to the coastline. Pontoon terminal can be adopted in areas with small water level difference, such as rivers, lakes, and harbor basin with natural or artificial shields, in which the pontoons are connected to the quays with mobile approach bridges. Pontoon terminal is usu- ally designed for passenger transportation, fish handling, ferries, and other ancillary functions. The terminal structures include gravity quay, high pile quay, and sheet pile quay, which are designed in consideration of functional requirements, natural conditions, and construction conditions. ➀ The gravity quay, which can maintain stability with the gravity of the constructions and additives within, has excellent structure integrity and robustness and is easy to repair after damage. It includes inte- gral type and prefabricated type and is suitable for terminals with good foundations. ➁ The high pile quay consists of foundation piles and upper structures. The down structures of the piles are buried in the soil and the upper structures above the water. The upper structures can be constructed with either beams and slabs, or large slabs without beam, or frames, or bearing platforms. The high pile quay, suitable for soft foundation, is an open structure, which allows the water to pass below the quay surface without reflection to the waves and interference to the flood discharge and decreases deposition. At present, the long piles with large span are popular, and the short piles with small sections are being replaced by large prestressed concrete piles or steel piles gradually. ➂ The sheet pile quay consists of sheet pile walls and anchor fittings, which can support the side pressure caused by operation load and soil behind the walls. This simple structure results in rapid construction and can be adopted in
1.1 Port and Terminal 3 most situations except in areas with extremely hard or soft foundations. However, the integrity and durability is barely adequate. According to the purposes of the terminals, they can be classified as passenger terminals, freight terminals, auto terminals, oil terminals, yacht terminals, fishing terminals, navy terminals, and container terminals. The main function of the passenger terminals is to embark and disembark passen- gers. Small passenger terminals can only be used for mini vessels like small ferries andyachtstoberth,whilethosebigonescanofferanchorageforbiglinersandcruises. Passenger terminals can be divided into public terminals, ferry terminals, and cruise terminals. The public terminals are available to all ships (depending on the depth of water, which means the vessels with larger draft cannot berth). The ferry termi- nals are usually occupied by special liners or shared by several ferries. In the ferry terminals adjacent to different countries or regions (like the Hong Kong—Macau Ferry Terminal), immigration facilities will be arranged. The cruise terminals are usually for cruises to berth, and configured with integrated ancillary facilities, like customs, immigration counters, health quarantine offices, luggage handling areas, tickets offices, parking zones for touring buses, and passenger pick-up and drop-off areas. Because of the huge volume and draft of the cruises, the cruise terminals are usually located in the broad ports with deep water. Most cruise terminals are not designated to a specific company. Some public passenger terminals are also used for freight handling in small volume, like the Wong Shek Terminal. The freight terminals are designed for freight handling. According to their pur- poses and accessibility, the freight terminals can be divided into public freight ter- minals, container terminals, oil product terminals, mineral terminals, inland river freight terminals, and general freight terminals, etc. The auto terminals are designed for some special vessels (usually large vessels) to berth, so the automobiles can roll on and off. The oil terminals refer to those specialized terminals for crude and refined oil handling. They are usually located in an appropriate distance from the general freight terminals (or passenger terminals) in case of fire. Such terminals are configured generally with small freight loadings and simple handling facilities, and capable of handling most light tankers. Since the very large crude carriers (VLCC) are more and more popular in modern maritime transportation, the requirements on stable berthing for the terminals are not high due to the deep draft and strong resistance to wind and waves of VLCC. Now there are four kinds of deep terminals (or infrastructures) for crude oil handling, namely single point mooring terminals, multi-point mooring terminals, mooring island and open-type terminals. The first three kinds are not configured with constructions to resist wind and waves, and the last ones can be flexible according to their arrangements and local conditions. The yacht terminals are designed for yacht to berth and usually owned by yacht clubs. The navy terminals, also known as military terminals, are designed for navy ships to berth and replenish and usually highly secured. The container terminals are designed specifically for the container vessels to berth. They are the operating locations for containers handling, as well as the connections of
4 1 Introduction Fig. 1.1 An overview of a container terminal water and land transportation of containers and the hubs of intermodal transportation. The container terminals are usually configured with berths, container yards, con- trolling offices, inspection gates, container machineries, and other special-purpose facilities (Fig. 1.1). According to the geographic location, the container terminals can be divided into container terminals at seaports and container terminals at river ports. ➀ The container terminals at seaports are usually located at ports near to coasts and estuaries, where the water levels follow the tide variation. They are designed to handle ocean and coastal container vessels. ➁ The container terminals at river ports are located at ports near to inland rivers or lakes, where the water levels vary greatly due to the seasonal variation of rivers or lakes. Such terminals mainly handle inland river container vessels. According to the degree of specialization, the container terminals can be divided into specialized container terminals and multipurpose container terminals. ➀ The specialized container terminals are constructed exclusively for containers handling with highly efficient handling and moving facilities, which can meet the requirements of rapid growth in container vessels amount and high-speed handling at the ports. At present, such terminals are being constructed at many ports worldwide and rapid development has been achieved especially in the last decade. ➁Themultipurposecontainerterminalscanhandlecontainersaswellasothercargos, such as logs, steels, heavy general cargos, etc. They are generated due to the new potentials of containers transportation development and only temporarily transitional with relatively low loading and unloading capacity.
1.1 Port and Terminal 5 In this book, the specialized container terminals at seaports are mainly discussed and analyzed, and they will be mentioned in the text following as container terminals for simplification. 1.2 The Historical Development of Container Terminals As the development of the society, the division of labor has changed constantly, the time and space interval of exchange has increased dramatically, and the organization of production has become more and more complicated, which gave the transporta- tion (logistics) higher requirements that the conventional freight terminals could not satisfy, and containerization was just for these requirements. The container terminals appeared during the containerization of general cargos transportation in the world. When looking back to the history of container terminals, it is also the history of container transportation, which experienced the following periods. (1) The origin period (1956–1966) The most important event in this period is that the USA first adapted oil vessels and general cargo vessels into container vessels to conduct container transportation along its coasts and earned excellent economic benefits. On April 26, 1956, the American Trans-Atlantic Steamship Company conducted a trial shipment from Newark, New York, New Jersey to Houston, Texas after adapted an oil vessel of T-2 modal and loaded 58 containers on deck. Three months later, the trial shipment earned a huge economic benefit by reducing the handling cost per ton from 5.83 dollars to 0.15 dollars, which is only 1/37 of the handling cost of the general freight vessels. After the big success of the trial shipment, the American Trans-Atlantic Steamship Company invested more interests on containerization and decided to fully and thoroughly promote it. In October 1957, this company adapted six freight vessels of C-2 modal into full container vessels with cells and named the first container vessel the “Gateway City.” This vessel was configured with container crane and capable of loading 226 containers of 8 ft × 8.5 ft × 35 ft, which weighted 25 t, respectively. The “Gateway City” still sailed on the New York-Houston route, and its beginning of service symbolized the beginning of container transportation on the ocean. Themaincharacteristicsofthisperiodarethatthecontainervesselswereadapted from freight vessels; no special berths were available for container vessels; containers transported were not with standard sizes (namely 17 ft, 27 ft, or 35 ft); shipping routes for container transportation were only within the USA. (2) The initiate period (1966–1071) The most important event in this period is that the Land Sea Transport conducted sailings of adapted full container vessels with 226 35 ft containers loaded on the New York-Europe route in April 1966, which means the beginning of container transportation on international routes.
6 1 Introduction In September 1967, the Matson Liners sent vessels sailing on the Japan-Pacific North America routes, which initiated the container transportation in the Pacific liners. Enlightened by container transportation in the Atlantic and the Pacific, liner companies in Japan and Europe began to build container vessels of medium size, establish container vessels operation systems, and join the international activities of container transportation on routes connecting Japan, Europe, USA, Australia, etc. Until the beginning of 1970s, containerization had been realized on more than 10 main routes, and by the end of 1972, there had been over 160 full container vessels with 2,770,000 t loaded in service, which made the transportation capacity of containers to 1,280,000 TEU together with semi- container vessels. The main characteristics of this period are that containerization was real- ized progressively; the first container vessels appeared and specialized con- tainer terminals were established; 20 and 40 ft containers were dominant in containerization. (3) The growth period (1971 to the late 1980s) Due to the high efficiency, low cost of container handling and high benefits, high quality of container transportation as well as convenience of intermodal trans- portation, container transportation was favored by the shippers, carriers, ports, and departments concerned. During 1971–1989, it developed rapidly, and the international ocean shipping routes had extended from Europe and America to Southeast Asia, Middle East, and other main routes in the world. At the end of 1971, the high-speed container vessel “Kamakura Maru” with loading capac- ity of 51,139 t, 1950 20 ft containers and navigation speed of 26 knots began its sailing on the Far East-Europe route. In 1972, the Land Sea Transport put the ultra-large super high-speed full container vessels in service, with length of 288 m, loading capacity of 1968 TEU, power of 98,000 kilowatts (120,000 horsepower), and navigation speed of 33 knots. From then on, more large and high-speed container vessels had been put in service successively by the Land Sea Transport and Scanduch Group, which was jointly operated by three ship- ping companies from Japan, Great Britain, and Germany. Hence, the container transportation had developed into its second era from the first era, which was featured by the loading capacity of 700 TEU and navigation speed of 22–23 knots. In the second era, the loading capacity had been increased by two times and navigation speed by 3–5 knots. The container vessels in this era were mainly high-speed full container vessels with loading capacity of 2000 TEU; the trans- porting distance had been extended from simply connecting ports on both sides of the ocean to crossing two oceans; the transporting routes had formed the net- workbybranchroutesandthelandbridgetransportationappeared.Inthisperiod, not only the developed countries were trying to expand their container fleets, but also the developing countries began to establish their own container fleets and joint operation became prevalent among container shipping companies. In 1980s, there was new development in container transportation worldwide. Affected by two successive oil crises and the transformation of first container transportation era, the third generation container vessels began to emerge, which
1.2 The Historical Development of Container Terminals 7 aimed at reducing resource consumption and improving transportation effi- ciency. In 1984, the Evergreen company put two container vessels successively into round-the-world sailing, which initiated the voyage round the world. Since the container marine transportation worldwide had made such great progress, the container terminals had welcomed its growth period. The main characteristics of this period are that container vessels and container terminals continuously developed and the capacity of container transportation was greatly increased; the modernization of port machinery and the application of computer technology had improved the management skills and tools; the intermodal transportation began to arise. (4) The popularization period (1990s to now) Since 1984, the shipping market worldwide had broken away from the depres- sion of oil crises and got back on the path of steady development. At present, the degree of containerization of general cargo transportation has been over 80%. According to statistics, by 1998, there had been over 6800 container vessels of all kinds in the world and the total loading capacity of 5,790,000 TEU. In 1990s, especially after 1994, the full recovery of international economy had an active effect on the shipping market, and in container transportation mar- ket, the cargo amount shipped on all routes gained robust growth. According to statistics, by November 1, 1994, the number of container vessels in service had reached 5715, and loading capacity of 4,100,000 TEU. Though the car- gos shipped and container vessels involved were focused on three main routes, namely the Far East-North America (with the route length of 11,000 nauti- cal miles), the Far East-Europe Mediterranean, and the North America-Europe Mediterranean (with the route length of 4000 nautical miles), the trend of invest- ment in ultra-large vessels had become increasingly evident among all the major shipping companies. Sufficient amount of cargos were shipped on the three main routes, which were perfect for the large container vessels to sail on, so it was definitely the first choice for the ultra-large container vessels to sail on. In 1996, the Maersk put the “Maersk Queen” with the loading capacity of 6000 TEU in service on the Far East-Europe route. By 2004, the loading capacity of the container vessels of the Maersk in service had reached 8360 TEU. In the next two years, the ultra-large container vessels invested increased in times, and it could be predicted, the scale of the container fleets would expanded continu- ously. All of these showed the coming of the popularization period of container transportation. As turned into the mature phase, container transportation has extended to all countries with maritime transportation in the world, and containerization has become the main trend of freight transportation by sea. The integral technology of hardware and software tends to be perfect and has made the intermodal transportation and the “door-to-door” phase come. The main characteristics of this period are that the container vessels were upsiz- ing and automating, the operating efficiency of terminals improving, the collect- ing and distributing systems constantly perfecting, management skills and tools modernizing. The electronic data interchange (EDI) systems were generally
8 1 Introduction adopted, with which the dynamic tracking and management of the containers were realized. The development of intermodal transportation of containers was enormously promoted. The development of container transportation in China took a late beginning with relatively outdated technology but huge potential. In September 1973, the vessel “BH1” loaded with small containers, arrived at Tianjin Port from Kobe, Japan, which symbolized the opening of the first container liner in China. Due to the slow development in container transportation, from 1973 to 1976, only 1188 containers with 3773 t cargos were handled at Tianjin Port. On December 25, 1981, the No.12 container berth at Tianjin Port was completed and put into operation, meanwhile it formally passed the national acceptance. This berth was 398 m long and the water depth −10 m. The corresponding terminalyardscoveredanareaof92,200m2 ,configuredwithtwowarehousesfor road and railway transfer, respectively, three railway sidings, two quay cranes, onerubber-tyredgantrycrane,twostraddlecarriers,tenbigforkliftsand21small forklifts, eight trailers, and 11 Maffey trailers. In 1982, the No.21 container berth at the third basin of Tianjin Port was also completed and put into operation. In December 1985, another three container berths at the fourth basin of Tianjin Port formally passed the national acceptance and began to operate as the key project of the state’s sixth five-year plan. Hence, there had been four deep container berths for the Tianjin Port Container Terminal Company, which were capable of berthing 50,000 dwt vessels and the annual handling capacity was 40,000 TEU as designed, ranking the first in China in the year. In 1991, the contract of building the first container quay crane with the maximum load and outreach by the Shanghai Port Machine Factory for Tianjin Port Container Terminal Company (the first container terminal in China) was signed in Shanghai, and in August 1992, the crane was put into service. The outreach of the quay crane was 4 m, the maximum load of 40.5 t, which was internationally advanced in 1990s and met the handling requirements for the fourth generation container vessels. In 1977, the Ministry of Transportation decided to improve the tenth operat- ing zone of Shanghai Port into semi-container berth, and imported container machineries with 4,560,000 dollars. In December 1980, the remodeled fourth and fifth container berths from the freight terminal were put into operation. Under the efforts of the State Council and all parties, the container liner from Shanghai to Australia was formally open, and the vessel “PXC” loaded with 162 containers started sailing from Shanghai, which symbolized the end of the history that China had no international maritime container shipping route. After that, the Ministry of Transportation first formulated the Interim provisions on the collection of container port fees for international shipping routes, the container terminals in China thrived and the intermodal transportation started successively. The first international container train started from Tianjin Port via Erenhot to the Republic of Mongolia. On August 19, 1989, the first sea-railway combined container train started from Dalian Port to the Changchun No. 1 Auto Plant. The New Eurasian Continental Bridge started from Lianyungang made the land transportation of containers to Europe possible.
1.2 The Historical Development of Container Terminals 9 At the beginning of container transportation in China, the management of con- tainer handling was achieved with paper T-cards, which were placed on the yard maps hanging on the wall. Each T-card represented one container, and the name of vessel, type of container, name and amount of goods, consignor and consignee were recorded on it. Initially, with a small amount of vessels and containers, it was adequate for operation, but as the throughput capacity of containers increased rapidly, the use of paper T-cards was outdated. Since the modernelectroniccomputershadbecometheindispensibletoolsinmanagement of large amounts of containers in and out in the container terminals worldwide, led by the former Ministry of Transportation, Tianjin Port and Shanghai Port jointly imported the electronic computer technology of container management from NEC, Japan, and sent computer professional technicians and operators to Japan, respectively, to take training and practice on electronic computer manage- ment and operation. Meanwhile, the independent development of management information system in China also made good progress. (1) Independently designing software system of container management. The Jungonglu and Zhanghuabang container companies of Shanghai Port jointly founded the Container Computer Technology Company, focusing on developing computer software system for terminals and maintenance of hardware. The container management software imported from Japan was not suitable for China, so they self-designed and self-developed the computer software system suitable for Chinese ports and successfully put into operation in terminals. (2) Computer replacing T-cards in management. The container management of Chinese ports quickly met the requirements of containers in and out in large amounts, which was a huge step toward the internationally advanced management in port. (3) Computer management first implemented in container terminals at ports. The computer management was gradually involved in everywhere in container terminals in China, from the initial management of full containers in the yards, to the accumulation and statistics of days of empty containers in the yards. It was a convenience for the shipping companies to understand the number of their containers remained in the terminal and a reference to allocate and transport empty containers in time. This system also provided the stowing software of container vessels, which laid a good foundation for the loading plan of container vessels. With all the solid foundations, the faster and better information management system was required in container terminals in China. In 1987, the project of industrial experiment on intermodal transportation for international containers led by the Ministry of Transportation was started at Shanghai Port. This project was meant to open a demonstration line centered in Shanghai of intermodal transportation for international containers by combining the industrial experi- ment and technology reform and establish a transportation management system for international containers and a modern information management system con- forming to the international rules and situation in China. This project ended up in
10 1 Introduction a huge success, and the results of industrial experiment were promoted widely, which laid the foundation for the standardization of the operation processes in container terminals in China. The generation of electronic data interchange (EDI) improved the transmission speed of sea freight documentations. On June 14, 1995, the former Ministry of Transportation organized a review on the feasibility study report of the project of “Establishing a model of EDI system for international container transportation” and passed it. On August 29, 1995, this project was approved by the State Planning Commission. It was planned that the development of EDI system for international container transportation would be completed by 1997, and models of EDI system established at ports in Shanghai, Tianjin, Qingdao, Ningbo, etc and in China Ocean Shipping (Group) Corporation (COSCO). This EDI systemcouldonlyachievethedatainterchangebetweenshippingcompanies and container terminals, while the customs, the commodity inspection, the animal andplantquarantineandthehealthquarantinewerenotcovered.InAugust2001, the project of the EDI system for customs clearance on logistics information platform in Shenzhen was started, which realized the connection to the customs system.Theimportandexportenterprisescouldinputthecontractinformationin theirownofficesthroughInternet,andthecustomswouldreviewitautomatically via computer and conduct all the clearance procedures involved within 24 h. SinceNovember 1, 2001, thenewclearancemodel hadbeenadoptedinShanghai Customs which made the clearance of the goods in advance and release on arrival. Since March 1, 2002, the paperless customs clearance had been put in trialineightcitiesincludingShanghai,whichhasgreatlyimprovedtheefficiency of customs clearance, facilitated the international trade procedures, reduced the circulation cost of goods, and enhanced the international competitiveness of import and export enterprises. After recent years’ progress in container logistics, the container terminals have gained a leap-forward development. The application of computers in container terminals in China has already reached the level of advanced management of ports in the world. Besides Internet and EDI, other sophisticated technologies are also applied in container terminals. For example, the application of wireless communication technology (TETRA, Mesh, etc.) has made the container ter- minals the leaders in information transmission. Also, the RFID, GIS, GPS have laid good foundations for automation and intelligence of operation in container terminals. Besides in the informatization, a lot of resources have been invested in the infrastructures and facilities of the container terminals and huge progresses achieved. For example, the capability of the handling facilities at the apron has been upgraded from one container one time to three 40 ft containers at the same time. Also, with the application of rail-mounted gantry cranes with longer span, the handling quality and efficiency in the yard have been improved greatly. The application of automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) in horizontal movement has realized the development of automation and intelligence in the container terminals.
1.2 The Historical Development of Container Terminals 11 Table1.1 Thepercentageoftimeindaysandthepercentageoflaborindifferentstagesoftraditional transportation for general cargos Stage Percentage of time in days (%) Percentage of labor (%) Dynamic stage 65 20 Static stage 35 80 Ithasbeenover40yearssincetheUSAfirstadoptedoilvesselsandgeneralcargo vessels into container vessels to conduct maritime container transportation along its coasts and won huge benefits. Due to the outstanding superiority of container transportation compared with the traditional way, container terminals have been constructed in large amount throughout the world. The container terminals have been playing an extremely important role in enhancing the competitiveness of the ports, owing to the accelerated circulation of vehicles and vessels, increased transporting speed and reduced transporting cost. The main functions of container terminals are: (1) Providing terminals for container transportation system; (2) Providing containers storage areas, as buffering zones for the change of transportation mode; (3) Working as connections and hubs of water transportation and land transportation for containers. Usually, there are two stages for the cargos transported by sea (see Table 1.1), namely dynamic stage (transported in the vessels) and static stage (handled and stacked in terminals). Table 1.1 has shown the percentage of time required and the percentage of labor required in different stages of traditional transportation for general cargos. Compared with general cargos, the containers with goods packed in still need to be changed, distributed, stacked, and stored in the terminals. It can be concluded from Table1.1thatin35%ofthetime,thecargostransportedbyseaareinstaticstage,while they will consume 80% of the labor. So it is the key to reduce the labor consumption and the static time in the terminals. The emergence of container transportation has greatly improved the productivity in the terminals, reduced the labor invested and costs in transportation, and effectively shortened the time of cargos handling involved in the terminals. 1.3 Layout and Facilities of the Container Terminals The layout of the container terminals is to determine the number of berths, the width of the apron, the size and configuration of the yards, the performance parameters, and number of handling and transporting facilities, which mainly depend on the vessel forms and loading capacity of the vessels as well as their arrival density.
12 1 Introduction The yards and the combination of different horizontal transporting facilities form different technical systems of handling, which also affect the layout of the terminals. For a general container terminal, there are three parts (see Fig. 1.2), including the handling area at the apron (near to the berths), the yards, and the gatehouses. The highly mechanized and highly efficient mode of mass production in container terminals needs to integrate the vessels and the terminals as a whole to ensure the efficient operation of the highly strict flow production line and fully perform the three main functions of the container terminals. The essential infrastructures in the container terminals include the berths, the apron, the container yards, the container freight station, the control tower, the gates, the maintenance workshop, etc. (1) Berth The berth is the area within the terminal constituted by the quays for the vessels docking and the corresponding waters. The length and water depth of the berth depend on the port type, terminal type, and docking vessel’s form and size. With the development of large container vessels, the length and water depth of the berths in the container terminals are also extended. At present, the berths in the specialized terminals for full container vessels are usually 300 m long and depth of water −11 m. The mooring facilities for vessels docking, including bollards and fenders (rub- ber pier), comprise the quay. The effective length of the quay required is usually 1.2 times of the vessel length when the vessel is berthing and unberthing. (2) Apron The apron is the area between the berth quays and the container yards (the flood control walls). Since there are quay cranes (QCs) equipped in the apron, which Fig. 1.2 The layout of a container terminal
1.3 Layout and Facilities of the Container Terminals 13 is also the main location for the import and export containers to be reloaded, the width of the apron usually depends on the spans of the QCs and the handling processes. There are normally three parts: ➀ The distance between the berth quays to the first track (on the sea side) of the QCs generally ranges from 2 to 3 m; ➁ The distance between the tracks (from the sea side to the land side) of the QCs generally ranges from 15 to 30 m; ➂ The distance between the second (on the land side) track of the QCs and the container yards (the flood control walls) generally ranges from 10 to 25 m. From the arrangements mentioned above, it can be concluded that the width of the apron in the container terminals generally ranges from 30 to 60 m. Besides the QCs and their tracks equipped in the apron, there are also high-voltage and low-voltage electrical boxes, interfaces for marine telephones, cable trench for QCs, water supplies, lighthouses, etc. The apron should be always unblocked and wide enough to stack the hatchway covers of the vessels and pass the horizontal transporting facilities simultaneously. (3) Container Yard (CY) The container yard refers to the area to store the containers to be loaded in the vessels according to the pre-made stowage plans as well as the containers to be unloaded from the vessels according to the delivery schedules before the vessels enter the port. The areas of the CYs could be different, depending on the loading capacity of the vessels entering the port and the berthing rate. Simply speaking, the container yard is the place within the terminal to store containers, including marshalling yards and back-up yards. ➀ Marshalling yard The marshalling yards are located between the apron and the back-up yards, which are designed to store containers to improve the loading and unloading efficiency of the vessels. The main functions are to pre-store the export con- tainers to be loaded in the vessels before the vessels’ arrival and to temporarily store the import containers when the vessels are unloaded. The total area of the marshalling yards takes a relatively large portion of the container yards and the size depends on the handling techniques adopted and the number of stacking tiers. ➁ Back-up yard The back-up yards refer to areas within the container yards except the mar- shalling yards, which are designed to store empty and full containers. The back- up yards include transshipment container yards, import full container yards, empty container yards, reefer container yards, dangerous goods container yards, etc. Actually, there are no well-defined boundaries between the marshalling yards and the back-up yards, but only geographically. In practice, people usually store the export containers in the front of the CYs, the transshipment containers in the middle, and the import containers, the reefer containers, dangerous good
14 1 Introduction containers, empty containers in the back. With the perfect computer systems, especially the radio data transport (RDT) facilities, it will be more flexible to plan the functions of the CYs under real-time control, even to mix-store the full and empty containers or just store the full containers in the front but the empty ones in the back. (4) Container freight station (CFS) The CFSs are designed to pack and unpack the less than container load (LCL) cargos as well as to store, safeguard, collect, and deliver them, usually referred to as warehouses. Different from the conventional warehouses, CFSs’ main functions are packing and unpacking instead of storing. The CFSs are usually located at the rear of the terminals, on the side near to the external roads or railways, which could let the vehicles directly enter the CFSs instead of passing the container yards. In recent years, with the development of the container transportation and the refining market segmentation driven by the competition, the functions division has changed a lot. At some huge container ports, as the throughput increases, shipping companies began to outsource their empty containers to the external yards for professional management. Meanwhile, the external CFSs started to appear, professionally unpacking and delivering import containers and packing export containers. Those external yards and external CFSs are usually referred to as depots. (5) Control tower The control tower, also referred to as control center, central control office, com- manding tower (office), is the commanding and controlling center of all the operations in the container terminal. Its functions are to fully utilize the pro- duction resources in the terminal and to supervise, regulate, and command the implementation of all the operation plans. It is usually located on the top of the administration building, where all the operations within the whole terminal can be viewed. In the control tower, computer systems, wind meters, and meteorological fore- cast systems are configured, as well as the very high frequency wireless walkie- talkies (VHF), closed circuit television (CCTV), and telescopes to monitor the operations, and telephones and fax machines to communicate with others. It is the center of all the operations in the terminal. (6) Gate house The gatehouses are the entrance and exit of the terminal, the connection of containers and cargos in the containers as well as the boundary of responsibility inside and outside of the terminal. As it is the only way for containers to enter and exit the terminal, it is necessary to check the relative documentations of the containers as well as to transfer the responsibility of the container and the cargos, to inspect the apparent conditions like the container no., the seal no., the container body, and the cargos appearance. The gatehouses are usually located at the rear of the container terminals. Wagon balances are configured according to the needs to ensure the safety of facilities
1.3 Layout and Facilities of the Container Terminals 15 and stowage as well as the control requirements of customs. Computers, IC card machines, releasing railing, automatic container no. identification system are also equipped. (7) Maintenance shop The maintenance shop, also referred to as repair shop, is the place to inspect, repair, and maintain the containers and special-purpose facilities for container handling. Its main functions are to ensure the maintenance quality and integrity of the handling facilities, which are very important for improving the terminal efficiency and keeping its superiority in container transportation. The maintenance shop is usually located at the rear of the terminal or near to the maintenance area, which will not interfere with the operations in the terminal. Traveling cranes, lathes, welding and cutting machines, workbenches, air compressors, repairing galleries, and accessory warehouses are configured. Besides the main infrastructures in the container terminals mentioned above, administration offices for administrative departments and other ancillary facil- ities like power supply, communication, canteen, computer rooms, oil depots, water supply and drainage, illumination, and roads are also configured. 1.4 Handling Facilities Commonly Used in the Conventional Container Terminal In order to improve the handling efficiency and accelerate the reshuffle of the vessels, containers, and other resources, efficient special-purpose facilities and equipment are adopted in the conventional container terminal, which makes the loading and unloading operations mechanized. The entire mechanization system in the conven- tional container terminal includes handling facilities at the quay, horizontal moving facilities and handling facilities in the yards. 1.4.1 Handling Facilities at the Quay The standardization of containers and customization of container vessels have pro- vided excellent conditions for the efficient mechanization of handling processes in the terminals. At conventional container ports, loading the containers into the vessels and unloading the containers off the vessels are realized by the quay cranes (QCs) (see Fig. 1.3). The QC is a special-purpose equipment for the container ports, with enormous structures, huge dead weight, and high expense. The QC consists of the portal with traveling mechanism, booms, stays to support the booms and other components. The booms include seaside boom, landside boom, and middle boom, which is used to connect the seaside boom and landside boom. The main function of the booms is to support the weight of the trolley with hoisting
16 1 Introduction Fig. 1.3 Quayside container cranes mechanism, while the hoisting mechanism is applied to support the weight of the container and the spreader. The seaside boom is designed with luffing mechanism so as to avoid collision with superstructures on the vessel when the QC is traveling. According to the appearance of the gantry, the QCs can be classified as the A- shaped and the H-shaped. Due to the huge throughput in the terminals, the H-shaped are mostly adopted. For the form of the boom, the QCs can also be classified as the luffing, the shuttle-type and the foldable, while the luffing QCs are widely applied in the terminals. For the number of trolleys, there are QCs with single trolley and double trolleys. For the number of spreaders, there are QCs with single spreader, double spreaders, and triple spreaders. Since there are cells configured in the cabin of the container vessels, the position- ing of the containers in the cabin is very convenient when the QCs are operating and no manual assistance is necessary. The cabin operations for the general cargos have been eliminated. According to the operation experience in the container terminals worldwide, one berth is generally configured with one to three QCs. The operation processes of the QCs are listed below: ➀ Before the vessel is docking, the QCs will travel to an appropriate position in order not to interfere with the vessel’s safe docking. ➁ After the vessel has docked, the QCs will travel to the specific operation hold position.
1.4 Handling Facilities Commonly Used in the Conventional … 17 ➂ The trolley will be moved to just over the container to be unloaded and the spreader be lowered. The operation sequence of vessel unloading is usually from seaside to landside, tier by tier from top to the bottom, and the sequence of vessel loading is vice versa. ➃ The container will be locked with the torque devices on the spreader (by fixing the four corners onto the torque devices) and lifted. ➄ The trolley will move to the landside along the cantilever with the container and put it onto the horizontal moving facility in the apron. ➅ The torque devices will be released and the spreader separated from the container. ➆ The spreader will be retrieved and the trolley move to the seaside along the cantilever to continue with the next operation. The relative parameters of the QC can be determined as follows. (1) Loading capacity Loading capacity is an index of the QC’s capability and usually determined according to the rated capacity and the weight of the spreader. Q = Qt + W where Q is the loading capacity of a QC; Qt is the rated capacity; W is the weight of the spreader. The rated capacity refers to the maximum gross weight of a container that a QC can lift. For example, the maximum gross weight of the ISO 1A, 1AX, 1AA 40 ft container is 30.5 t. The loading capacity of a QC is the rated capacity plus the weight of the spreader. When determining the loading capacity, the following operation conditions should be considered. ➀ The requirement of lifting the hatchway covers. Generally, the hatchway cover’s weight is less than 28 t, but special ones could reach 35.6 t with the size of 14 m × 14 m. ➁ The requirement of lifting the non-standard containers. The maximum gross weight of the non-standard containers could reach 38 t or even higher. ➂ The possibility of lifting two 20 ft containers simultaneously. The maximum gross weight of two 20 ft containers is 40.6 t. ➃ The requirement of lifting other bulk and heavy cargos. (2) Main geometric parameters The geometric parameters of a QC are determined according to the vessel forms and container types to be handled, the operation conditions at the ports and operation modes in the container yards. ➀ Load-lifting height The load-lifting height of a QC includes the lifting height above the track and lifting height below the track, which depends on the container vessel forms, draught, tidal range, number of tiers of containers stacked on deck, standard height of the port and tilting of the vessels. When determining the load-lifting
18 1 Introduction height of a QC handling a Panamax container vessel, it must be ensured that the lightly loaded vessel at high water level with three tiers of containers could pass and four tiers of containers could be stacked; the QC could reach the bottom tier of containers within the cabin when the vessel is fully loaded at low water level. The limit of the lateral tilt angle is 3° outward when operating. ➁ Outreach at seaside The outreach at seaside refers to a QC’s maximum horizontal distance to the seaside between the centerline of the seaside track and the centerline of the spreader, which mainly depends on the width of the vessel berthing at the port and the allowable maximum height of containers stacking on deck. When the vessel is tilting 3° outward, the QC should be able to lift the top containers above the deck on the outermost side of the vessels ➂ Outreach at landside The outreach at landside is the maximum horizontal distance to the landside between the centerline of the landside track and the centerline of the spreader. When determining the inreach, two factors should be taken into account. One is to temporarily stack containers as a buffer when the moving facilities like straddle carriers, trailers, etc, cannot be timely in position; the other one is to place hatchway covers, which means the distances for different modes of power supply should be considered. ➃ Span The span is the horizontal distance between the centerlines of two tracks of the QC, which will affect the stability of the crane. In order to ensure the stability of the QC and efficiently dispatching the containers at quays, at least three lanes should be configured within the span. By comparing different kinds of moving facilities, it is found that a single transfer line with straddle carriers needs the largest width. If three transfer lines with straddle carriers are to be considered, then the span should be 16 m. At present, the spans of large cranes are usually 30 m, which will enable the configuration of six transfer lines. 1.4.2 Horizontal Moving Devices 1. Tractor The container tractors, which are not configured with carrying units, have to be combined with trailers to transport containers within the terminals or on the roads outside (Fig. 1.4). ➀ By the modes of the cabs, the tractors include the cabover type and bonnet type. The cabover type of tractors (see Fig. 1.5a) can provide good view in operation and small turning radius due to the short cab, short wheelbase, and short body. However, since the engine is configured just beneath the driver’s seat, it is not comfortable to drive due to the impact of vibration. The bonnet type of tractors (see Fig. 1.5b)
1.4 Handling Facilities Commonly Used in the Conventional … 19 Fig. 1.4 Container tractor and trailer Fig. 1.5 The container tractors by the modes of cabs. a the cabover type b the bonnet type can provide a relatively comfortable environment in operation, more safety for the drivers in a crash and convenient maintenance since the engine and the front wheels are configured in front of the cab. However, due to the long cab and long body, bigger turning radius is needed. At present, the bonnet type of tractors with short body and small turning radius are increasingly applied. ➁ By the functions, the tractors include the line-haul tractors and the depot tractors The line-haul tractors are featured with high power, high speed, and strong climbing capacity, while the depot tractors with great traction power and configuration with hoisting devices. 2. Trailer The trailers are unpowered platforms to carry containers. With the development in port transportation, trailers become more and more specialized and standardized, and different types with various functions have appeared. There are three kinds of combinations for tractors and trailers: semi-trailer, independent trailer, and double trailer. The semi-trailer is the tractor pulling the turntable trailer loaded with container, see Fig. 1.6a. As shown in the figure, the weight of the container is jointly supported by the tractor and trailer, resulting in a relatively small axial pressure. Since the rear
20 1 Introduction Fig. 1.6 Combinations of container tractors and trailers. a semi trailer; b independent trailer; c double trailer axle bears part of the container’s weight, greater traction power can be obtained. This kind of tractor-trailer combination is short in full-length, convenient for reversing and turning with high safety and reliability. Outriggers are configured at the bottom of the front of the trailer, easy for swapping trailer transport. The independent trailer is to connect the tractor and trailer with traction strut. The tractor can serve as a general truck, and the trailer can also be independently supported by the outriggers, see Fig. 1.6b. The independent trailer is a common combination of tractor and trailer just behind the semi trailer, and more difficult to operate than the semi trailer. The double trailer is to combine another full trailer just behind the independent trailer, and the tractor actually pulls two trailers, see Fig. 1.6c. When driving forward with high speed in such combination, the rear trailer will swing and it is difficult to operate when reversing, which impedes its application. 3. Straddle Carriers Thestraddlecarriersarespecializedcontainerhandlingfacilitieswithmulti-functions of moving, stacking, and reloading, usually applied in container terminals and con- tainer transshipment yards to horizontally transport and stack containers as well as to load and unload the container semi trailers, see Fig. 1.7. At container ports, the straddle carriers can finish the following operations: ➀ Handling and moving between the operation points of container handling devices and yards; ➁ Handling and moving between the marshalling yards and back-up yards; ➂ Handling and moving between the back-up yards and CFSs; ➃ Reloading the trailers.
1.4 Handling Facilities Commonly Used in the Conventional … 21 Fig. 1.7 A straddle carrier The straddle carriers have their unique advantages. With one straddle carrier, various operations (including picking up, moving, stacking, loading and unloading other vehicles) can be finished, resulting in reduced amount of machines in the terminals and simple management. The straddle carriers are more flexible to pick up containers without precise positioning of QC, which has improved the efficiency of QCs. They also have high maneuverability, either moving or stacking, and can be applied in combination as mobile machinery. In spite of many unique advantages, the straddle carriers are considered as equip- ment with high failure rate, in certain countries as high as 30–40%, resulting in increased maintenance fees. With technology development as well as appropriate operation and management, the straddle carriers are successfully applied at some
22 1 Introduction ports. For example, the straddle carriers are commonly adopted at container ports in Japan. At container ports in Belgium, a mode of 24 h-operation and 6 h-maintenance is applied, which has reduced the failure rate to 5–10%. The straddle carriers are seldom applied in China. The straddle carriers are specialized container handling devices with high price. In order to reduce the number of straddle carriers and cut down the equipment investments and handling costs, the handling from the quays to the yards with straddle carriers has been replaced by the yard trucks, and the straddle carriers are only in charge of stacking operations in the yards. Since one QC has to be configured with four straddle carriers or more to finish reloading and stacking operations, one to handle the trucks in and out, and another one as backup, which means at least six straddle carriers have to be assigned to a QC. Besides, the high wheel loads of the straddle carriers result in high construction fees. Since the straddle carriers must align with the QC when loading containers but not necessary when unloading containers, the straddle carriers systems are suitable to container terminals with a large amount of import containers and a small amount of export containers. 1.4.3 Handling Facilities in the Yards 1. Gantry cranes The gantry crane system was first adopted at Amsterdam Port in the Netherland. The gantry cranes are facilities applied in the yards to stack containers and handle transporting vehicles. There are two kinds of gantry cranes in the yard, rubber-tyred gantry cranes and rail-mounted gantry cranes. Handling processes with gantry cranes are first unloading the containers from the vessel and transferring them to the yards with yard trailers or other facilities, and then applying rubber-tyred gantry cranes or rail-mounted gantry cranes to stack the containers in the yards or reload the containers onto land vehicles (container trucks or rail wagons). The rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes commonly adopted in the conventional container terminals are specialized facilities to handle, move, and stack containers, see Fig. 1.8. Take the RTG crane as an example, the gantry consists of frames and girders supported on the rubber tyres. The trolley configured with spreader travels along the rails on the bridge beams and finishes stacking and handling operations together with the trailer. The RTG cranes are featured with high flexibility and universality. They are capa- ble of traveling forward and backward as well as from one block to another via turning the wheels by 90° with the turning devices. The main parameters of a RTG crane are the loading capacity, span, load-lifting height, wheel loads, operation speed, etc.
1.4 Handling Facilities Commonly Used in the Conventional … 23 Fig. 1.8 Rubber-tyred gantry cranes (1) The loading capacity of a RTG crane is determined according to the rated capac- ity and the weight of the spreader. The rated capacity usually depends on the maximum gross weight of the container to be lifted. (2) The span of a RTG crane is the distance between the centerlines of the wheels on both sides. The size depends on the number of container rows to span and the width of the trailer passing lane. According to the layout of the container yards, a RTG usually spans six container rows and one trailer passing lane. (3) The load-lifting height refers to the vertical distance from the spreader to the ground, which depends on the number of container tiers to be stacked. If four tiers of containers are stored in one bay in the yard, the fifth tier is needed for the spreader to move over the containers, which means the spreader should be at least five-tier high from the ground. Currently, the load-lifting height of the RTG crane is usually around 11 or 12 m. (4) The wheel loads of a RTG crane include maximum operation wheel load and maximum non-operation wheel load. The number of wheels is determined according to the design requirements of the wheel loads in the yards, while the gantry traveling mechanism is either four-wheel-drive or two-wheel-drive. The maximum operation wheel load refers to the maximum pressure each wheel bears when lifting the rated load with the operation speed of 16 m/s. The maxi- mumnon-operationwheelloadreferstothemaximumpressureeachwheelbears when lifting no container under non-operation speed with the wind blowing perpendicular to the girder of the crane. The maximum wheel load is the reference of determining the loading capacity of the ground when the cranes are traveling.
24 1 Introduction (5) The operation speed is usually determined according to the handling cycle. Low operation speed will affect the operation schedule in the yards, while high operation speed will result in huge swing of the containers and reduced safety. In order to avoid the collision between the RTG cranes as well as that between the RTG crane and the containers, manual deviation correction system and anti-collision devices are configured on the cranes. For the safety measures, over-load protections, diesel engine over-speed protections, signal devices showing over-heated water and low oil pressure, wind speed indicator, typhoon anchors, emergent stop buttons, limit switches and signal indicators of different mechanisms, etc., are configured. Besides, differential global positioning system (DGPS), electrical control and management system (ECMS), Remote Crane Management System (RCMS) as well as gantry lifting devices to facilitate turning and reduce tyres wear can be selectively installed. 2. Reach stacker The reach stackers are specialized facilities currently popular in the container termi- nal yards, see Fig. 1.9. Since the traveling direction is perpendicular to the operating direction, relatively wide space is required. However, they can stack containers rela- tively high and operate multiple bays of containers, and they are generally welcome due to their high flexibility. The reach stackers are capable of stacking three to four tiers of full containers, or seven to nine tiers of empty containers, which results in an efficient utilization of the stacking areas. At present, the reach stackers are mainly Fig. 1.9 A reach stacker
1.4 Handling Facilities Commonly Used in the Conventional … 25 applied only as ancillary facilities in the container yards, but they are specialized container handling devices with great potential. The reach stackers are capable of moving, stacking and handling as well as operat- ing crossing different blocks. They can also handle special cargos by equipping with hooks and grabs. However, they can only operate in the yards with smaller blocks and more passing lanes. The operating efficiency of a single reach stacker is relatively low, which can be improved by applying several reach stackers in combination. The wheel loads are relatively high, resulting in serious wear of wheels and grounds. By comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the reach stackers, they are presently applied as ancillary facilities. 3. Container forktruck The container forktrucks (see Fig. 1.10) are common handling facilities with multiple functions, mainly applied to handle, stack and move containers in a short distance as well as handle vehicles at the general ports with relatively low operating amount. They are also applied as ancillary facilities in the container yards. The spreader is fixed on the top in front of the mask, connecting with the containers via twist locks and lifting from the top. They can also lift and move containers by inserting the forks Fig. 1.10 A container forktruck
26 1 Introduction into the sockets at the bottom of the containers. The requirements for the operation performance are listed below: ➀ The lifting capacity must meet the requirements of handling all kinds of containers; ➁ The lifting height must meet the requirements of stacking tiers; ➂ The loading center should be located at the half of the container width, namely the distance between the front wall of the forks and the gravity center of the cargos should be 1220 mm; ➃ In order to meet the requirements of handling containers, specialized spreaders on the top should be equipped besides the standard forks. ➄ In order to facilitate the positioning with the containers, the forks should be capable of moving or swinging sideway. The forktrucks can move the containers in the following two ways. (a) Moving with spreaders: moving the containers with specialized spreaders on the top. (b) Moving with forks: moving the containers by inserting the forks into the sockets at the bottom of the containers, which is usually applied to 20 ft containers or empty containers. By the structures and forms, container forktrucks can be divided into front con- tainer forktrucks and side container forktrucks. The front container forktrucks are commonly used at present. The side container forktrucks are alike general side fork- trucks. When handling a container, the mask and forks are stretched out sideway, and then withdrawn after taking the container. Comparing with the front container forktrucks, the lateral size of the side container forktrucks when moving containers is much smaller, the requirement for the width of the passing lanes is relatively low (around 4 m). When moving containers, the loading center is located between the front wheels and rear wheels, resulting in good stability in traveling and uniform distribution of wheel loads. However, the structures and operations of side container forktrucks are complicated, leading to bad view and low handling efficiency. Even though the container forktrucks have the advantages of good universality, low expense, and easy operation, their disadvantages are more. The container fork- trucks are not suitable to terminals with large throughput capacity due to the low efficiency. When handling containers, the positioning is relatively difficult. When moving containers, the wheel loads are relatively high and wide passing lanes are required. As a result, the container forktrucks are applied as ancillary facilities to complete handling operation in combination with other machines in the terminals. 1.5 Handling Facilities in the Automated Container Terminals (ACT) In last section, the handling facilities in the conventional container terminals are introduced. As the container shipping volume is increasing constantly and container vessels becoming larger, the port operators are focusing on how to keep the container
1.5 Handling Facilities in the Automated Container Terminals (ACT) 27 handling stable and efficient, energy saving and environment friendly with low cost. The appearance of the automated container terminals has satisfied the requirements mentioned above. The handling facilities in the ACTs include facilities at quay, horizontal moving facilities and handling facilities in the yard. The handling facilities at quay include quay cranes (QC), double trolleys quay cranes, multipurpose gantry cranes, etc. The horizontal moving facilities include automated guided vehicles (AGV), lift-AGVs, etc. The handling facilities in the yard include rail-mounted gantry (RMG) cranes, automated rubber-tyred gantry(ARTG) cranes, etc. 1.5.1 Handling Facilities at Quay in the ACTs The layout of ACT is similar to the conventional terminal; the operations of loading and unloading vessels are all accomplished by the QCs. Besides the QCs in the conventional terminals, some specialized QCs like automated double trolleys quay cranes (see Fig. 1.11) are also applied. Compared with the conventional QCs, double trolleys quay cranes are equipped with two self-propelled trolleys and handling operations can be finished in relays at transit platform. The handling operations at seaside and landside are accomplished, respectively, by two trolleys to improve efficiency. The main trolley (at seaside) handles containers in the vessels, and the auxiliary trolley (at landside) handles Fig. 1.11 Double trolleys quay cranes
28 1 Introduction containers on the high tracks, which is referred to as “handling in relays.” The operating efficiency of the double 40 ft and double trolleys quay cranes developed and manufactured by ZMPC for Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT), USA can reach 103 TEU/h. 1. Structural Analysis of Automated Double Trolley Quay Cranes (1) The QCs are equipped with two self-propelled trolleys. The two trolleys travel on their own tracks and do not interfere with each other. The main trolley can travel on the tracks laid on the boom, and the tracks of the auxiliary trolley are laid on the linking beams of the gantry. The two trolleys can be operated separately. The driver of the main trolley is responsible for positioning when lifting the container, while the auxiliary trolley can be operated without drivers. Monitoring room is configured under the linking beams, and the operators can monitor and control the operations of the two trolleys and AGVs. (2) Transit platform with the space of two containers is configured under the seaside beam at landside. The transit platform is the main component to fulfill the functions of the double trolleys quay crane as well as the connection of the main trolley and the auxiliary trolley, where the relays between the two trolleys are accomplished. The main trolley lifts and moves the container in the vessel to the transit platform, and the auxiliary trolley transfers the container from the transit platform onto the AGV. Since the operations of unloading containers from the vessels are accomplished by two trolleys in relays, the handling efficiency has been greatly improved. (3) Since self-propelled trolleys are adopted and the moving loads are relatively high, single box beam with high bending resistance and high twisting resistance as the boom can solve the problems caused by lifting double containers with high outreach (61 m). But it cannot be ignored that the trolley tracks are directly laid on the webs of the box beams, when the trolleys are traveling on the beams, their wheel loads will cause relatively high local pressure. The webs of the single box beam are usually thin-walled, so necessary measures should be adopted to prevent the buckling of the webs. (4) Advanced electronic information technologies are applied to achieve anti- collision and anti-swing of the two trolleys as well as automation controls like automatic positioning and identification. The latest advanced electronic anti- swing technology in the world is adopted to the main trolley, and the mechanical anti-swing measures adopted to the auxiliary trolley. On the four surfaces of the upper frame on the spreader, eight steel wire ropes form the wrapping system in the most optimized way to avoid swing of the spreader in each direction. (5) AGVs undertake the transporting on the ground, which has solved the problems that the ground transporting vehicles and the cranes do not match, causing low operating efficiency of the double trolleys quay cranes. Hence, when the main trolley unloads the containers from the vessel and puts them onto the transit platform in the shortest route, the auxiliary trolley takes the containers immediately and loads them onto the AGVs and then to the yards.
1.5 Handling Facilities in the Automated Container Terminals (ACT) 29 (6) In the structural details, since the gantry trolleys have to travel on the inner sides, the tracks are laid on the track girders connecting to the lateral linking beams sideway via lateral outriggers instead of on the top of the lateral linking beams. When the gantry trolleys are operating, large horizontal side forces can be caused on the webs of the lateral linking beams, where the concentrated wheel loads are applied. Hence, at the connections of the lateral linking beams and the lateral outriggers, appropriate structures should be adopted to transfer horizontal forces. (7) The whole crane has excellent stiffness. The double-stayed structures are adopted in the front and rear booms to improve the structural stiffness and reduce the sway of the crane to the minimum when the two trolleys brake simultaneously. (8) Leading automation and control technologies are applied to the crane as well as safety measures and faults indicating devices, which have also accomplished the automated control of the AGVs on the ground while the trolleys are handling containers. 2. The technical parameters of the double trolleys quay cranes The technical parameters of the double trolleys quay cranes include loading capacity, outreach, span, and inreach. (1) Loading capacity Since double 20 ft container spreader is configured on the QCs, the loading capacity is designed as 65 t under the spreader, according to ISO regulations, domestic and overseas practice experience as well as operation requirements of lifting containers of different sizes (including 45, 48, 53 ft, etc.), over-weighted containers, and hatchway covers. (2) Outreach at seaside Comparing with designing and manufacturing cranes capable of handling ves- sels with 16–18 rows of containers stacking on deck and extending the outreach in the future, directly designing and manufacturing cranes capable of handling vessels with 22 rows of containers stacking on deck is with lower costs and no interference with the handling operations. To satisfy the requirements of han- dling 18,000 TEU container vessels and development in a long run, the crane should be designed capable of handling vessels with 23 rows of containers stacking on deck, with the outreach at seaside as 70 m. (3) Span As the container vessels and QCs are becoming increasingly larger in the world, the stability of the cranes with larger outreaches should be considered when determining the span. Meanwhile, the situation of concentrative operations of multiple facilities when handling large container vessels should also be con- sidered. By taking into account the possibility of concentrative operations of multiple facilities as well as the stability of the cranes, the span of the QCs should be set as 35 m.
30 1 Introduction (4) Outreach at landside In order to ensure concentrative operations of multiple facilities at the ports, two lanes are added behind the landside tracks of the QCs. Meanwhile, considering the requirements of lifting hatchway covers, the outreach at landside of the QCs should be set as 20 m. 1.5.2 Horizontal Moving Facilities in ACTs The horizontal moving facilities adopted in ACTs are mainly AGVs and lift-AGVs. 1. Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV) The first ACT in the world (ECT) adopted AGVs capable of autonomous navigation and positioning as the horizontal moving facilities. Such ACTs have flexible layout, with yards of various sizes and shapes and back-up yards configured perpendicular to the coastline. The first generation of AGVs could only travel with fixed routes, but at CTA in Hamburg, they had been optimized, capable of traveling with variable routes and turning anywhere without obstacles. AGVs can be powered with internal combustion engine, pure barratries, or hybrid power. One AGV can take two 20 ft containers or one 40 ft container at one time with the positioning accuracy up to ±5 cm. With the help of ultrasonic detecting device and other anti-collision devices, they are capable of detecting obstacles within the brake distance to avoid collisions. The remote management and control of AGVs and ASCs in the container yards by the central controlling office has achieved full automation. Since AGVs cannot be loaded or unloaded by themselves, there is a possibility that they may wait or be waited in the operating interaction areas. In order to improve the operating efficiency and solve the “handshake” problems of AGVs and yard cranes, ZMPC has developed the AGV mates (see Fig. 1.12) applied at the ends of operation areas in the yards. 2. Lift-AGV In order to improve the operating efficiency of the AGV system and decouple AGVs in the head areas of the container blocks, the horizontal moving techniques with lift-AGVs have been developed in recent years. Different from the traditional AGVs, the lift-AGVs are capable of lifting the container automatically. Combined with the lift-AGV mates (see Fig. 1.13), the lift-AGVs are decoupled in the head areas of the container blocks. When the lift-AGV loaded with containers enters the head area, the containers could be unloaded to the mate platform with the automatic jacking devices of the lift-AGV, and also the empty lift-AGV could also be loaded with containers on the mate platform in the same way.
1.5 Handling Facilities in the Automated Container Terminals (ACT) 31 Fig. 1.12 The AGV and the AGV mate Fig. 1.13 A lift-AGV and the lift-AGV mate 1.5.3 Handling Facilities in the Yards in ACT Since the ECT in Rotterdam in Europe was put in operation in 1993, the ACTs have gained great progress and development. The semi-automated terminals with automatic operation systems in the yards have been applied widely in the world, and the technologies, equipment, processes, and controlling systems have become very mature. There are mainly two kinds of handling facilities in the yards, namely
32 1 Introduction Fig. 1.14 ARMGs in the yards automatic rail-mounted gantry cranes (ARMGs) and automatic rubber-tyred gantry cranes (ARTGs) 1. ARMG The ARMGs can be operated automatically without drivers. In the controlling office, multiple ARMGs can be remotely controlled simultaneously. They have been applied at the Times Port in GB and the PPT in Singapore. The ARMGs can also be operated in a semi-automatic way with divers. At present, the automatic operation mode with remotely controlled ARMGs (see Fig. 1.14) has been established in China. Compared with the traditional RMGs and RTGs, the new ARMGs have advantages in positioning and detecting technology, safety protection technology, and man-machine interactive system, providing effi- cient and stable security for the operations. Since the ARMGs are stable in technology and handling efficiency, it is assumed that the ARMGs are suitable handling facilities in the yards in the ACTs. Besides the parameters of traditional gantry cranes, the ARMGs have their unique spans and configuration of over-hanging arms. ➀ From the angle of operation configuration, the larger the span of an ARMG, the higher the utilization rate of the yard. However, from the angle of mechanical design, the larger the span of an ARMG, the higher the requirements on strength and stiffness of the metal structures of the whole crane, especially on the dynamic stiffness, which makes the structural design and manufacturing processes more complicated and difficult. It is generally assumed that all-fixed-gantry-legs design is suitable for ARMGs with span smaller than 35 m, however, if the span reaches 35 m or above, such design
1.5 Handling Facilities in the Automated Container Terminals (ACT) 33 is liable to rail gnawing. As the span increases, the length of the boom will also increase, which makes the boom liable to deform under loadings, leading to rail gnawing due to outward displacement of the legs. If such design must be adopted, the vertical stiffness of the boom should also be increased, causing increased weight of the whole crane and wheel loads as well as the cost. So in order to avoid rail gnawing with large spans, the design of fixed gantry legs on one side and hinged legs on the other is adopted on the ARMGs. However, such design will result in low dynamic stiffness in the trolley traveling direction. In order to solve the problem, the stiffness of the boom should be increased, also causing increased weight of the whole crane and wheel loads as well as the cost of the track base. Additionally, the larger the span of an ARMG is, the more serious the deformation of the metal structures of the whole crane will be. As the traveling speed of the gantry increases, the difference of resistance to traveling on the gantry legs of both sides will also increase, leading to different movements of the gantry legs and higher liability to rail gnawing. So as to solve such problem, electrical control equipment should be added to ensure the same traveling speed of the gantry traveling mechanisms on both sides, which will make the manufacture expense of the whole crane increase. Meanwhile, the larger the span, the longer the trolley has to travel, leading to decrease of the operating efficiency. So taking the geological conditions of the terminal, handling efficiency and terminal layouts into account, the span usually ranges from 35 to 40 m. ➁ At present, ARMGs are configured with over-hanging arms or none, and the ARMGswithover-hangingarmsincludethesingle-armedononesideandthedouble- armed on both sides. When the ARMGs are configured with over-hanging arms, gantry structures are usually adopted considering the pass of the containers, resulting in increased distance between the track centers of the trolley (usually around 16 m) as well as low structural stiffness, high weight, and high wheel loads. However, for the ARMGs without over- hanging arms, the operation passing lanes are configured inside the tracks and the pass of the containers is not a consideration, such design results in simple structures and good stiffness. The weight of ARMG with over-hanging arms is much higher than that without over-hanging arms. With the same span, the weight will double and the wheel loads also increase. For the ARMGs with over-hanging arms, since the operations take place outside the tracks, it is good for the organization of the operating vehicles in the terminal as well as operation safety. However, it also results in lower utilization rate of the yards. 2. ARTGs The automation degree of ARTGs is increasing constantly with improving operation performance and flexibility (see Fig. 1.15). The ARTGs are configured with container stacks detecting systems, anti-collision systems, stacking guiding systems, trailer position detecting systems, automatic position indicating systems, and so on to ensure the collaborative operations with the AGVs.
34 1 Introduction Fig. 1.15 An ARTG 1.6 Key Information of Containers and Data Structure Containers are large goods holders with certain strength, stiffness, and specifica- tions for circulation use. When transporting goods with containers, the goods can be loaded directly at the warehouse of the shipper and unloaded at the warehouse of the consignee, without reloading them when the vehicles or vessels are changed during the journey. As goods holders, the containers are different from general holders since they have to follow some special requirements. The ISO has specific standards on container sizes, terms, testing methods as well as regulations on technical features such as structures, performance, etc. The standardization of containers has promoted the container circulation throughout the world and played a vital role to the rational exchange of the international goods. In order to avoid mistakes during transportation, some attribute values should be set to the containers before the journey, including information about the container, status of the goods inside as well as transportation information.
1.6 Key Information of Containers and Data Structure 35 1.6.1 Information About the Container (1) Container no. is the only identification for the container in theory, just like the ID no., which must be unique. The container no. includes two parts, namely holder code and sequence number. The container no. generally has 11 characters, for example like “YMCU2008570,” the first four characters are holder code. According to the ISO regulations, the holder code should be represented with four capital Latin letters, the first three letters can be specified by the holder and the fourth letter must be “U.” The last seven of the container no. is sequence number and represented with Arabic numerals. If the sequence number is less than 7 characters, the other characters should be filled with “0” before the effective characters, such as “0531842.” (2) Size refers to the length of the container, with feet as the unit. Containers in container terminals are 20, 40, and 45 ft. Usually, a standard 20 ft container is referred to as a TEU. Containers with other sizes, such as 10, 12, 30, 48, 53 ft, etc, are usually handled in general cargo terminals. The Fig. 1.16 has shown the most common 20 and 40 ft containers. (3) Container height, namely the height of the container, has the sizes of 8 6 and 9 6 (see Fig. 1.17). Usually, the containers with the height of 8 6 are referred to as flat containers, and the containers with the height of 9 6 referred to as high cubics. In the container terminals, the specific sizes in height are not concerned and the containers are only defined as flat or high cubic, among which the flat containers (8 6 ) are the most. (4) Container types, namely the descriptions on container types, which determine the goods types inside. Main container types handled in the container terminals include general purpose containers, bulk containers, flat rack containers, open- top containers, reefer containers, tank containers, etc, most of which are the general containers. The container type codes are shown in Table 1.2. (5) Container holders, also known as container operators, refer to entity units that the containers belong to. Such information is quite important for the man- agement of empty containers since they are usually stacked according to their holders in the terminals. 40 feet 20 feet Fig. 1.16 20 ft and 40 ft containers
36 1 Introduction 8 6 9 6 Fig. 1.17 Containers with the heights of 86 and 96 Table 1.2 Container types Container types Container type codes General purpose GP General high cubic GH (HC, HQ) Bulk BU Garmentainer HT Open top OT Reefer RF Reefer high cubic RH Tank TK Flat racks FR 1.6.2 Information About the Goods (1) Net weight of the container is the gross weight of the goods inside, regardless of the weight of the container, and the unit is ton. (2) Gross weight of the container is the weight of the goods inside of the export container plus the weight of the container, and the unit is ton. This is another important attribute of export containers. When the export containers are loaded into the vessels, the full containers must not be stacked on the empty ones, and the full containers at different tonnage levels should also be stowed separately, or stacked under empty ones, which means the containers in the yards should also be stacked with the same rules. So the gross weight of the container is
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Young Jack Paul is polite enough to arch his brows and draw a serious face. Shipowner Younger is pleased at this, and, with a deprecatory wave of his hand, as one who dismisses discussion of misfortunes which are beyond the help of words, proceeds: “But enou’ of idle clavers; I’ll e’en get to what for I brought you here.” Shipowner Younger leans far back in his big chair, and contemplates young Jack Paul with a twinkle. “Now, lad,” he begins, “when from ‘prentice ye are come to be first mate among my ships, I’m to tell ye that from Dick Bennison who signed ye, to Ed’ard Denbigh whose first officer ye now be, all the captains ye’ve sailed wi’ declare ye a finished seaman. But”—here Shipowner Younger shakes his head as though administering reproof—“they add that ye be ower handy wi’ your fists.” “Why, then,” breaks in young Jack Paul, “how else am I to keep my watch in order! Besides, I hold it more humane to strike with your fist than with a belaying pin. The captains, I’ll warrant, have told you I thrashed none but ship’s bullies.” “They’ll have told me nothing of the kind,” returns Shipowner Younger. “They said naught of bullies. What they did observe was that ye just pounded the faces of the fo’c’sle hands in the strict line of duty. Why, they said the whole ship’s crew loved ye like collie dogs! It seems ye’ve a knack of thrashing yourself into their hearts.” Young Jack Paul’s eyes show pleasure and relief; he perceives he is not being scolded. “And now,” says Shipowner Younger, donning the alert manner of your true-born merchant approaching pounds, shillings and pence —“and now, having put the compliments and the lecture astern, we’ll even get doon to business. As I was tellin’, I’m about to retire from the ships. I’m rich enou’; and, being called to gi’ counsel to the King, I want no exter-aneous interests to distract me. The fair truth is, I’ve sold all but the bark ye’re now wi’, the John O’ Gaunt, ye’ll ken; and that’s to be sold to-day.” “You’ll sell our John O’ Gaunt, sir? Who is to own it?”
“Ed’ard Denbigh, your captain, is to own five-sixths of her, for which he’ll pay five thousand pounds; being dog-cheap”—here a deep sigh—“as I’m a Christian! As for the remaining sixth, lad, why it’s to be yours. Ye’ll sail oot o’ Whitehaven this v’yage in your own ship, partners wi’ Ed’ard Denbigh.” “But, sir,” protests young Jack Paul, his voice startled into a tremor, “with all thanks for your goodness, I’ve got no thousand pounds. You know the wages of a mate.‘’ “Ay! I ken the wages of a mate weel enou’; I’ve been payin’ ‘em for thirty year come New Year’s day. But ye’ll no need money, Jack!”—the dry, harsh tones grow soft with kindliness—“ye’ll no need money, mon, and there’s the joke of it. For I’m to gi’ ye your one- sixth of the John O’ Gaunt, wi’ never a shillin’ from your fingers, and so make a man and a merchant of ye at a crack. Now, no words, lad! Ye’ve been faithful; and I’ve no’ forgot that off Cape Clear one day ye saved me a ship. Ay! ye’ll ken by now that Jamie Younger, for all he’s ‘lected to Parleyment to tell the King his mind, is no so giddy wi’ his honors as to forget folk who serve him. No words, I tell ye! There ye be, sailor and shipowner baith, before ye’re twenty-one. An’ gude go wi’ ye!” The big-hearted Scotchman smothers the gratitude on the lips of young Jack Paul, and hands him out the door. As the latter goes down the stair, Shipowner Younger calls after him with a kind of anticipatory crow of exultation: “And, lad! if ye get ever to Lunnon, come doon to Westminster, and see me just passin’ the laws!” The John O’ Gaunt lies off the Guinea coast. The last one of its moaning, groaning, black cargo of slaves has come over the side from the shore boats, and been conveyed below. The John O’ Gaunt has been chartered by a Bristol firm to carry three thousand slaves from the Guineas to Kingston; it will require ten voyages, and this is the beginning of the first.
The three hundred unhappy blacks who make the cargo are between decks. There they squat in four ranks, held by light wrist- chains to two great iron cables which are stretched forward and aft. There are four squatting ranks of them; each rank sits face to face with its fellow rank across the detaining cable. Thus will they sit and suffer, cramped and choked and half-starved in that tropical hell between decks, through those two-score days and nights which lie between the John O’ Gaunt and Kingston. Captain Denbigh keeps the deck until the anchors are up. The wind is forward of the beam, and now, when its canvas is shaken out, the John O’ Gaunt begins to move through the water on the starboard tack. The motion is slow and sulky, as though the ship were sick in its heart at the vile traffic it has come to, and must be goaded by stiffest gales before it consents to any show of speed. Captain Denbigh leaves the order, “West by north!” with second mate Boggs, who has the watch on deck; and, after glancing aloft at the sails and over the rail at the weather, waddles below to drink “Prosperous voyage!” with his first mate and fellow owner, young Jack Paul. He finds that youthful mariner gloomy and sad. The cabin where the two are berthed is roomy. At one end is a case of bottles—brandy and rum, the property of Captain Denbigh. At the other is a second lock-fast case, filled with books, the sailing companions of first mate Jack Paul. There are text-books—French, Spanish, Latin and Greek; for first mate Jack Paul is of a mind to learn languages during his watch below. There are books on navigation and astronomy, as well as volumes by De Foe and Richardson. Also, one sees the comedies of Congreve, and the poems of Alexander Pope. To these latter, first mate Jack Paul gives much attention; his inquiring nose is often between their covers. He studies English elegancies of speech and manner in Congreve, Pope and Richardson, while the crop-eared De Foe feeds his fancy for adventure.
As Captain Denbigh rolls into the cabin, first mate Jack Paul is not thinking on books. He has upon his mind the poor black wretches between decks, the muffled murmur of whose groans, together with the clanking of their wrist-chains, penetrates the bulkhead which forms the forward cabin wall. Captain Denbigh never heeds the silence and the sadness of his junior officer and partner, but marches, feet spread wide and sailorwise, to the locker which holds his bottles. Making careful selection, he brings out one of rum and another of sherry. “You not likin’ rum,” explains Captain Denbigh, as he sets the sherry within reach of first mate Jack Paul. First mate Jack Paul mechanically fills himself a moderate glass, while Captain Denbigh does himself more generous credit with a brimmer from the rum bottle. “Here’s to the good ship John O’ Gaunt,” cries Captain Denbigh, tossing the rum down his capacious throat. “May it live to carry niggers a hundred years!” There is no response to this sentiment; but Captain Denbigh doesn’t feel at all slighted, and sits down comfortably to the floor- fast table, the rum at his elbow. Being thus disposed, he glances at his moody companion. There is much that is handsome in a rough, saltwater way about Captain Denbigh. He is short, stout, with a brown pillar of a throat, and shoulders as square as his yardarms. His thick hair is clubbed into a cue; there are gold rings in his ears, and his gray eyes laugh as he looks at you. “An’ now, mate Jack,” says Captain Denbigh, cheerfully, “with our three hundred niggers stowed snug, an’ we out’ard bound for Jamaica, let you an’ me have a bit of talk. Not as cap ‘in an’ mate, mind you, but as owners. To begin with, then, you don’t like the black trade?” First mate Jack Paul looks up; the brown eyes show trouble and resolve.
“Captain,” he says, “it goes against my soul!” Then, he continues apologetically: “Not that I say aught against slavery, which I’ve heard chaplains and parsons prove to be right and pious by Bible text. Ay! I’ve heard them when I’ve been to church ashore, with my brother William by the Rappahannock. My kinsman Jones owns slaves; and I can see, too, that they have safer, happier lives with him than could fall to their lot had they remained savages in the wild Guinea woods. But owning slaves by the Rappahannock, where you can give them kindness and make them happy, is one thing. This carrying the tortured creatures —chained, and mad with grief!—to Jamaica is another.” Captain Denbigh refreshes himself with more rum. “It wards off the heat,” he vouchsafes, in extenuation of his partiality for the rum. Having set himself right touching rum, he takes, up the main question: “What can we do?” he asks. “You know we’re chartered for ten v’yages?” “I’m no one to argue with my captain,” responds first mate Jack Paul. “Still less do I talk of breaking charters. All I say is, it makes me heart-sore.” “Let me see!” responds Captain Denbigh, searching for an idea. “Your brother William tells me, the last time we takes in tobacco from the Jones plantation, that old William Jones is as fond o’ you as o’ him?” “That is true. He wanted me to stay ashore with him and William, and give up the sea.” “An’ why not, mate Jack?” First mate Jack Paul shrugs his shoulders, which, despite his youth, are as broad and square as his captain’s. “Because I like the sea,” says he; “and shall always like the sea.” Captain Denbigh takes more rum; after which he sits knitting his forehead into knots, in a very agony of cogitation. Finally he gives the table a great bang, at which the rum bottle jumps in alarm.
“I’ve hit it!” he cries. “I knowed I would if I’d only drink rum enough. I never has a bright idea yet, I don’t get it from rum. Here, now, mate Jack; I’ll just buy you out. You don’t like the black trade, an’ you’ll like it less an’ less. It’s your readin’ books does it; that, an not drinkin rum. Howsumever, I’ll buy you out. Then you can take a merchant-ship; or—an’ you may call me no seaman if that ain’t what I’d do you sits down comfortable with your brother an’ your old kinsman Jones by the Rappahannock, an plays gentleman ashore.” While Captain Denbigh talks, the trouble fades from the face of first mate Jack Paul. “What’s that?” he cries. “You’ll buy me out?” “Ay, lad! as sure as my name’s Ed’ard Denbigh. That is, if so be you can sell, bein’ under age. I allows you can, howsumever; for you’re no one to go back on a bargain.” Having thus adjusted to his liking the legal doubt suggested, Captain Denbigh turns to the question of price. “Master Younger puts your sixth at a thousand pounds. If so be you’ll say the word, mate Jack, I’ll give you a thousand pounds.” Countenance brightened with a vast relief, first mate Jack Paul stretches his hand across the table. Captain Denbigh, shifting his glass to the left hand, grasps it. “Done!” says first mate Jack Paul. “An’ done to you, my hearty!” exclaims Captain Denbigh. “The money’ll be yours, mate Jack, as soon as ever we sees Kingston light. An’ now for another hooker of rum to bind the bargain.”
A CHAPTER III—THE YELLOW JACK t Kingston, Captain Denbigh goes ashore with first mate Jack Paul, and pays over in Bank of England paper those one thousand pounds which represent that one-sixth interest in the John O’Gaunt. While the pair are upon this bit of maritime business, the three hundred mournful blacks are landed under the supervision of the second mate. Among the virtues which a cargo of slaves possesses over a shipment of cotton or sugar or rum, is the virtue of legs. This merit is made so much of by the energetic second officer of the John O’Gaunt, that, within half a day, the last of the three hundred blacks is landed on the Kingston quay. Received and receipted for by a bilious Spaniard with an umbrella hat, who is their consignee, the blacks are marched away to the stockade which will confine them while awaiting distribution among the plantations. Captain Denbigh puts to sea with the John O’Gaunt in ballast the same evening. A brisk seaman, and brisker man of business, is Captain Denbigh, and no one to spend money and time ashore, when he may be making the one and saving the other afloat. First mate Jack Paul, his fortune of one thousand pounds safe in the strong-boxes of the Kingston bank, sallies forth to look for a ship. He decides to go passenger, for the sake of seeing what it is like, and his first thought is to visit his brother William by the Rappahannock. This fraternal venture he forbears, when he discovers Kingston to be in the clutch of that saffron terror the yellow fever. Little is being locally said of the epidemic, for the town is fearful of frightening away its commerce. The Kingston heart, like most human hearts, thinks more of its own gold than of the lives of other men. Wherefore Kingston is sedulous to hide the plague in its midst, lest word go abroad on blue water and drive away the ships.
First mate Jack Paul becomes aware of Kingston for the death-trap it is before he is ashore two days. It is the suspicious multitude of funerals thronging the sun-baked streets, that gives him word. And yet the grewsome situation owns no peculiar threat for him, since he has sailed these blistering latitudes so often and so much that he may call himself immune. For him, the disastrous side is that, despite the Kingston efforts at concealment, a plague-whisper drifted out to sea, and as a cautious consequence the Kingston shipping has dwindled to be nothing. This scarcity of ships vastly interferes with that chance of a passage home. “The first craft, outward bound for England, shall do,” thinks first mate Jack Paul. “As to William, I’ll defer my visit until I may go ashore to him without bringing the yellow jack upon half Virginia.” While waiting for that home-bound ship, first mate Jack Paul goes upon a pilgrimage of respect to the tomb of Admiral Benbow. That sea-wolf lies buried in the parish chapel-yard in King Street. As first mate Jack Paul leaves the little burying-ground, he runs foul of a polite adventure which, in its final expression, will have effect upon his destiny. His aid is enlisted in favor of a lady in trouble. The troubled lady, fat, florid and forty, is being conveyed along King Street in her ketureen, a sort of sedan chair on two wheels, drawn by a half-broken English horse. The horse, excited by a funeral procession of dancing, singing, shouting blacks, capsizes the ketureen, and the fat, florid one is decanted upon the curb at the feet of first mate Jack Paul. Alive to what is Christian in the way of duty, he raises the florid, fat decanted one, and congratulates her upon having suffered no harm. The ketureen is restored to an even keel. The fat, florid one boards it, though not before she invites first mate Jack Paul to dinner. Being idle, lonesome, and hungry for English dishes, he accepts, and accompanies the fat, florid one in the dual guise of guest and bodyguard.
Sir Holman Hardy, husband to the fat, florid one, is as fatly florid as his spouse. Incidentally he is in command of what British soldiers are stationed at Kingston. The fat, florid one presents first mate Jack Paul to her Hector, tells the tale of the rescue, and thereupon the three go in to dinner. Later, first mate Jack Paul and his host smoke in the deep veranda, where, during the cool of the evening, Sir Holman drinks sangaree, and first mate Jack Paul drinks Madeira. Also Sir Holman inveighs against the Horse Guards for consigning him to such a pit of Tophet as is Kingston. Between sangaree and maledictions levelled at the Horse Guards, Sir Holman gives first mate Jack Paul word of a brig, the King George’s Packet, out of China for Kingston with tea, which he looks for every day. Discharging its tea, the King George’s Packet will load with rum for Whitehaven; and Sir Holman declares that first mate Jack Paul shall sail therein, a passenger-guest, for home. Sir Holman is able to promise this, since the fat, florid rescued one is the child of Shipowner Donald of Donald, Currie Beck, owners of the King George’s Packet. “Which makes me,” expounds Sir Holman, his nose in the sangaree, “a kind of son-in-law to the brig itself.” He grumblingly intimates—he is far gone in sangaree at the time— that a fleet of just such sea-trinkets as the King George’s Packet, so far as he has experimented with the marital condition, constitutes the one redeeming feature of wedlock. “And so,” concludes the excellent Sir Holman, “you’re to go home with the rum, guest of the ship itself; and the thing I could weep over is that I cannot send my kit aboard and sail with you.” Two days go by, and the King George’s Packet is sighted off Port Royal; twenty-four hours later its master, Captain Macadam—-a Solway man—is drinking Sir Holman’s sangaree. Making good his word, Sir Holman sends for first mate Jack Paul, and that business of going passenger to Whitehaven is adjusted.
“True!” observes Captain Macadam, when he understands—“true, the George isn’t fitted up for passengers. But”—turning to first mate Jack Paul—“you’ll no mind; bein’ a seaman yours eh?” “More than that, Captain,” breaks in Sir Holman, “since the port is reeling full of yellow jack, some of your people might take it to sea with them. Should aught go wrong, now, why here is your passenger, a finished sailorman, to give you a lift.” Captain Macadam’s face has been tanned like leather. None the less, as he hears the above the mahogany hue thereof lapses into a pasty, piecrust color. Plainly that word yellow jack fills his soul with fear. He mentions the wearisome fact to first mate Jack Paul, as he and that young gentleman, after their cigars and sangaree with Sir Holman, are making a midnight wake for the change house whereat they have bespoken beds. “It’s no kindly,” complains Captain Macadam, “for Sir Holman to let me run my brig blindfold into sic a snare. But then he has a fourth share in the tea, and another in the rum; and so, for his profit like, he lets me tak’ my chances. He’d stude better wi’ God on high I’m thinkin’, if he’d let his profit gone by, and just had a pilot boat standin’ off and on at Port Royal, to gi’ me the wink to go wide. I could ha’ taken the tea to New York weel enou’. But bein’ I’m here,” concludes the disturbed Captain, appealing to first mate Jack Paul, “what would ye advise?” “To get your tea ashore and your rum aboard as fast as you may.” “Ay! that’ll about be the weesdom of it!” Captain Macadam can talk of nothing but yellow jack all the way to the change house. “It’s the first time I was ever in these watters,” he explains apologetically, “and now I can smell fever in the air! Ay! the hond o’ death is on these islands! Be ye no afeard, mon?” First mate Jack Paul says that he is not. Also he is a trifle irritated at the alarm of the timorous Captain Macadam.
“That’ll just be your youth now!” observes the timorous one. “Ye’re no old enou’ to grasp the responsibeelities.” At four in the morning Captain Macadam comes into first mate Jack Paul’s room at the change house. He is clad in his linen sleeping suit, and his teeth are chattering a little. “It’s the bein’ ashore makes my teeth drum,” he vouchsafes. “But what I wushed to ask ye, lad, is d’ye believe in fortunes? No? Weel, then, neither do I; only I remembered like that lang syne a wierd warlock sort o’ body tells me in the port o’ Leith, that I’m to meet my death in the West Injies. It’s the first time, as I was tellin’ ye, that ever I comes pokin’ my snout amang these islands; and losh! I believe that warlock chiel was right. I’ve come for my death sure.” Captain Macadam promises his crew’ double grog and double wages, and works night and day lightering his tea ashore, and getting his rum casks into the King George’s Packet. Then he calls a pilot, and, with a four-knot breeze behind him, worms his way along the narrow, corkscrew channel, until he finds himself in open water. Then the pilot goes over the side, and Captain Macadam takes the brig. He casts an anxious eye astern at Port Royal, four miles away. “I’ll no feel safe,” says he, “while yon Satan’s nest is under my quarter. And afterward I’ll no feel safe neither. How many days, mon, is a victeem to stand by and look for symptoms?” First mate Jack Paul, to whom the query is put, gives it as his opinion that, if they have yellow fever aboard, it will make its appearance within the week. “Weel that’s a mercy ony way!” says Captain Macadam with a sigh. There are, besides first mate Jack Paul, and the Captain with his two officers, twelve seamen and the cook—seventeen souls in all— aboard the King George’s Packet as, north by east, it crawls away from Port Royal. For four days the winds hold light but fair. Then come head winds, and the brig finds itself making long tacks to and
fro in the Windward Passage, somewhere between Cape Mazie and the Mole St. Nicholas. “D’ye see, mon!” cries Captain Macadam, whose fears have increased, not diminished, since he last saw the Jamaica lights. “The vera weather seeks to keep us in this trap! I’ll no be feelin’ ower weel neither, let me tell ye!” First mate Jack Paul informs the alarmed Captain that to fear the fever is to invite it. “I’m no afeard, mon,” returns Captain Macadam, with a groan, “I’m just impressed.” The timidities of the Captain creep among the mates and crew; forward and aft the feeling is one of terror. The King George’s Packet becomes a vessel of gloom. There are no songs, no whistling for a wind. Even the cook’s fiddle is silent, and the galley grows as melancholy as the forecastle. It is eight bells in the afternoon of the fourth day, when the man at the wheel calls to Captain Macadam. He tosses his thumb astern. “Look there!” says he. Captain Macadam peers over the rail, and counts eleven huge sharks. The monsters are following the brig. Also, they seem in an ugly mood, since ever and anon they dash at one another ferociously. “It’ll be a sign!” whispers Captain Macadam. Then he counts them. “There’ll be ‘leven o’ them,” says he; “and that means we’re ‘leven to die!” After this he dives below, and takes to the bottle. Bleared of eye, shaken of hand, Captain Macadam on the fifth morning finds first mate Jack Paul on the after deck. The eleven sharks are still sculling sullenly along in the slow wake of the wind- bound brig. “Be they there yet?” asks Captain Macadam, looking over the stern with a ghastly grin. Then answering his own query: “Ay! they’ll
be there—the ‘leven of ‘em!” First mate Jack Paul, observing their daunting effect on the over- harrowed nerves of Captain Macadam, is for having up his pistols to take a shot at the sharks; but he is stayed by the other. “They’ll be sent,” says Captain Macadam; “it’ll no do to slay ‘em, mon! But losh! ain’t a sherk a fearfu’ feesli?” Then, seeing his hand shake on the brig’s rail: “It’s the rum. And that’s no gude omen, me takin’ to the rum; for I’m not preeceesely what you’d ca’ a drinkin’ body.” Two hours later Captain Macadam issues from his cabin and seeks first mate Jack Paul, where the latter is sitting in the shade of the main sail. “Mon, look at me!” he cries. “D’ye no see? I tell ye, Death has found me oot on the deep watters!” The single glance assures first mate Jack Paul that Captain Macadam is right. His eyes are congested and ferrety; his face is flushed. Even while first mate Jack Paul looks, he sees the skin turn yellow as a lemon. He thumbs the sick man’s wrist; the pulse is thumping like a trip-hammer. Also, the dry, fevered skin shows an abnormal temperature. “Your tongue!” says first mate Jack Paul; for he has a working knowledge of yellow jack. It is but piling evidence upon evidence; the tongue is the color of liver. Three hours later, the doomed man is delirious. Then the fever gives way to a chill; presently he goes raving his way into eternity, and the King George’s Packet loses its Captain. First mate Jack Paul sews the dead skipper in a hammock with his own fingers; since, mates, crew and cook, not another will bear a hand. When the hammock sewing is over, the cook aids in bringing the corpse on deck. As the body slips from the grating into the sea, a thirty-two pound shot at the heels, the cook laughs overboard at
the sharks, still hanging, like hounds upon a scent, to the brig’s wake. “Ye’ll have to dive for the skipper, lads!” sings out the cook. Offended by this ribaldry, first mate Jack Paul is on the brink of striking the cook down with a belaying pin. For his own nerves are a- jangle, and that misplaced merriment rasps. It is the look in the man’s face which stays his hand. “Ye’ll be right!” cries the cook, as though replying to something in the eye of first mate Jack Paul. “Don’t I know it? It is I who’ll follow the skipper! I’ll just go sew my own hammock, and have it ready, shot and all.” As the cook starts for the galley, a maniac yell is heard from the forecastle. At that, he pauses, sloping his ear to listen. “I’ll have company,” says he. First the cook; then the mates; then seven of the crew. One after the other, they follow a thirty-two pound shot over the side; for after the Captain’s death the sailors lose their horror of the plague-killed ones, and sew them up and slip them into the sea as readily as though they are bags of bran. The worst is that a fashion of dull panic takes them, and they refuse their duty. There is no one to command, they say; and, since there can be no commands, there can be no duty. With that they hang moodily about the capstan, or sulk in their bunks below. First mate Jack Paul takes the wheel, rather than leave the King George’s Packet to con itself across the ocean. As he is standing at the wheel trying to make a plan to save the brig and himself, he observes a sailor blundering aft. The man dives below, and the next moment, through the open skylights, first mate Jack Paul hears him rummaging the Captain’s cabin. In a trice, he lashes the wheel, and slips below on the heels of the sailor. As he surmises, the man is at the rum. Without word spoken, he knocks the would-be rum guzzler over, and then kicks him up the companion way to the deck.
Pausing only to stick a couple of pistols in his belt, first mate Jack Paul follows that kicked seaman with a taste for rum. He walks first to the wheel. The wind is steady and light; for the moment the brig will mind itself. Through some impulse he glances over the stern; the sharks are gone. This gives him a thought; he will use the going of the sharks to coax the men. The five are grouped about the capstan, the one who was struck is bleeding like tragedy. First mate Jack Paul makes them a little speech. “There are no more to die,” says he. “The called-for eleven are dead, and the sharks no longer follow us. That shows the ship free of menace; we’re all to see England again. And now, mates”—there is that in the tone which makes the five look up—“I’ve a bit of news. From now, until its anchors are down in Whitehaven basin, I shall command this ship.” “You?” speaks up a big sailor. “You’re no but a boy!” “I’m man enough to sail the brig to England, and make you work like a dog, you swab!” The look in the eye of first mate Jack Paul, makes the capstan quintette uneasy. He goes on: “Come, my hearties, which shall it be? Sudden death? or you to do your duty by brig and owners? For, as sure as ever I saw the Solway, the first who doesn’t jump to my order, I’ll plant a brace of bullets in his belly!” And so rebellion ceases; the five come off their gloomings and their grumblings, and spring to their work of sailing the brig. It is labor night and day, however, for all aboard; but the winds blow the fever away, the gales favor them, one and all they seem to have worn out the evil fortune which dogged them out of Kingston. The King George’s Packet comes safe, at the last of it, into Whitehaven —-first mate Jack Paul and his crew of five looking for the lack of sleep like dead folk walking the decks. Donald, Currie Beck pay a grateful salvage on brig and cargo to first mate Jack Paul and the five, for bringing home the brig. This puts six hundred pounds into the pockets of first mate Jack Paul,
and one-fifth as much into the pockets of each of the five. Then Donald, Currie Beck have first mate Jack Paul to dinner with the firm. “We’ve got a ship for ye,” says shipowner Donald, as the wine is being passed. “Ye’re to be Captain.” “Captain!” repeats first mate Jack Paul. “A ship for me?” “Who else, then!” returns shipowner Donald. “Ay! it’s the Crantully Castle, four hundred tons, out o’ Plymouth for Bombay. Ye’re to be Captain; besides, ye’re to have a tenth in the cargo. And now if that suits ye, gentlemen”—addressing shipowners Currie Beck—“let the firm of Donald, Currie Beck fill up the glasses to the Crantully Castle and its new Captain, Jack Paul.”
C CHAPTER IV—THE KILLING OF MUNGO aptain Jack Paul and his Grantully Castle see friendly years together. They go to India, to Spain, to the West Indies, to the Mediterranean, to Africa. While Captain Jack Paul is busy with the Grantully Castle, piling up pounds and shillings and pence for owners Donald, Currie Beck, he is also deep with the books, hammering at French, Spanish and German. Ashore, he makes his way into what best society he can find, being as eager to refine his manners as refine his mind, holding the one as much an education as is the other. Finally he is known in every ocean for the profundity of his learning, the polish of his deportment, the power of his fists, and the powder-like explosiveness of his temper. It is a cloudy October afternoon when Captain Jack Paul works the Grantully Castle out of Plymouth, shakes free his canvas, and fills away on the starboard tack for Tobago. The crew is an evil lot, and a spirit of mutiny stirs in the ship. Captain Jack Paul, who holds that a good sailor is ever a good grumbler, can overlook a deal in favor of this aphorism; and does. On the sixth day out, however, when his first officer, Mr. Sands, staggers below with a sheath-knife through his shoulder, it makes a case to which no commander can afford to seem blind. “It was Mungo!” explains the wounded Mr. Sands. Captain Jack Paul goes on deck, and takes his stand by the main mast. “Pipe all hands aft, Mr. Cooper,” he says to the boatswain. The crew straggle aft. They offer a circling score of brutal faces; in each the dominant expression is defiance.
“The man Mungo!” says Captain Jack Paul. “Where is he?” At the word, a gigantic black slouches out from among his mates. Sloping shoulders, barrel body, long, swinging arms like a gorilla’s, bandy legs, huge hands and feet, head the size and shape of a cocoanut, small, black serpent eyes, no soul unless a fiend’s soul, Mungo is at once tyrant, pride and leader of the forecastle. Rumor declares that he has sailed pirate in his time, and should be sun- drying in chains on the gibbet at Corso Castle. As he stands before Captain Jack Paul, Mungo’s features are in a black snarl of fury. It is in his heart to do murderously more for his captain than he did for first officer Sands. He waits only the occasion before making a spring. Captain Jack Paul looks him over with a grim stare as he slouches before him. “Mr. Cooper,” says Captain Jack Paul after a moment, during which he reads the black Mungo like a page of print, “fetch the irons!” The boatswain is back on deck with a pair of steel wristlets in briefest space. He passes them to Captain Jack Paul. At this, Mungo glowers, while the mutinous faces in the background put on a dull sullenness. There are a brace of pistols in the belt of Captain Jack Paul, of which the sullen dull ones do not like the look. Mungo, a black berserk, cares little for the pistols, seeing he is in a white-hot rage, the hotter for being held in present check. Captain Jack Paul, on his part, is in no wise asleep; he notes the rolling, roving, bloodshot eye, like the eye of a wild beast at bay, and is prepared. “Hold out your hands!” comes the curt command. Plainly it is the signal for which Mungo waited. With a growling roar, bear-like in its guttural ferocity, he rushes upon Captain Jack Paul. The roaring rush is of the suddenest, but the latter is on the alert. Quick as is Mungo, Captain Jack Paul is quicker. Seizing a belaying-pin, he brings it crashing down on the skull of the roaring, charging black. The heavy, clublike pin is splintered; Mungo drops to the deck, a shivering heap. The great hands close and open; the muscles clutch and knot under the black skin; there is a choking
gurgle. Then the mighty limbs relax; the face tarns from black to a sickly tallow. Mouth agape, eyes wide and staring, Mungo lies still. Captain Jack Paul surveys the prostrate black. Then he tosses the irons to Boatswain Cooper. “They will not be needed, Mr. Bo’sen,” he says. “Pipe the crew for’ard!” The keen whistle sings; the mutinous ones scuttle forward, like fowls that hear the high scream of some menacing hawk.. It is two bells in the evening; the port watch, in charge of the knife-wounded Mr. Sands, has the deck. The dead Mungo, tight- clouted in a hammock, lies stretched on a grating, ready for burial. Captain Jack Paul comes up from his cabin. In his hand he carries a prayer-book. Also those two pistols are still in his belt. “Turn out the watch below!” is the word. The crew makes a silent half-circle about the dead Mungo. That mutinous sullenness, recently the defiant expression of their faces, is supplanted by a deprecatory look, composite of apology and fear. It is as though they would convince Captain Jack Paul of their tame and sheep-like frame of thought. The fate of Mungo has instructed them; for one and all they are of that criminal, coward brood, best convinced by a club and with whom death is the only conclusive argument. As they stand uncovered about the rigid one in the clouted hammock, they realize in full the villainy of mutiny, and abandon that ship-rebellion which has been forecastle talk and plan since ever the Plymouth lights went out astern. Captain Jack Paul reads a prayer, and the dead Mungo is surrendered to the deep. As the body goes splashing into the sea, Captain Jack Paul turns on the subdued ones. “Let me tell you this, my men!” says he. His tones have a cold, threatening ring, like the clink of iron on arctic ice. “The first of you who so much as lifts an eyebrow in refusal of an order shall go the same voyage as the black. And so I tell you!”
Captain Jack Paul brings the Grantully Castle into Tobago, crew as it might be a crew of lambs. Once his anchors are down, he signals for the port admiral. Within half an hour the gig of that dignitary is alongside. The Honorable Simpson, Judge Surrogate of the Vice-Admiralty Court of Tobago, with the Honorable Young, Lieutenant-Governor of the colony, to give him countenance, opens court in the after cabins of the Grantully Castle. The crew are examined, man after man. They say little, lest they themselves be caught in some law net, and landed high and dry in the Tobago jail. First Officer Sands shows his wound and tells his story. Throughout the inquiry Captain Jack Paul sits in silence, listening and looking on. He puts no questions to either mate or crew. When First Officer Sands is finished, the Honorable Simpson asks: “Captain, in the killing of the black, Mungo, are you in conscience convinced that you used no more force than was necessary to preserve discipline in your ship?” “May it please,” returns Captain Jack Paul, who has not been at his books these years for nothing, and is fit to cope with a king’s counsel —“may it please, I would say that it was necessary in the course of duty to strike the mutineer Mungo. This was on the high seas. Whenever it becomes necessary for a commanding officer to strike a seaman, it is necessary to strike with a weapon. Also, the necessity to strike carries with it the necessity to kill or disable the mutineer. I call your attention to the fact that I had loaded pistols in my belt, and could have shot the mutineer Mungo. I struck with a belaying-pin in preference, because I hoped that I might subdue him without killing him. The result proved otherwise. I trust your Honorable Court will take due account that, although armed with pistols throwing ounce balls, weapons surely fatal in my hands, I used a belaying-pin, which, though a dangerous, is not necessarily a fatal weapon.”
Upon this statement, the Honorable Simpson and the Honorable Young confer. As the upcome of their conference, the Honorable Simpson announces judgment, exonerating Captain Jack Paul. “The sailor Mungo, being at the time on the high seas, was in a state of mutiny.” Thus runs the finding as set forth in the records of the Vice-Admiralty Court of Tobago. “The sailor Mungo was mutinous under circumstances which lodged plenary power in the hands of the master of the vessel. Therefore, the homicide was justifiable, because it had become the only means of maintaining the discipline required for the safety of the ship.” The court rises, and Captain Jack Paul bows the Honorable Simpson and the Honorable Young over the side. When they are clear, First Officer Sands addresses Captain Jack Paul. “Are the crew to be set ashore, sir?” he asks. “What! Mr. Sands, would you discharge the best crew we’ve ever had?” He continues as though replying to his first officer’s look of astonishment. “I grant you they were a trifle uncurried at first. The error of their ways, however, broke upon them with all clearness in the going of Mungo. As matters now are, compared to the Grantully Castle, a dove-cote is a merest theatre of violence and murderous blood. No, Mr. Sands; we will keep our crew if you please. Should there be further mutiny, why then there shall be further belaying- pins, I promise you.” The Grantully Castle goes finally back to England, the most peaceful creature of oak and cordage that ever breasted the Atlantic. Cargo discharged, the ship is sent into winter overhaul. “As for you, sir,” remarks owner Donald, of Donald, Currie Beck, shoving the wine across to Captain Jack Paul, “ye’re just a maister mariner of gold! Ye’ll no wait ashore for the Grantully Castle. We’ve been buildin’ ye a new ship at our Portsmouth yards. She’s off the ways a month, and s’uld be sparred and rigged and ready for the waves by now. We’ve called her The Two Friends.”
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T CHAPTER V—THE SAILOR TURNS PLANTER he wooded April banks of the Rappahannock are flourishing in the new green of an early Virginia spring. The bark Two Friends, Captain Jack Paul, out of Whitehaven by way of Lisbon, Madeira, and Kingston, comes picking her dull way up the river, and anchors midstream at the foot of the William Jones plantation. Almost coincident with the splash of the anchors, the Two Friends has her gig in the water, and the next moment Captain Jack Paul takes his place in the stern sheets. “Let fall!” comes the sharp command, as he seizes the tiller-ropes. The four sailors bend their strong backs, the four oars swing together like clockwork, and the gig heads for the plantation landing where a twenty-ton sloop, current-vexed, lies gnawing at her ropes. At twenty-six, Captain Jack Paul is the very flower of a quarter- deck nobility. He has not the advantage of commanding height; but the lean, curved nose, clean jaw, firmly-lined month, steady stare of the brown eyes, coupled at the earliest smell of opposition with a frowning falcon trick of brow like a threat, are as a commission to him, signed and countersigned by nature, to be ever a leader of men. In figure he is five feet seven inches, and the scales telling his weight consent to one hundred and forty-five pounds. His hands and feet are as small as a woman’s. By way of offset to this, his shoulders, broad and heavy, and his deep chest arched like the deck of a whale-back, speak of anything save the effeminate. In his movements there is a feline graceful accuracy with over all a resolute atmosphere of enterprise. To his men, he is more than a captain; he is a god. Prudent at once and daring, he shines a master of seamanship, and never the sailor serves with him who would not
name him a mariner without a flaw. He is born to inspire faith in men. This is as it should be, by his own abstract picture of a captain, which he will later furnish Doctor Franklin: “Your captain,” he will say, when thus informing that philosopher, “your captain, Doctor, should have the blind confidence of his sailors. It is his beginning, his foundation, wanting which he can be no true captain. To his men your captain must he prophet, priest and king. His authority when off-shore is necessarily absolute, and therefore the crew should be as one man impressed that the captain, like the sovereign, can do no wrong. If a captain fail in this, he cannot make up for it by severity, austerity or cruelty. Use force, apply restraint, punish as he may, he will always have a sullen crew and an unhappy ship.” The nose of the gig grates on the river’s bank, and Captain Jack Paul leaps ashore. He is greeted by a tall, weather-beaten old man— grizzled and gray. The form of the latter is erect, with a kind of ramrod military stiffness. His dress is the rough garb of the Virginia overseer in all respects save headgear. Instead of the soft wool hat, common of his sort, the old man cocks over his watery left eye a Highland bonnet, and this, with its hawk’s feather, fastened by a silver clasp, gives to his costume a crag and heather aspect altogether Scotch. The gray old man, with a grinning background of negro slaves, waits for the landing of Captain Jack Paul. As the latter springs ashore, the old man throws up his hand in a military salute. “And how do we find Duncan Macbean!” cries Captain Jack Paul. “How also is my brother! I trust you have still a bale or two of winter-cured tobacco left that we may add to our cargo!” “As for the tobacco, Captain Paul,” returns old Duncan Macbean, “ye’re a day or so behind the fair, since the maist of it sailed Englandward a month hack, in the brig Flora Belle. As for your brother William of whom ye ask, now I s’uld say ye were in gude time just to hear his dying words.”
“What’s that, Duncan Macbean!” exclaims Captain Jack Paul. “William dying!” “Ay, dying! He lies nearer death than he’s been any time since he and I marched with General Braddock and Colonel Washington, against the red salvages of the Ohio. But you s’uld come and see him at once, you his born brother, and no stand talking here.” “It’s lung fever, Jack,” whispers the sick man, as Captain Jack Paul draws a chair to the side of the bed. “It’s deadly, too; I can feel it. I’ll not get up again.” “Come, come, brother,” retorts Captain Jack Paul cheerfully, “you’re no old man to talk of death—you, with your fewer than fifty years. I’ll see you up and on your pins again before I leave.”
“No, Jack, it’s death. And you’ve come in good time, too, since there’s much to talk between us. You know how our cousin left me his heir, if I would take his name of Jones?” “Assuredly I know.” “And so,” continues the dying man, “my name since his passing away has been William Paul Jones. Now when it is my turn to go, I must tell you that, by a clause of the old man’s will, he writes you in after me as legatee. I’m to die, Jack; and you’re to have the plantation. Only you must clap ‘Jones’ to your name, and be not John Paul, but John Paul Jones, as you take over the estate.”
“What’s this? I’m to heir the plantation after you?” “So declares the will. On condition, however, that you also take the name of Jones. That should not be hard; ‘Jones’ is one of our family names, and he that leaves you the land was our kinsman.” “Why, then,” cries Captain Jack Paul, “I wasn’t hesitating for that. Paul is a good name, but so also is Jones. Only, I tell you, brother, I hate to make my fortune by your death.” “That’s no common-sense, Jack. I die the easier knowing my going makes way for your good luck. And the plantation’s a gem, Jack; never a cold or sour acre in the whole three thousand, but all of it warm, sweet land. There’re two thousand acres of woods; and I’d leave that stand.” The dying man, being Scotch, would give advice on his deathbed. “The thousand acres now under plow are enough.” Then, after a pause: “Ye’ll be content ashore? You’re young yet; you’re not so wedded to the sea, I think, but you’ll turn planter with good grace?” “No fear, William. I’ve had good fortune by the sea; but then I’ve met ill fortune also. By and large, I shall be very well content to turn planter.” “It’s gainful, Jack, being a planter is. Only keep Duncan Macbean by you to manage, and he’ll turn you in one thousand golden guineas profit every Christmas day, and you never to lift hand or give thought to the winning of them.” “Is the plantation as gainful as that? Now I have but three thousand guineas to call mine, after sailing these years.” “Ay! it’s gainful, Jack. If you will work, too, there’s that to keep you busy. There’s the grist mill, the thirty slaves, the forty horses, besides the cows and swine and sheep to look after; as well as the negro quarters, the tobacco houses, the stables, and the great mansion itself to keep up. They’ll all serve to fill in the time busily, if you should like it that way. Only Jack, with the last of it, always leave everything to Duncan Macbean. A rare and wary man is old Duncan, and saving of money down to farthings.”
“Whose sloop is that at the landing!” asks Captain Jack Paul, willing to shift the subject. “Oh, yon sloop! She goes with the plantation; she’ll be yours anon, brother. And there you are: When the sea calls to you, Jack, as she will call, you take the sloop. Cato and Scipio are good sailors, well trained to the coast clear away to Charleston.” And so William Paul Jones dies, and John Paul takes his place on the plantation. His name is no longer John Paul, but John Paul Jones; and, as his dying brother counselled, he keeps old Duncan Macbean to be the manager. When his brother is dead, Captain Jack Paul joins his mate, Laurence Edgar, on the deck of the Two Friends, swinging tide and tide on her anchors. “Mate Edgar,” says Captain Jack Paul, “it is the last time I shall plank this quarterdeck as captain. I’m to stay; and you’re to take the ship home to Whitehaven. And now, since you’re the captain, and I’m no more than a guest, suppose you order your cabin boy to get us a bottle of the right Madeira, and we’ll drink fortune to the bark and her new master.”
I CHAPTER VI—THE FIRST BLOW IN VIRGINIA t is a soundless, soft December evening. The quietly falling flakes are cloaking in thin white the streets and roofs of Norfolk. Off shore, a cable’s length, an English sloop of war, eighteen guns, lies tugging at her anchors. In shore from the sloop of war rides the peaceful twenty-ton sloop of Planter Paul Jones. The sailor- planter, loitering homeward from a cruise to Charleston and the coast towns of the Carolinas, is calling on friends in Norfolk. Both the war sloop and the peace sloop seem almost deserted in the falling snow. Aside from the harbor light burning high in the rigging, and an anchor watch of two sailors muffled to the ears, the decks of neither craft show signs of life. Norfolk’s public hall is candle-lighted to a pitch of unusual brilliancy; the waxed floors are thronged with the beauty and gentility of the Old Dominion, as the same find Norfolk expression. It is indeed a mighty social occasion; for the local élite have seized upon the officers of the sloop of war, and are giving a ball in their honor. The honored ones attend to a man—which accounts for the deserted look of their sloop—and their gold lace blazes bravely by the light of the candles, and with tremendous gala effect. Planter Paul Jones is also among the guests. Since he is in town, his coming to the ball becomes the thing most natural. Already he is regarded as the Admirable Crichton, of tide-water Virginia, and the function wanting his presence would go down to history as incomplete. Paul Jones, planter for two years, has made himself a foremost figure in Virginia. Twenty-eight, cultured, travelled, gallant, brilliant, and a bachelor, he is welcome in every drawing-room. Besides, is
there not the Jones plantation, with its mile of river front, its noble mansion house, its tobacco teeming acres, its well-trained slaves, and all turning in those yearly one thousand yellow guineas under the heedful managing thumb of canny Duncan Macbean? Planter Paul Jones is a prince for hospitality, too; and the high colonial dames, taking pity on his wifeless state, preside at his table, or chaperone the water parties which he gives on his great sloop. Also —still considering his wifelessness—they seek to marry him to one of their colonial daughters. In this latter dulcet intrigue, the high colonial dames fail wholly. The young planter-sailor is not a marrying man. There is in truth a blushing story which lasts throughout a fortnight in which he is quoted as about to yield. Rumor gives it confidently forth that the Jones mansion will have a mistress, and its master carry altar-ward Betty Parke, the pretty niece of Madam Martha Washington. But pretty Betty Parke, in the very face of this roseate rumor, becomes Mrs. Tyler, and it will be one of her descendants who, seventy-five years later, is chosen President—a poor President, but still a President. Planter Paul Jones rides to the wedding of pretty Betty Parke, and gives it his serene and satisfied countenance. From which sign it is supposed that Dame Rumor mounts by the wrong stirrup when she goes linking the name of pretty Betty Parke with that of Planter Paul Jones; and no love-letter scrap, nor private journal note, will ever rise from the grave to disparage the assumption. That Planter Paul Jones has thus lived for two years, and moved and had his social being among the most beautiful of women, and escaped hand free and heart free to tell the tale, is strange to the brink of marvellous. It is the more strange since no one could be more than he the knight of dames. And he can charm, too—as witness a letter which two years farther on the unimpressionable Doctor Franklin will write to Madam d’Haudetot: “No matter, my dear madam,” the cool philosopher will say, “what the faults of Paul Jones may be, I must warn your ladyship that when face to face with him neither man nor, so far as I learn,
woman, can for a moment resist the strange magnetism of his presence, the indescribable charm of his manner; a commingling of the most compliant deference with the most perfect self-esteem that I have ever seen in a man; and above all the sweetness of his voice and the purity of his language.” Paul Jones is not alone the darling of colonial drawing-rooms, he is also the admiration of the men. This is his description as given by one who knew him afloat and ashore: “Though of slender build, his neck, arms and shoulders were those of a heavy, powerful man. The strength of his arms and shoulders could hardly be believed. And he had equal use of both hands, even to writing with the left as well as with the right. He was a past master of the art of boxing. To this he added a quickness of motion that cannot be described. When roused he could strike more blows and cause more havoc in a second than any other could strike or cause in a minute. Even when calm and unruffled his gait and all his bodily motions were those of the panther—noiseless, sleek, the perfection of grace.” The above, by way of portrait: When one adds to it that Planter Paul Jones rides like a Prince Rupert, fences like a Crillon, gives blows with his fist that would stagger Jack Slack, and is death itself with either gun or pistol, it will be seen how he owns every quality that should pedestal him as a paragon in the best circles of his day. It is towards the hour of midnight when Planter Paul Jones, attired like a Brummel, stands in quiet converse with his friend Mr. Hurst. Their talk runs on the state of sentiment in the colonies, and the chance of trouble with the motherland. “Hostilities are certain, my dear Hurst,” says Planter Paul Jones. “I hear it from Colonel Washington, Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Henry. They make no secret of it in Williamsburg about the House of Burgesses.” “But the other colonies’?” “Mr. Morris of Philadelphia, as well as Mr. Pynckney of Charleston, agrees with the gentlemen I’ve quoted. They say, sir, there will soon
be an outbreak in Boston.” “In Boston!” repeats Mr. Hurst doubtfully. “Have the Massachusetts men the courage, think you?” “Courage, ay! and the strength, my friend! Both Colonel Washington and Mr. Jefferson assured me that, although slow to anger, they are true sons of Cromwell’s Ironsides. “And what shall be our attitude?” “We must sustain them at all hazards, sir—sustain them to the death!” It is now that a knot of English officers drift up—a little flushed of wine, are these guests of honor. They, too, have been talking, albeit thickly, of a possible future full of trouble for the colonies. “I was observing,” says Lieutenant Parker, addressing Planter Paul Jones and Mr. Hurst, “that the insolence of the Americans, which is more or less in exhibition all the way from Boston to Savannah, will never get beyond words. There will be no blows struck.” “And why are you so confident?” asks Planter Paul Jones, eye agate, voice purringly soft. “Now I should say that, given provocation, the colonies would strike a blow, and a heavy one.” “When do you sail?” interrupts Mr. Hurst, speaking to Lieutenant Parker. Mr. Hurst would shift conversation to less perilous ground. As a mover of the ball, he is in sort host to the officers, as well as to Planter Paul Jones, and for the white credit of the town desires a peaceful evening. “I hear,” he concludes, “that your sloop is for a cruise off the French coast.” “She and the fleet she belongs to,” responds Lieutenant Parker, utterance somewhat blurred, “will remain on this station while a word of rebel talk continues.” “Now, instead of keeping you here,” breaks in Planter Paul Jones, vivaciously, “to hector peaceful colonies, if I were your king I should send you to wrest Cape Good Hope from the Dutch.”
“Cape Good Hope from the Dutch?” “Or the Isles of France and Bourbon from the French—lying, as they do, like lions in the pathway to our Indian possessions. If I were your king, I say, those would be the tasks I’d set you.” “And why do you say ‘your king?’ Is he not also your king?” “Why, sir, I might be pleasantly willing,” observes Planter Paul Jones airily, “to give you my share in King George. In any event, I do not propose that you shall examine into my allegiance. And I say again that, if I were your king, sir, I’d find you better English work to do than an irritating and foolish patrol of these coasts.” “You spoke of the Americans striking a blow,” says Lieutenant Parker, who is gifted of that pertinacity of memory common to half- drunken men; “you spoke but a moment back of the Americans striking a blow, and a heavy one.” “Ay, sir! a blow—given provocation.” Lieutenant Parker wags his head with an air of sagacity both bibulous and supercilious. He smiles victoriously, as a fortunate comparison bobs up to his mind. “A blow!” he murmurs. Then, fixing Planter Paul Jones with an eye of bleary scorn: “The Americans would be quickly lashed into their kennels again. The more easily, if the courage of the American men, as I think’s the case, is no more firmly founded than the chastity of the American women.”
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  • 5. Digital Management of ContainerTerminal Operations Ning Zhao ·Yuan Liu · Weijian Mi ·Yifan Shen · Mengjue Xia
  • 6. Digital Management of Container Terminal Operations
  • 7. Ning Zhao • Yuan Liu • Weijian Mi • Yifan Shen • Mengjue Xia Digital Management of Container Terminal Operations 123
  • 8. Ning Zhao College of Logistics Engineering Shanghai Maritime University Shanghai, China Yuan Liu College of Logistics Engineering Shanghai Maritime University Shanghai, China Weijian Mi College of Logistics Engineering Shanghai Maritime University Shanghai, China Yifan Shen College of Logistics Engineering Shanghai Maritime University Shanghai, China Mengjue Xia College of Logistics Engineering Shanghai Maritime University Shanghai, China ISBN 978-981-15-2936-8 ISBN 978-981-15-2937-5 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2937-5 Jointly published with Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers The print edition is not for sale in China. Customers from China please order the print book from: Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers. © Springer and Shanghai Scientific & Technical Publishers 2020 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publishers, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publishers, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publishers nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publishers remain neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore
  • 9. Preface At present, information technology has been involved in all aspects of the operation management of container terminals. With the further application of Big Data, Internet of Things, Mobile Internet, Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Computing technology, it is necessary to analyze and study the operation management of container terminals from a new perspective. In this book, the core technologies and concepts in operation management of container terminals are introduced as well as how to design and implement the key technical approaches around the terminal operation system (TOS) in the context of information age, aiming at providing valuable guidance through shaping the specific digital management logic and summarizing the previous experience in operation management. The digital management in container terminals is selected as the main line of this book, and the related nodes in the information flow of various main operations as well as their relationship are systematically studied. The operation and management procedures in container terminals including information collecting and processing, resource planning and facility scheduling, and actual operations under the mode of Kanban management are elaborated in detail. A number of dynamic decision-making problems in the procedures of digital operation and management, including vessel unloading and loading, container delivery, container collection, etc, are figured out and analyzed as well. The authors and their team have been engaged in the development of operation system and auxiliary decision support system as well as intelligent decision-making researches in container terminals for years, undertaken a great number of engi- neering projects of Tianjin Port, Shanghai Port, and Ningbo Port in China and overseas companies in the same industry, and accumulated solid research founda- tion and rich experience in port planning, terminal configuration, port logistics equipment design, process simulation, terminal operation and management, auto- matic loading and unloading operations, etc. Meanwhile, the research team have developed the terminal simulation system and terminal operation management system with independent intellectual property rights. A large amount of documents and videos accumulated in the engineering practice have provided a rich source of materials for the writing of this book. v
  • 10. Audience The audience of this book are port management personnel; students and teachers of port management; and logistics software companies in the field of port and shipping logistics. With the constant improvement of the digital and intelligent level of container terminals and the increased automation degree of port equipment, the intelligent transformation of the container terminals has become the focus of attention. The digital and intelligent operation and management procedures and methodologies of container terminals are studied and analyzed elaborately and comprehensively in this book. For the audience concerning the digital management of enterprises and operations of container terminals, this book is a good reference. Shanghai, China Ning Zhao vi Preface
  • 11. Acknowledgements The publication of this book is funded by “MI Weijian workshop of intelligent port logistics, an innovation workshop for labor model of Shanghai education system”. Preparation of the manuscripts for this book has involved efforts and comments of my students, and appreciation goes to LI Ye, YANG Zhen, YANG Bin, GU Huajie, SHI Xuexin, LIANG Zhengguang, XUAN Beng, YE Zhilong, MIN He, FANG Shujie, ZHU Junmin, LI Youmei, and ZHANG Shuai. vii
  • 13. Contents 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.1 Port and Terminal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.2 The Historical Development of Container Terminals . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1.3 Layout and Facilities of the Container Terminals . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 1.4 Handling Facilities Commonly Used in the Conventional Container Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 1.4.1 Handling Facilities at the Quay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 1.4.2 Horizontal Moving Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 1.4.3 Handling Facilities in the Yards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 1.5 Handling Facilities in the Automated Container Terminals (ACT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 1.5.1 Handling Facilities at Quay in the ACTs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 1.5.2 Horizontal Moving Facilities in ACTs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 1.5.3 Handling Facilities in the Yards in ACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 1.6 Key Information of Containers and Data Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 1.6.1 Information About the Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 1.6.2 Information About the Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 1.6.3 Shipping Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 1.6.4 Position Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 2 Operation Management in the Container Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 2.1 Introduction of Operations of Container Transportation . . . . . . . . . 47 2.2 Main Documents in the Container Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 2.2.1 Document System in the Container Terminal. . . . . . . . . . . 50 2.2.2 The Functions of the Documents in the Container Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 2.2.3 Main Documents in the Container Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . 51 2.3 Common Handling Techniques in Conventional Container Terminals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 2.3.1 Handling System of Rubber-Tyred Gantry Crane Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 ix
  • 14. 2.3.2 Handling System of Rail-Mounted Gantry Crane Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 2.3.3 Handling System of Trailer Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 2.4 Common Handling Techniques in Automated/Semiautomated Container Terminals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 2.4.1 Fully Automated Terminals with AGVs for Horizontal Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 2.4.2 Semiautomated Terminals with Straddle Carriers for Horizontal Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 2.4.3 Fully Automated Terminals with 3D Distribution System for Horizontal Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 2.4.4 Semiautomated Terminals with Container Trucks for Horizontal Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 2.4.5 Comparison of Handling Technique Features of Typical Automated Terminals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 2.5 General Introduction on Import and Export Operations in the Container Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 2.5.1 Export Operations in the Container Terminal. . . . . . . . . . . 70 2.5.2 Import Operations in the Container Terminal. . . . . . . . . . . 71 3 Management of the Vessel Unloading Operations in the Container Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 3.1 General Introduction of Vessel Unloading Processes . . . . . . . . . . . 75 3.2 Information Collection and Processing in Vessel Unloading Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 3.2.1 Import BAPLIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 3.2.2 Import Manifest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 3.2.3 Information Verification of Import Containers . . . . . . . . . . 107 3.3 Planning and Scheduling of Vessel Unloading Operations. . . . . . . 108 3.3.1 Storage Plan of Vessel Unloading Operations . . . . . . . . . . 108 3.3.2 Scheduling of Container Trucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 3.3.3 Scheduling of Yard Cranes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 3.3.4 Sending Unloading Operation Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 3.4 Actual Operations of Vessel Unloading and Kanban Confirmation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 3.4.1 Vessel Unloading Confirmation by the QC . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 3.4.2 Automatic Location Selection in the Yard for the Unloaded Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 3.4.3 Container Stacking Confirmation by the Yard Crane . . . . . 134 3.5 A Comprehensive Case of the Vessel Unloading Operations . . . . . 136 x Contents
  • 15. 3.6 Intelligent Vessel Unloading System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 3.6.1 Definition of Intelligent Vessel Unloading System . . . . . . . 150 3.6.2 Development Situation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 3.6.3 The Significance of the Intelligent Vessel Unloading . . . . . 152 4 Management of Container Delivery in the Container Terminal . . . . 159 4.1 Introduction of Process of Container Delivery Operations . . . . . . . 159 4.2 Delivery Reservation Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 4.2.1 Single Container Reservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 4.2.2 Batch Reservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 4.3 Entry Control at Gatehouse in Delivery Operations . . . . . . . . . . . 166 4.4 Delivery Operations in the Yard Based on Kanban Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 4.4.1 Facilities Arrangement for the Delivery Operations . . . . . . 170 4.4.2 Delivery Confirmation by the Yard Crane . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 4.5 Exit Verification of Delivery Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 4.6 Comprehensive Case of Container Delivery Operations. . . . . . . . . 173 5 Management of Container Collection Operations in the Container Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 5.1 Introduction of Container Collection Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 5.2 Information Pre-input of the Export Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 5.2.1 Main Contents of Information Pre-input of the Export Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 5.2.2 Receiving and Converting of Export Manifest . . . . . . . . . . 183 5.3 Port and Tonnage Grouping of Export Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 5.3.1 Function of Port and Tonnage Grouping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 5.3.2 Main Work in Port and Tonnage Grouping . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 5.4 Yard Plan for Export Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 5.4.1 Definition of the Yard Plan for Export Containers . . . . . . . 191 5.4.2 Features and Functions of the Yard Plan for Export Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 5.4.3 Constraints of Container Stacking in the Yard . . . . . . . . . . 193 5.4.4 Making the Yard Plan for Export Containers . . . . . . . . . . . 195 5.5 Operations of Container Entry Through the Gatehouse . . . . . . . . . 202 5.5.1 Introduction of Operations of Container Entry Through the Gatehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 5.5.2 Information Collection in Container Entry Through the Gatehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 5.5.3 Location Selection Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 5.5.4 Container Collection by the Yard Crane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 5.5.5 Exit of the Empty Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 Contents xi
  • 16. 5.6 A Comprehensive Case of Container Collection Operations . . . . . 207 5.6.1 Basic Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 5.6.2 Input of the Export Manifest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 5.6.3 Port and Tonnage Grouping for the Export Containers . . . . 209 5.6.4 Yard Plan for Export Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 5.6.5 Location Selection at Gatehouse for Export Containers . . . 221 5.6.6 Container Collection in the Yard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 5.7 Intelligent Container Collection System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 5.7.1 Definition of Intelligent Container Collection . . . . . . . . . . 225 5.7.2 Major Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 5.7.3 Comparison with Traditional Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 5.7.4 Significance of Intelligent Container Collection . . . . . . . . . 226 5.7.5 Development Status and Case Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 6 Management of Vessel Loading Operations in the Container Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 6.1 Introduction of Vessel Loading Operation Process . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 6.2 Information Collection and Data Preparation for Vessel Loading Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 6.2.1 Information Verification of Export Containers . . . . . . . . . . 236 6.2.2 Dock Receipts and Customs Release of Export Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 6.3 Stowage of Export Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 6.3.1 Meaning and Functions of Stowage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 6.3.2 Factors Affecting Stowage Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 6.3.3 General Principles of Stowage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 6.3.4 Process of Stowage Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 6.3.5 Data Required for Stowage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 6.3.6 General Procedures of Stowage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 6.3.7 Calculation of Stability and Draft Difference . . . . . . . . . . . 272 6.4 Facility Scheduling in Vessel Loading Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 6.4.1 Quay Crane Scheduling During Vessel Loading Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 6.4.2 Container Truck Scheduling in Vessel Loading Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 6.4.3 Yard Crane Scheduling in Vessel Loading Operations . . . . 277 6.5 Instruction Sending of Export Container Delivery in the Yard . . . . 278 6.6 Actual Operations of Vessel Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 6.6.1 Operation Process at Vessel Loading Scene. . . . . . . . . . . . 279 6.6.2 Generation of Container Delivery Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 6.6.3 Container Delivery Confirmation by the Yard Crane . . . . . 280 6.6.4 Vessel Loading Confirmation by the Quay Crane . . . . . . . 283 xii Contents
  • 17. 6.7 Comprehensive Case of Vessel Loading Operations . . . . . . . . . . . 283 6.8 Intelligent Stowage System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296 6.8.1 Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296 6.8.2 Significance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296 6.8.3 Developing History and Current Situation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297 6.8.4 Common Techniques of Intelligent Vessel Stowage in Container Terminals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299 6.8.5 Examples of Technical Architecture for Intelligent Stowage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 6.8.6 Application of Intelligent Stowage Techniques in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304 6.9 Intelligent Vessel Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305 6.9.1 Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305 6.9.2 Developing History and Current Situation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305 6.9.3 Significance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306 6.9.4 Examples of Technical Architecture for Intelligent Instruction Control Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307 Contents xiii
  • 19. Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Port and Terminal A port, consisting of waters and lands, is an area constructed manually and equipped with infrastructures for vessel sailing and berthing as well as passenger and freight forwarding. The waters are the water areas within harbor line and have to meet two basic requirements, as one is to ensure the vessels safe entry and exit as well as berthing and unberthing, and the other is to ensure steady anchoring and han- dling operations. The waters include fore-dock water areas, entry and exit channels, turning basins, anchorages, navigation aids, etc. The lands are the land areas within harbor line including container handling areas and ancillary operation areas as well as some reserved areas. The container handling areas are equipped with infrastructures such as warehouses, freight stations, railways, roads, stations, passageways, etc. The ancillary operation areas are configured with garages, toolhouse, substations, repair houses, offices, firehouse, etc. Port, as the gate of a country or a region, originates from the ancient Latin “port,” which means the gateway to the coast with shields connecting the water and the land. In Chinese, port means the lanes near water, namely the passage of the land to the water (including rivers, seas, oceans, etc). Ports mentioned in this text refer to areas of waters and lands with clear boundaries equipped with infrastructures for vessels berthing, passengers embarking and disembarking, cargos handling, storing, transferring, and related services. Ports usually locate in or near to the cities and towns along rivers, lakes, and seas with frequent commercial trade activities. Ports are the hubs of water and land transportation, distribution centers of passengers and freights, transshipment joints of domestic and international trade as well as places for goods exchange. A terminal is a part of the land area of a port, and it is used for vessels docking, cargos loading and unloading, and passengers embarking and disembarking. Gener- ally, it also includes warehouses, yards, waiting rooms, handling facilities, railways, and roads. A terminal usually consists of the coastline and working area on the quay- side. The coastline, namely the docking length along the bank, is the intersecting © Springer and Shanghai Scientific & Technical Publishers 2020 N. Zhao et al., Digital Management of Container Terminal Operations, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2937-5_1 1
  • 20. 2 1 Introduction line of the vertical plane and horizontal plane of the terminal constructions on the quayside, which refers to hydraulic structures constituting the quay. The coastline is an important baseline determining the terminal horizontal position and its height, and usually falls into several categories, like deep coastline, shallow coastline, auxiliary coastline, etc, according to vessel draught and the functions. The overall length of all kinds of coastlines is an important index of the port scale, indicating the maximum docking number of vessels at the same time. The working area on the quayside refers to the area from the coastline to the front edge of the first row of warehouse (or yard). It is a location for cargos loading and unloading, transferring and temporary stacking, equipped with handling and moving facilities as well as lanes for mobile machines and vehicles, some even with railways for direct delivery. There is no spe- cific standard defined for the width of the working area, which is usually determined according to the terminal function and the handling technology on the quayside. In China, the width of the working area ranges from 25 to 40 m. The surface course of the working area is generally paved with reinforced concrete and block stones, which can offer the strength needed for moving and handling operations. The terminal is a hydraulic structure for vessels berthing, cargo handling, and passenger embarking and disembarking. Currently, most terminals are designed ver- tically, which improves the operating efficiency by facilitating the vessels berthing and direct distribution of the facilities to the coastline. The inclined terminals, pre- ferred in areas with huge river water level difference, are equipped with pontoons in front of the inclined slope, which may lead to low operating efficiency due to compli- cated handling technologies and indirect distribution of the facilities to the coastline. Pontoon terminal can be adopted in areas with small water level difference, such as rivers, lakes, and harbor basin with natural or artificial shields, in which the pontoons are connected to the quays with mobile approach bridges. Pontoon terminal is usu- ally designed for passenger transportation, fish handling, ferries, and other ancillary functions. The terminal structures include gravity quay, high pile quay, and sheet pile quay, which are designed in consideration of functional requirements, natural conditions, and construction conditions. ➀ The gravity quay, which can maintain stability with the gravity of the constructions and additives within, has excellent structure integrity and robustness and is easy to repair after damage. It includes inte- gral type and prefabricated type and is suitable for terminals with good foundations. ➁ The high pile quay consists of foundation piles and upper structures. The down structures of the piles are buried in the soil and the upper structures above the water. The upper structures can be constructed with either beams and slabs, or large slabs without beam, or frames, or bearing platforms. The high pile quay, suitable for soft foundation, is an open structure, which allows the water to pass below the quay surface without reflection to the waves and interference to the flood discharge and decreases deposition. At present, the long piles with large span are popular, and the short piles with small sections are being replaced by large prestressed concrete piles or steel piles gradually. ➂ The sheet pile quay consists of sheet pile walls and anchor fittings, which can support the side pressure caused by operation load and soil behind the walls. This simple structure results in rapid construction and can be adopted in
  • 21. 1.1 Port and Terminal 3 most situations except in areas with extremely hard or soft foundations. However, the integrity and durability is barely adequate. According to the purposes of the terminals, they can be classified as passenger terminals, freight terminals, auto terminals, oil terminals, yacht terminals, fishing terminals, navy terminals, and container terminals. The main function of the passenger terminals is to embark and disembark passen- gers. Small passenger terminals can only be used for mini vessels like small ferries andyachtstoberth,whilethosebigonescanofferanchorageforbiglinersandcruises. Passenger terminals can be divided into public terminals, ferry terminals, and cruise terminals. The public terminals are available to all ships (depending on the depth of water, which means the vessels with larger draft cannot berth). The ferry termi- nals are usually occupied by special liners or shared by several ferries. In the ferry terminals adjacent to different countries or regions (like the Hong Kong—Macau Ferry Terminal), immigration facilities will be arranged. The cruise terminals are usually for cruises to berth, and configured with integrated ancillary facilities, like customs, immigration counters, health quarantine offices, luggage handling areas, tickets offices, parking zones for touring buses, and passenger pick-up and drop-off areas. Because of the huge volume and draft of the cruises, the cruise terminals are usually located in the broad ports with deep water. Most cruise terminals are not designated to a specific company. Some public passenger terminals are also used for freight handling in small volume, like the Wong Shek Terminal. The freight terminals are designed for freight handling. According to their pur- poses and accessibility, the freight terminals can be divided into public freight ter- minals, container terminals, oil product terminals, mineral terminals, inland river freight terminals, and general freight terminals, etc. The auto terminals are designed for some special vessels (usually large vessels) to berth, so the automobiles can roll on and off. The oil terminals refer to those specialized terminals for crude and refined oil handling. They are usually located in an appropriate distance from the general freight terminals (or passenger terminals) in case of fire. Such terminals are configured generally with small freight loadings and simple handling facilities, and capable of handling most light tankers. Since the very large crude carriers (VLCC) are more and more popular in modern maritime transportation, the requirements on stable berthing for the terminals are not high due to the deep draft and strong resistance to wind and waves of VLCC. Now there are four kinds of deep terminals (or infrastructures) for crude oil handling, namely single point mooring terminals, multi-point mooring terminals, mooring island and open-type terminals. The first three kinds are not configured with constructions to resist wind and waves, and the last ones can be flexible according to their arrangements and local conditions. The yacht terminals are designed for yacht to berth and usually owned by yacht clubs. The navy terminals, also known as military terminals, are designed for navy ships to berth and replenish and usually highly secured. The container terminals are designed specifically for the container vessels to berth. They are the operating locations for containers handling, as well as the connections of
  • 22. 4 1 Introduction Fig. 1.1 An overview of a container terminal water and land transportation of containers and the hubs of intermodal transportation. The container terminals are usually configured with berths, container yards, con- trolling offices, inspection gates, container machineries, and other special-purpose facilities (Fig. 1.1). According to the geographic location, the container terminals can be divided into container terminals at seaports and container terminals at river ports. ➀ The container terminals at seaports are usually located at ports near to coasts and estuaries, where the water levels follow the tide variation. They are designed to handle ocean and coastal container vessels. ➁ The container terminals at river ports are located at ports near to inland rivers or lakes, where the water levels vary greatly due to the seasonal variation of rivers or lakes. Such terminals mainly handle inland river container vessels. According to the degree of specialization, the container terminals can be divided into specialized container terminals and multipurpose container terminals. ➀ The specialized container terminals are constructed exclusively for containers handling with highly efficient handling and moving facilities, which can meet the requirements of rapid growth in container vessels amount and high-speed handling at the ports. At present, such terminals are being constructed at many ports worldwide and rapid development has been achieved especially in the last decade. ➁Themultipurposecontainerterminalscanhandlecontainersaswellasothercargos, such as logs, steels, heavy general cargos, etc. They are generated due to the new potentials of containers transportation development and only temporarily transitional with relatively low loading and unloading capacity.
  • 23. 1.1 Port and Terminal 5 In this book, the specialized container terminals at seaports are mainly discussed and analyzed, and they will be mentioned in the text following as container terminals for simplification. 1.2 The Historical Development of Container Terminals As the development of the society, the division of labor has changed constantly, the time and space interval of exchange has increased dramatically, and the organization of production has become more and more complicated, which gave the transporta- tion (logistics) higher requirements that the conventional freight terminals could not satisfy, and containerization was just for these requirements. The container terminals appeared during the containerization of general cargos transportation in the world. When looking back to the history of container terminals, it is also the history of container transportation, which experienced the following periods. (1) The origin period (1956–1966) The most important event in this period is that the USA first adapted oil vessels and general cargo vessels into container vessels to conduct container transportation along its coasts and earned excellent economic benefits. On April 26, 1956, the American Trans-Atlantic Steamship Company conducted a trial shipment from Newark, New York, New Jersey to Houston, Texas after adapted an oil vessel of T-2 modal and loaded 58 containers on deck. Three months later, the trial shipment earned a huge economic benefit by reducing the handling cost per ton from 5.83 dollars to 0.15 dollars, which is only 1/37 of the handling cost of the general freight vessels. After the big success of the trial shipment, the American Trans-Atlantic Steamship Company invested more interests on containerization and decided to fully and thoroughly promote it. In October 1957, this company adapted six freight vessels of C-2 modal into full container vessels with cells and named the first container vessel the “Gateway City.” This vessel was configured with container crane and capable of loading 226 containers of 8 ft × 8.5 ft × 35 ft, which weighted 25 t, respectively. The “Gateway City” still sailed on the New York-Houston route, and its beginning of service symbolized the beginning of container transportation on the ocean. Themaincharacteristicsofthisperiodarethatthecontainervesselswereadapted from freight vessels; no special berths were available for container vessels; containers transported were not with standard sizes (namely 17 ft, 27 ft, or 35 ft); shipping routes for container transportation were only within the USA. (2) The initiate period (1966–1071) The most important event in this period is that the Land Sea Transport conducted sailings of adapted full container vessels with 226 35 ft containers loaded on the New York-Europe route in April 1966, which means the beginning of container transportation on international routes.
  • 24. 6 1 Introduction In September 1967, the Matson Liners sent vessels sailing on the Japan-Pacific North America routes, which initiated the container transportation in the Pacific liners. Enlightened by container transportation in the Atlantic and the Pacific, liner companies in Japan and Europe began to build container vessels of medium size, establish container vessels operation systems, and join the international activities of container transportation on routes connecting Japan, Europe, USA, Australia, etc. Until the beginning of 1970s, containerization had been realized on more than 10 main routes, and by the end of 1972, there had been over 160 full container vessels with 2,770,000 t loaded in service, which made the transportation capacity of containers to 1,280,000 TEU together with semi- container vessels. The main characteristics of this period are that containerization was real- ized progressively; the first container vessels appeared and specialized con- tainer terminals were established; 20 and 40 ft containers were dominant in containerization. (3) The growth period (1971 to the late 1980s) Due to the high efficiency, low cost of container handling and high benefits, high quality of container transportation as well as convenience of intermodal trans- portation, container transportation was favored by the shippers, carriers, ports, and departments concerned. During 1971–1989, it developed rapidly, and the international ocean shipping routes had extended from Europe and America to Southeast Asia, Middle East, and other main routes in the world. At the end of 1971, the high-speed container vessel “Kamakura Maru” with loading capac- ity of 51,139 t, 1950 20 ft containers and navigation speed of 26 knots began its sailing on the Far East-Europe route. In 1972, the Land Sea Transport put the ultra-large super high-speed full container vessels in service, with length of 288 m, loading capacity of 1968 TEU, power of 98,000 kilowatts (120,000 horsepower), and navigation speed of 33 knots. From then on, more large and high-speed container vessels had been put in service successively by the Land Sea Transport and Scanduch Group, which was jointly operated by three ship- ping companies from Japan, Great Britain, and Germany. Hence, the container transportation had developed into its second era from the first era, which was featured by the loading capacity of 700 TEU and navigation speed of 22–23 knots. In the second era, the loading capacity had been increased by two times and navigation speed by 3–5 knots. The container vessels in this era were mainly high-speed full container vessels with loading capacity of 2000 TEU; the trans- porting distance had been extended from simply connecting ports on both sides of the ocean to crossing two oceans; the transporting routes had formed the net- workbybranchroutesandthelandbridgetransportationappeared.Inthisperiod, not only the developed countries were trying to expand their container fleets, but also the developing countries began to establish their own container fleets and joint operation became prevalent among container shipping companies. In 1980s, there was new development in container transportation worldwide. Affected by two successive oil crises and the transformation of first container transportation era, the third generation container vessels began to emerge, which
  • 25. 1.2 The Historical Development of Container Terminals 7 aimed at reducing resource consumption and improving transportation effi- ciency. In 1984, the Evergreen company put two container vessels successively into round-the-world sailing, which initiated the voyage round the world. Since the container marine transportation worldwide had made such great progress, the container terminals had welcomed its growth period. The main characteristics of this period are that container vessels and container terminals continuously developed and the capacity of container transportation was greatly increased; the modernization of port machinery and the application of computer technology had improved the management skills and tools; the intermodal transportation began to arise. (4) The popularization period (1990s to now) Since 1984, the shipping market worldwide had broken away from the depres- sion of oil crises and got back on the path of steady development. At present, the degree of containerization of general cargo transportation has been over 80%. According to statistics, by 1998, there had been over 6800 container vessels of all kinds in the world and the total loading capacity of 5,790,000 TEU. In 1990s, especially after 1994, the full recovery of international economy had an active effect on the shipping market, and in container transportation mar- ket, the cargo amount shipped on all routes gained robust growth. According to statistics, by November 1, 1994, the number of container vessels in service had reached 5715, and loading capacity of 4,100,000 TEU. Though the car- gos shipped and container vessels involved were focused on three main routes, namely the Far East-North America (with the route length of 11,000 nauti- cal miles), the Far East-Europe Mediterranean, and the North America-Europe Mediterranean (with the route length of 4000 nautical miles), the trend of invest- ment in ultra-large vessels had become increasingly evident among all the major shipping companies. Sufficient amount of cargos were shipped on the three main routes, which were perfect for the large container vessels to sail on, so it was definitely the first choice for the ultra-large container vessels to sail on. In 1996, the Maersk put the “Maersk Queen” with the loading capacity of 6000 TEU in service on the Far East-Europe route. By 2004, the loading capacity of the container vessels of the Maersk in service had reached 8360 TEU. In the next two years, the ultra-large container vessels invested increased in times, and it could be predicted, the scale of the container fleets would expanded continu- ously. All of these showed the coming of the popularization period of container transportation. As turned into the mature phase, container transportation has extended to all countries with maritime transportation in the world, and containerization has become the main trend of freight transportation by sea. The integral technology of hardware and software tends to be perfect and has made the intermodal transportation and the “door-to-door” phase come. The main characteristics of this period are that the container vessels were upsiz- ing and automating, the operating efficiency of terminals improving, the collect- ing and distributing systems constantly perfecting, management skills and tools modernizing. The electronic data interchange (EDI) systems were generally
  • 26. 8 1 Introduction adopted, with which the dynamic tracking and management of the containers were realized. The development of intermodal transportation of containers was enormously promoted. The development of container transportation in China took a late beginning with relatively outdated technology but huge potential. In September 1973, the vessel “BH1” loaded with small containers, arrived at Tianjin Port from Kobe, Japan, which symbolized the opening of the first container liner in China. Due to the slow development in container transportation, from 1973 to 1976, only 1188 containers with 3773 t cargos were handled at Tianjin Port. On December 25, 1981, the No.12 container berth at Tianjin Port was completed and put into operation, meanwhile it formally passed the national acceptance. This berth was 398 m long and the water depth −10 m. The corresponding terminalyardscoveredanareaof92,200m2 ,configuredwithtwowarehousesfor road and railway transfer, respectively, three railway sidings, two quay cranes, onerubber-tyredgantrycrane,twostraddlecarriers,tenbigforkliftsand21small forklifts, eight trailers, and 11 Maffey trailers. In 1982, the No.21 container berth at the third basin of Tianjin Port was also completed and put into operation. In December 1985, another three container berths at the fourth basin of Tianjin Port formally passed the national acceptance and began to operate as the key project of the state’s sixth five-year plan. Hence, there had been four deep container berths for the Tianjin Port Container Terminal Company, which were capable of berthing 50,000 dwt vessels and the annual handling capacity was 40,000 TEU as designed, ranking the first in China in the year. In 1991, the contract of building the first container quay crane with the maximum load and outreach by the Shanghai Port Machine Factory for Tianjin Port Container Terminal Company (the first container terminal in China) was signed in Shanghai, and in August 1992, the crane was put into service. The outreach of the quay crane was 4 m, the maximum load of 40.5 t, which was internationally advanced in 1990s and met the handling requirements for the fourth generation container vessels. In 1977, the Ministry of Transportation decided to improve the tenth operat- ing zone of Shanghai Port into semi-container berth, and imported container machineries with 4,560,000 dollars. In December 1980, the remodeled fourth and fifth container berths from the freight terminal were put into operation. Under the efforts of the State Council and all parties, the container liner from Shanghai to Australia was formally open, and the vessel “PXC” loaded with 162 containers started sailing from Shanghai, which symbolized the end of the history that China had no international maritime container shipping route. After that, the Ministry of Transportation first formulated the Interim provisions on the collection of container port fees for international shipping routes, the container terminals in China thrived and the intermodal transportation started successively. The first international container train started from Tianjin Port via Erenhot to the Republic of Mongolia. On August 19, 1989, the first sea-railway combined container train started from Dalian Port to the Changchun No. 1 Auto Plant. The New Eurasian Continental Bridge started from Lianyungang made the land transportation of containers to Europe possible.
  • 27. 1.2 The Historical Development of Container Terminals 9 At the beginning of container transportation in China, the management of con- tainer handling was achieved with paper T-cards, which were placed on the yard maps hanging on the wall. Each T-card represented one container, and the name of vessel, type of container, name and amount of goods, consignor and consignee were recorded on it. Initially, with a small amount of vessels and containers, it was adequate for operation, but as the throughput capacity of containers increased rapidly, the use of paper T-cards was outdated. Since the modernelectroniccomputershadbecometheindispensibletoolsinmanagement of large amounts of containers in and out in the container terminals worldwide, led by the former Ministry of Transportation, Tianjin Port and Shanghai Port jointly imported the electronic computer technology of container management from NEC, Japan, and sent computer professional technicians and operators to Japan, respectively, to take training and practice on electronic computer manage- ment and operation. Meanwhile, the independent development of management information system in China also made good progress. (1) Independently designing software system of container management. The Jungonglu and Zhanghuabang container companies of Shanghai Port jointly founded the Container Computer Technology Company, focusing on developing computer software system for terminals and maintenance of hardware. The container management software imported from Japan was not suitable for China, so they self-designed and self-developed the computer software system suitable for Chinese ports and successfully put into operation in terminals. (2) Computer replacing T-cards in management. The container management of Chinese ports quickly met the requirements of containers in and out in large amounts, which was a huge step toward the internationally advanced management in port. (3) Computer management first implemented in container terminals at ports. The computer management was gradually involved in everywhere in container terminals in China, from the initial management of full containers in the yards, to the accumulation and statistics of days of empty containers in the yards. It was a convenience for the shipping companies to understand the number of their containers remained in the terminal and a reference to allocate and transport empty containers in time. This system also provided the stowing software of container vessels, which laid a good foundation for the loading plan of container vessels. With all the solid foundations, the faster and better information management system was required in container terminals in China. In 1987, the project of industrial experiment on intermodal transportation for international containers led by the Ministry of Transportation was started at Shanghai Port. This project was meant to open a demonstration line centered in Shanghai of intermodal transportation for international containers by combining the industrial experi- ment and technology reform and establish a transportation management system for international containers and a modern information management system con- forming to the international rules and situation in China. This project ended up in
  • 28. 10 1 Introduction a huge success, and the results of industrial experiment were promoted widely, which laid the foundation for the standardization of the operation processes in container terminals in China. The generation of electronic data interchange (EDI) improved the transmission speed of sea freight documentations. On June 14, 1995, the former Ministry of Transportation organized a review on the feasibility study report of the project of “Establishing a model of EDI system for international container transportation” and passed it. On August 29, 1995, this project was approved by the State Planning Commission. It was planned that the development of EDI system for international container transportation would be completed by 1997, and models of EDI system established at ports in Shanghai, Tianjin, Qingdao, Ningbo, etc and in China Ocean Shipping (Group) Corporation (COSCO). This EDI systemcouldonlyachievethedatainterchangebetweenshippingcompanies and container terminals, while the customs, the commodity inspection, the animal andplantquarantineandthehealthquarantinewerenotcovered.InAugust2001, the project of the EDI system for customs clearance on logistics information platform in Shenzhen was started, which realized the connection to the customs system.Theimportandexportenterprisescouldinputthecontractinformationin theirownofficesthroughInternet,andthecustomswouldreviewitautomatically via computer and conduct all the clearance procedures involved within 24 h. SinceNovember 1, 2001, thenewclearancemodel hadbeenadoptedinShanghai Customs which made the clearance of the goods in advance and release on arrival. Since March 1, 2002, the paperless customs clearance had been put in trialineightcitiesincludingShanghai,whichhasgreatlyimprovedtheefficiency of customs clearance, facilitated the international trade procedures, reduced the circulation cost of goods, and enhanced the international competitiveness of import and export enterprises. After recent years’ progress in container logistics, the container terminals have gained a leap-forward development. The application of computers in container terminals in China has already reached the level of advanced management of ports in the world. Besides Internet and EDI, other sophisticated technologies are also applied in container terminals. For example, the application of wireless communication technology (TETRA, Mesh, etc.) has made the container ter- minals the leaders in information transmission. Also, the RFID, GIS, GPS have laid good foundations for automation and intelligence of operation in container terminals. Besides in the informatization, a lot of resources have been invested in the infrastructures and facilities of the container terminals and huge progresses achieved. For example, the capability of the handling facilities at the apron has been upgraded from one container one time to three 40 ft containers at the same time. Also, with the application of rail-mounted gantry cranes with longer span, the handling quality and efficiency in the yard have been improved greatly. The application of automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) in horizontal movement has realized the development of automation and intelligence in the container terminals.
  • 29. 1.2 The Historical Development of Container Terminals 11 Table1.1 Thepercentageoftimeindaysandthepercentageoflaborindifferentstagesoftraditional transportation for general cargos Stage Percentage of time in days (%) Percentage of labor (%) Dynamic stage 65 20 Static stage 35 80 Ithasbeenover40yearssincetheUSAfirstadoptedoilvesselsandgeneralcargo vessels into container vessels to conduct maritime container transportation along its coasts and won huge benefits. Due to the outstanding superiority of container transportation compared with the traditional way, container terminals have been constructed in large amount throughout the world. The container terminals have been playing an extremely important role in enhancing the competitiveness of the ports, owing to the accelerated circulation of vehicles and vessels, increased transporting speed and reduced transporting cost. The main functions of container terminals are: (1) Providing terminals for container transportation system; (2) Providing containers storage areas, as buffering zones for the change of transportation mode; (3) Working as connections and hubs of water transportation and land transportation for containers. Usually, there are two stages for the cargos transported by sea (see Table 1.1), namely dynamic stage (transported in the vessels) and static stage (handled and stacked in terminals). Table 1.1 has shown the percentage of time required and the percentage of labor required in different stages of traditional transportation for general cargos. Compared with general cargos, the containers with goods packed in still need to be changed, distributed, stacked, and stored in the terminals. It can be concluded from Table1.1thatin35%ofthetime,thecargostransportedbyseaareinstaticstage,while they will consume 80% of the labor. So it is the key to reduce the labor consumption and the static time in the terminals. The emergence of container transportation has greatly improved the productivity in the terminals, reduced the labor invested and costs in transportation, and effectively shortened the time of cargos handling involved in the terminals. 1.3 Layout and Facilities of the Container Terminals The layout of the container terminals is to determine the number of berths, the width of the apron, the size and configuration of the yards, the performance parameters, and number of handling and transporting facilities, which mainly depend on the vessel forms and loading capacity of the vessels as well as their arrival density.
  • 30. 12 1 Introduction The yards and the combination of different horizontal transporting facilities form different technical systems of handling, which also affect the layout of the terminals. For a general container terminal, there are three parts (see Fig. 1.2), including the handling area at the apron (near to the berths), the yards, and the gatehouses. The highly mechanized and highly efficient mode of mass production in container terminals needs to integrate the vessels and the terminals as a whole to ensure the efficient operation of the highly strict flow production line and fully perform the three main functions of the container terminals. The essential infrastructures in the container terminals include the berths, the apron, the container yards, the container freight station, the control tower, the gates, the maintenance workshop, etc. (1) Berth The berth is the area within the terminal constituted by the quays for the vessels docking and the corresponding waters. The length and water depth of the berth depend on the port type, terminal type, and docking vessel’s form and size. With the development of large container vessels, the length and water depth of the berths in the container terminals are also extended. At present, the berths in the specialized terminals for full container vessels are usually 300 m long and depth of water −11 m. The mooring facilities for vessels docking, including bollards and fenders (rub- ber pier), comprise the quay. The effective length of the quay required is usually 1.2 times of the vessel length when the vessel is berthing and unberthing. (2) Apron The apron is the area between the berth quays and the container yards (the flood control walls). Since there are quay cranes (QCs) equipped in the apron, which Fig. 1.2 The layout of a container terminal
  • 31. 1.3 Layout and Facilities of the Container Terminals 13 is also the main location for the import and export containers to be reloaded, the width of the apron usually depends on the spans of the QCs and the handling processes. There are normally three parts: ➀ The distance between the berth quays to the first track (on the sea side) of the QCs generally ranges from 2 to 3 m; ➁ The distance between the tracks (from the sea side to the land side) of the QCs generally ranges from 15 to 30 m; ➂ The distance between the second (on the land side) track of the QCs and the container yards (the flood control walls) generally ranges from 10 to 25 m. From the arrangements mentioned above, it can be concluded that the width of the apron in the container terminals generally ranges from 30 to 60 m. Besides the QCs and their tracks equipped in the apron, there are also high-voltage and low-voltage electrical boxes, interfaces for marine telephones, cable trench for QCs, water supplies, lighthouses, etc. The apron should be always unblocked and wide enough to stack the hatchway covers of the vessels and pass the horizontal transporting facilities simultaneously. (3) Container Yard (CY) The container yard refers to the area to store the containers to be loaded in the vessels according to the pre-made stowage plans as well as the containers to be unloaded from the vessels according to the delivery schedules before the vessels enter the port. The areas of the CYs could be different, depending on the loading capacity of the vessels entering the port and the berthing rate. Simply speaking, the container yard is the place within the terminal to store containers, including marshalling yards and back-up yards. ➀ Marshalling yard The marshalling yards are located between the apron and the back-up yards, which are designed to store containers to improve the loading and unloading efficiency of the vessels. The main functions are to pre-store the export con- tainers to be loaded in the vessels before the vessels’ arrival and to temporarily store the import containers when the vessels are unloaded. The total area of the marshalling yards takes a relatively large portion of the container yards and the size depends on the handling techniques adopted and the number of stacking tiers. ➁ Back-up yard The back-up yards refer to areas within the container yards except the mar- shalling yards, which are designed to store empty and full containers. The back- up yards include transshipment container yards, import full container yards, empty container yards, reefer container yards, dangerous goods container yards, etc. Actually, there are no well-defined boundaries between the marshalling yards and the back-up yards, but only geographically. In practice, people usually store the export containers in the front of the CYs, the transshipment containers in the middle, and the import containers, the reefer containers, dangerous good
  • 32. 14 1 Introduction containers, empty containers in the back. With the perfect computer systems, especially the radio data transport (RDT) facilities, it will be more flexible to plan the functions of the CYs under real-time control, even to mix-store the full and empty containers or just store the full containers in the front but the empty ones in the back. (4) Container freight station (CFS) The CFSs are designed to pack and unpack the less than container load (LCL) cargos as well as to store, safeguard, collect, and deliver them, usually referred to as warehouses. Different from the conventional warehouses, CFSs’ main functions are packing and unpacking instead of storing. The CFSs are usually located at the rear of the terminals, on the side near to the external roads or railways, which could let the vehicles directly enter the CFSs instead of passing the container yards. In recent years, with the development of the container transportation and the refining market segmentation driven by the competition, the functions division has changed a lot. At some huge container ports, as the throughput increases, shipping companies began to outsource their empty containers to the external yards for professional management. Meanwhile, the external CFSs started to appear, professionally unpacking and delivering import containers and packing export containers. Those external yards and external CFSs are usually referred to as depots. (5) Control tower The control tower, also referred to as control center, central control office, com- manding tower (office), is the commanding and controlling center of all the operations in the container terminal. Its functions are to fully utilize the pro- duction resources in the terminal and to supervise, regulate, and command the implementation of all the operation plans. It is usually located on the top of the administration building, where all the operations within the whole terminal can be viewed. In the control tower, computer systems, wind meters, and meteorological fore- cast systems are configured, as well as the very high frequency wireless walkie- talkies (VHF), closed circuit television (CCTV), and telescopes to monitor the operations, and telephones and fax machines to communicate with others. It is the center of all the operations in the terminal. (6) Gate house The gatehouses are the entrance and exit of the terminal, the connection of containers and cargos in the containers as well as the boundary of responsibility inside and outside of the terminal. As it is the only way for containers to enter and exit the terminal, it is necessary to check the relative documentations of the containers as well as to transfer the responsibility of the container and the cargos, to inspect the apparent conditions like the container no., the seal no., the container body, and the cargos appearance. The gatehouses are usually located at the rear of the container terminals. Wagon balances are configured according to the needs to ensure the safety of facilities
  • 33. 1.3 Layout and Facilities of the Container Terminals 15 and stowage as well as the control requirements of customs. Computers, IC card machines, releasing railing, automatic container no. identification system are also equipped. (7) Maintenance shop The maintenance shop, also referred to as repair shop, is the place to inspect, repair, and maintain the containers and special-purpose facilities for container handling. Its main functions are to ensure the maintenance quality and integrity of the handling facilities, which are very important for improving the terminal efficiency and keeping its superiority in container transportation. The maintenance shop is usually located at the rear of the terminal or near to the maintenance area, which will not interfere with the operations in the terminal. Traveling cranes, lathes, welding and cutting machines, workbenches, air compressors, repairing galleries, and accessory warehouses are configured. Besides the main infrastructures in the container terminals mentioned above, administration offices for administrative departments and other ancillary facil- ities like power supply, communication, canteen, computer rooms, oil depots, water supply and drainage, illumination, and roads are also configured. 1.4 Handling Facilities Commonly Used in the Conventional Container Terminal In order to improve the handling efficiency and accelerate the reshuffle of the vessels, containers, and other resources, efficient special-purpose facilities and equipment are adopted in the conventional container terminal, which makes the loading and unloading operations mechanized. The entire mechanization system in the conven- tional container terminal includes handling facilities at the quay, horizontal moving facilities and handling facilities in the yards. 1.4.1 Handling Facilities at the Quay The standardization of containers and customization of container vessels have pro- vided excellent conditions for the efficient mechanization of handling processes in the terminals. At conventional container ports, loading the containers into the vessels and unloading the containers off the vessels are realized by the quay cranes (QCs) (see Fig. 1.3). The QC is a special-purpose equipment for the container ports, with enormous structures, huge dead weight, and high expense. The QC consists of the portal with traveling mechanism, booms, stays to support the booms and other components. The booms include seaside boom, landside boom, and middle boom, which is used to connect the seaside boom and landside boom. The main function of the booms is to support the weight of the trolley with hoisting
  • 34. 16 1 Introduction Fig. 1.3 Quayside container cranes mechanism, while the hoisting mechanism is applied to support the weight of the container and the spreader. The seaside boom is designed with luffing mechanism so as to avoid collision with superstructures on the vessel when the QC is traveling. According to the appearance of the gantry, the QCs can be classified as the A- shaped and the H-shaped. Due to the huge throughput in the terminals, the H-shaped are mostly adopted. For the form of the boom, the QCs can also be classified as the luffing, the shuttle-type and the foldable, while the luffing QCs are widely applied in the terminals. For the number of trolleys, there are QCs with single trolley and double trolleys. For the number of spreaders, there are QCs with single spreader, double spreaders, and triple spreaders. Since there are cells configured in the cabin of the container vessels, the position- ing of the containers in the cabin is very convenient when the QCs are operating and no manual assistance is necessary. The cabin operations for the general cargos have been eliminated. According to the operation experience in the container terminals worldwide, one berth is generally configured with one to three QCs. The operation processes of the QCs are listed below: ➀ Before the vessel is docking, the QCs will travel to an appropriate position in order not to interfere with the vessel’s safe docking. ➁ After the vessel has docked, the QCs will travel to the specific operation hold position.
  • 35. 1.4 Handling Facilities Commonly Used in the Conventional … 17 ➂ The trolley will be moved to just over the container to be unloaded and the spreader be lowered. The operation sequence of vessel unloading is usually from seaside to landside, tier by tier from top to the bottom, and the sequence of vessel loading is vice versa. ➃ The container will be locked with the torque devices on the spreader (by fixing the four corners onto the torque devices) and lifted. ➄ The trolley will move to the landside along the cantilever with the container and put it onto the horizontal moving facility in the apron. ➅ The torque devices will be released and the spreader separated from the container. ➆ The spreader will be retrieved and the trolley move to the seaside along the cantilever to continue with the next operation. The relative parameters of the QC can be determined as follows. (1) Loading capacity Loading capacity is an index of the QC’s capability and usually determined according to the rated capacity and the weight of the spreader. Q = Qt + W where Q is the loading capacity of a QC; Qt is the rated capacity; W is the weight of the spreader. The rated capacity refers to the maximum gross weight of a container that a QC can lift. For example, the maximum gross weight of the ISO 1A, 1AX, 1AA 40 ft container is 30.5 t. The loading capacity of a QC is the rated capacity plus the weight of the spreader. When determining the loading capacity, the following operation conditions should be considered. ➀ The requirement of lifting the hatchway covers. Generally, the hatchway cover’s weight is less than 28 t, but special ones could reach 35.6 t with the size of 14 m × 14 m. ➁ The requirement of lifting the non-standard containers. The maximum gross weight of the non-standard containers could reach 38 t or even higher. ➂ The possibility of lifting two 20 ft containers simultaneously. The maximum gross weight of two 20 ft containers is 40.6 t. ➃ The requirement of lifting other bulk and heavy cargos. (2) Main geometric parameters The geometric parameters of a QC are determined according to the vessel forms and container types to be handled, the operation conditions at the ports and operation modes in the container yards. ➀ Load-lifting height The load-lifting height of a QC includes the lifting height above the track and lifting height below the track, which depends on the container vessel forms, draught, tidal range, number of tiers of containers stacked on deck, standard height of the port and tilting of the vessels. When determining the load-lifting
  • 36. 18 1 Introduction height of a QC handling a Panamax container vessel, it must be ensured that the lightly loaded vessel at high water level with three tiers of containers could pass and four tiers of containers could be stacked; the QC could reach the bottom tier of containers within the cabin when the vessel is fully loaded at low water level. The limit of the lateral tilt angle is 3° outward when operating. ➁ Outreach at seaside The outreach at seaside refers to a QC’s maximum horizontal distance to the seaside between the centerline of the seaside track and the centerline of the spreader, which mainly depends on the width of the vessel berthing at the port and the allowable maximum height of containers stacking on deck. When the vessel is tilting 3° outward, the QC should be able to lift the top containers above the deck on the outermost side of the vessels ➂ Outreach at landside The outreach at landside is the maximum horizontal distance to the landside between the centerline of the landside track and the centerline of the spreader. When determining the inreach, two factors should be taken into account. One is to temporarily stack containers as a buffer when the moving facilities like straddle carriers, trailers, etc, cannot be timely in position; the other one is to place hatchway covers, which means the distances for different modes of power supply should be considered. ➃ Span The span is the horizontal distance between the centerlines of two tracks of the QC, which will affect the stability of the crane. In order to ensure the stability of the QC and efficiently dispatching the containers at quays, at least three lanes should be configured within the span. By comparing different kinds of moving facilities, it is found that a single transfer line with straddle carriers needs the largest width. If three transfer lines with straddle carriers are to be considered, then the span should be 16 m. At present, the spans of large cranes are usually 30 m, which will enable the configuration of six transfer lines. 1.4.2 Horizontal Moving Devices 1. Tractor The container tractors, which are not configured with carrying units, have to be combined with trailers to transport containers within the terminals or on the roads outside (Fig. 1.4). ➀ By the modes of the cabs, the tractors include the cabover type and bonnet type. The cabover type of tractors (see Fig. 1.5a) can provide good view in operation and small turning radius due to the short cab, short wheelbase, and short body. However, since the engine is configured just beneath the driver’s seat, it is not comfortable to drive due to the impact of vibration. The bonnet type of tractors (see Fig. 1.5b)
  • 37. 1.4 Handling Facilities Commonly Used in the Conventional … 19 Fig. 1.4 Container tractor and trailer Fig. 1.5 The container tractors by the modes of cabs. a the cabover type b the bonnet type can provide a relatively comfortable environment in operation, more safety for the drivers in a crash and convenient maintenance since the engine and the front wheels are configured in front of the cab. However, due to the long cab and long body, bigger turning radius is needed. At present, the bonnet type of tractors with short body and small turning radius are increasingly applied. ➁ By the functions, the tractors include the line-haul tractors and the depot tractors The line-haul tractors are featured with high power, high speed, and strong climbing capacity, while the depot tractors with great traction power and configuration with hoisting devices. 2. Trailer The trailers are unpowered platforms to carry containers. With the development in port transportation, trailers become more and more specialized and standardized, and different types with various functions have appeared. There are three kinds of combinations for tractors and trailers: semi-trailer, independent trailer, and double trailer. The semi-trailer is the tractor pulling the turntable trailer loaded with container, see Fig. 1.6a. As shown in the figure, the weight of the container is jointly supported by the tractor and trailer, resulting in a relatively small axial pressure. Since the rear
  • 38. 20 1 Introduction Fig. 1.6 Combinations of container tractors and trailers. a semi trailer; b independent trailer; c double trailer axle bears part of the container’s weight, greater traction power can be obtained. This kind of tractor-trailer combination is short in full-length, convenient for reversing and turning with high safety and reliability. Outriggers are configured at the bottom of the front of the trailer, easy for swapping trailer transport. The independent trailer is to connect the tractor and trailer with traction strut. The tractor can serve as a general truck, and the trailer can also be independently supported by the outriggers, see Fig. 1.6b. The independent trailer is a common combination of tractor and trailer just behind the semi trailer, and more difficult to operate than the semi trailer. The double trailer is to combine another full trailer just behind the independent trailer, and the tractor actually pulls two trailers, see Fig. 1.6c. When driving forward with high speed in such combination, the rear trailer will swing and it is difficult to operate when reversing, which impedes its application. 3. Straddle Carriers Thestraddlecarriersarespecializedcontainerhandlingfacilitieswithmulti-functions of moving, stacking, and reloading, usually applied in container terminals and con- tainer transshipment yards to horizontally transport and stack containers as well as to load and unload the container semi trailers, see Fig. 1.7. At container ports, the straddle carriers can finish the following operations: ➀ Handling and moving between the operation points of container handling devices and yards; ➁ Handling and moving between the marshalling yards and back-up yards; ➂ Handling and moving between the back-up yards and CFSs; ➃ Reloading the trailers.
  • 39. 1.4 Handling Facilities Commonly Used in the Conventional … 21 Fig. 1.7 A straddle carrier The straddle carriers have their unique advantages. With one straddle carrier, various operations (including picking up, moving, stacking, loading and unloading other vehicles) can be finished, resulting in reduced amount of machines in the terminals and simple management. The straddle carriers are more flexible to pick up containers without precise positioning of QC, which has improved the efficiency of QCs. They also have high maneuverability, either moving or stacking, and can be applied in combination as mobile machinery. In spite of many unique advantages, the straddle carriers are considered as equip- ment with high failure rate, in certain countries as high as 30–40%, resulting in increased maintenance fees. With technology development as well as appropriate operation and management, the straddle carriers are successfully applied at some
  • 40. 22 1 Introduction ports. For example, the straddle carriers are commonly adopted at container ports in Japan. At container ports in Belgium, a mode of 24 h-operation and 6 h-maintenance is applied, which has reduced the failure rate to 5–10%. The straddle carriers are seldom applied in China. The straddle carriers are specialized container handling devices with high price. In order to reduce the number of straddle carriers and cut down the equipment investments and handling costs, the handling from the quays to the yards with straddle carriers has been replaced by the yard trucks, and the straddle carriers are only in charge of stacking operations in the yards. Since one QC has to be configured with four straddle carriers or more to finish reloading and stacking operations, one to handle the trucks in and out, and another one as backup, which means at least six straddle carriers have to be assigned to a QC. Besides, the high wheel loads of the straddle carriers result in high construction fees. Since the straddle carriers must align with the QC when loading containers but not necessary when unloading containers, the straddle carriers systems are suitable to container terminals with a large amount of import containers and a small amount of export containers. 1.4.3 Handling Facilities in the Yards 1. Gantry cranes The gantry crane system was first adopted at Amsterdam Port in the Netherland. The gantry cranes are facilities applied in the yards to stack containers and handle transporting vehicles. There are two kinds of gantry cranes in the yard, rubber-tyred gantry cranes and rail-mounted gantry cranes. Handling processes with gantry cranes are first unloading the containers from the vessel and transferring them to the yards with yard trailers or other facilities, and then applying rubber-tyred gantry cranes or rail-mounted gantry cranes to stack the containers in the yards or reload the containers onto land vehicles (container trucks or rail wagons). The rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes commonly adopted in the conventional container terminals are specialized facilities to handle, move, and stack containers, see Fig. 1.8. Take the RTG crane as an example, the gantry consists of frames and girders supported on the rubber tyres. The trolley configured with spreader travels along the rails on the bridge beams and finishes stacking and handling operations together with the trailer. The RTG cranes are featured with high flexibility and universality. They are capa- ble of traveling forward and backward as well as from one block to another via turning the wheels by 90° with the turning devices. The main parameters of a RTG crane are the loading capacity, span, load-lifting height, wheel loads, operation speed, etc.
  • 41. 1.4 Handling Facilities Commonly Used in the Conventional … 23 Fig. 1.8 Rubber-tyred gantry cranes (1) The loading capacity of a RTG crane is determined according to the rated capac- ity and the weight of the spreader. The rated capacity usually depends on the maximum gross weight of the container to be lifted. (2) The span of a RTG crane is the distance between the centerlines of the wheels on both sides. The size depends on the number of container rows to span and the width of the trailer passing lane. According to the layout of the container yards, a RTG usually spans six container rows and one trailer passing lane. (3) The load-lifting height refers to the vertical distance from the spreader to the ground, which depends on the number of container tiers to be stacked. If four tiers of containers are stored in one bay in the yard, the fifth tier is needed for the spreader to move over the containers, which means the spreader should be at least five-tier high from the ground. Currently, the load-lifting height of the RTG crane is usually around 11 or 12 m. (4) The wheel loads of a RTG crane include maximum operation wheel load and maximum non-operation wheel load. The number of wheels is determined according to the design requirements of the wheel loads in the yards, while the gantry traveling mechanism is either four-wheel-drive or two-wheel-drive. The maximum operation wheel load refers to the maximum pressure each wheel bears when lifting the rated load with the operation speed of 16 m/s. The maxi- mumnon-operationwheelloadreferstothemaximumpressureeachwheelbears when lifting no container under non-operation speed with the wind blowing perpendicular to the girder of the crane. The maximum wheel load is the reference of determining the loading capacity of the ground when the cranes are traveling.
  • 42. 24 1 Introduction (5) The operation speed is usually determined according to the handling cycle. Low operation speed will affect the operation schedule in the yards, while high operation speed will result in huge swing of the containers and reduced safety. In order to avoid the collision between the RTG cranes as well as that between the RTG crane and the containers, manual deviation correction system and anti-collision devices are configured on the cranes. For the safety measures, over-load protections, diesel engine over-speed protections, signal devices showing over-heated water and low oil pressure, wind speed indicator, typhoon anchors, emergent stop buttons, limit switches and signal indicators of different mechanisms, etc., are configured. Besides, differential global positioning system (DGPS), electrical control and management system (ECMS), Remote Crane Management System (RCMS) as well as gantry lifting devices to facilitate turning and reduce tyres wear can be selectively installed. 2. Reach stacker The reach stackers are specialized facilities currently popular in the container termi- nal yards, see Fig. 1.9. Since the traveling direction is perpendicular to the operating direction, relatively wide space is required. However, they can stack containers rela- tively high and operate multiple bays of containers, and they are generally welcome due to their high flexibility. The reach stackers are capable of stacking three to four tiers of full containers, or seven to nine tiers of empty containers, which results in an efficient utilization of the stacking areas. At present, the reach stackers are mainly Fig. 1.9 A reach stacker
  • 43. 1.4 Handling Facilities Commonly Used in the Conventional … 25 applied only as ancillary facilities in the container yards, but they are specialized container handling devices with great potential. The reach stackers are capable of moving, stacking and handling as well as operat- ing crossing different blocks. They can also handle special cargos by equipping with hooks and grabs. However, they can only operate in the yards with smaller blocks and more passing lanes. The operating efficiency of a single reach stacker is relatively low, which can be improved by applying several reach stackers in combination. The wheel loads are relatively high, resulting in serious wear of wheels and grounds. By comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the reach stackers, they are presently applied as ancillary facilities. 3. Container forktruck The container forktrucks (see Fig. 1.10) are common handling facilities with multiple functions, mainly applied to handle, stack and move containers in a short distance as well as handle vehicles at the general ports with relatively low operating amount. They are also applied as ancillary facilities in the container yards. The spreader is fixed on the top in front of the mask, connecting with the containers via twist locks and lifting from the top. They can also lift and move containers by inserting the forks Fig. 1.10 A container forktruck
  • 44. 26 1 Introduction into the sockets at the bottom of the containers. The requirements for the operation performance are listed below: ➀ The lifting capacity must meet the requirements of handling all kinds of containers; ➁ The lifting height must meet the requirements of stacking tiers; ➂ The loading center should be located at the half of the container width, namely the distance between the front wall of the forks and the gravity center of the cargos should be 1220 mm; ➃ In order to meet the requirements of handling containers, specialized spreaders on the top should be equipped besides the standard forks. ➄ In order to facilitate the positioning with the containers, the forks should be capable of moving or swinging sideway. The forktrucks can move the containers in the following two ways. (a) Moving with spreaders: moving the containers with specialized spreaders on the top. (b) Moving with forks: moving the containers by inserting the forks into the sockets at the bottom of the containers, which is usually applied to 20 ft containers or empty containers. By the structures and forms, container forktrucks can be divided into front con- tainer forktrucks and side container forktrucks. The front container forktrucks are commonly used at present. The side container forktrucks are alike general side fork- trucks. When handling a container, the mask and forks are stretched out sideway, and then withdrawn after taking the container. Comparing with the front container forktrucks, the lateral size of the side container forktrucks when moving containers is much smaller, the requirement for the width of the passing lanes is relatively low (around 4 m). When moving containers, the loading center is located between the front wheels and rear wheels, resulting in good stability in traveling and uniform distribution of wheel loads. However, the structures and operations of side container forktrucks are complicated, leading to bad view and low handling efficiency. Even though the container forktrucks have the advantages of good universality, low expense, and easy operation, their disadvantages are more. The container fork- trucks are not suitable to terminals with large throughput capacity due to the low efficiency. When handling containers, the positioning is relatively difficult. When moving containers, the wheel loads are relatively high and wide passing lanes are required. As a result, the container forktrucks are applied as ancillary facilities to complete handling operation in combination with other machines in the terminals. 1.5 Handling Facilities in the Automated Container Terminals (ACT) In last section, the handling facilities in the conventional container terminals are introduced. As the container shipping volume is increasing constantly and container vessels becoming larger, the port operators are focusing on how to keep the container
  • 45. 1.5 Handling Facilities in the Automated Container Terminals (ACT) 27 handling stable and efficient, energy saving and environment friendly with low cost. The appearance of the automated container terminals has satisfied the requirements mentioned above. The handling facilities in the ACTs include facilities at quay, horizontal moving facilities and handling facilities in the yard. The handling facilities at quay include quay cranes (QC), double trolleys quay cranes, multipurpose gantry cranes, etc. The horizontal moving facilities include automated guided vehicles (AGV), lift-AGVs, etc. The handling facilities in the yard include rail-mounted gantry (RMG) cranes, automated rubber-tyred gantry(ARTG) cranes, etc. 1.5.1 Handling Facilities at Quay in the ACTs The layout of ACT is similar to the conventional terminal; the operations of loading and unloading vessels are all accomplished by the QCs. Besides the QCs in the conventional terminals, some specialized QCs like automated double trolleys quay cranes (see Fig. 1.11) are also applied. Compared with the conventional QCs, double trolleys quay cranes are equipped with two self-propelled trolleys and handling operations can be finished in relays at transit platform. The handling operations at seaside and landside are accomplished, respectively, by two trolleys to improve efficiency. The main trolley (at seaside) handles containers in the vessels, and the auxiliary trolley (at landside) handles Fig. 1.11 Double trolleys quay cranes
  • 46. 28 1 Introduction containers on the high tracks, which is referred to as “handling in relays.” The operating efficiency of the double 40 ft and double trolleys quay cranes developed and manufactured by ZMPC for Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT), USA can reach 103 TEU/h. 1. Structural Analysis of Automated Double Trolley Quay Cranes (1) The QCs are equipped with two self-propelled trolleys. The two trolleys travel on their own tracks and do not interfere with each other. The main trolley can travel on the tracks laid on the boom, and the tracks of the auxiliary trolley are laid on the linking beams of the gantry. The two trolleys can be operated separately. The driver of the main trolley is responsible for positioning when lifting the container, while the auxiliary trolley can be operated without drivers. Monitoring room is configured under the linking beams, and the operators can monitor and control the operations of the two trolleys and AGVs. (2) Transit platform with the space of two containers is configured under the seaside beam at landside. The transit platform is the main component to fulfill the functions of the double trolleys quay crane as well as the connection of the main trolley and the auxiliary trolley, where the relays between the two trolleys are accomplished. The main trolley lifts and moves the container in the vessel to the transit platform, and the auxiliary trolley transfers the container from the transit platform onto the AGV. Since the operations of unloading containers from the vessels are accomplished by two trolleys in relays, the handling efficiency has been greatly improved. (3) Since self-propelled trolleys are adopted and the moving loads are relatively high, single box beam with high bending resistance and high twisting resistance as the boom can solve the problems caused by lifting double containers with high outreach (61 m). But it cannot be ignored that the trolley tracks are directly laid on the webs of the box beams, when the trolleys are traveling on the beams, their wheel loads will cause relatively high local pressure. The webs of the single box beam are usually thin-walled, so necessary measures should be adopted to prevent the buckling of the webs. (4) Advanced electronic information technologies are applied to achieve anti- collision and anti-swing of the two trolleys as well as automation controls like automatic positioning and identification. The latest advanced electronic anti- swing technology in the world is adopted to the main trolley, and the mechanical anti-swing measures adopted to the auxiliary trolley. On the four surfaces of the upper frame on the spreader, eight steel wire ropes form the wrapping system in the most optimized way to avoid swing of the spreader in each direction. (5) AGVs undertake the transporting on the ground, which has solved the problems that the ground transporting vehicles and the cranes do not match, causing low operating efficiency of the double trolleys quay cranes. Hence, when the main trolley unloads the containers from the vessel and puts them onto the transit platform in the shortest route, the auxiliary trolley takes the containers immediately and loads them onto the AGVs and then to the yards.
  • 47. 1.5 Handling Facilities in the Automated Container Terminals (ACT) 29 (6) In the structural details, since the gantry trolleys have to travel on the inner sides, the tracks are laid on the track girders connecting to the lateral linking beams sideway via lateral outriggers instead of on the top of the lateral linking beams. When the gantry trolleys are operating, large horizontal side forces can be caused on the webs of the lateral linking beams, where the concentrated wheel loads are applied. Hence, at the connections of the lateral linking beams and the lateral outriggers, appropriate structures should be adopted to transfer horizontal forces. (7) The whole crane has excellent stiffness. The double-stayed structures are adopted in the front and rear booms to improve the structural stiffness and reduce the sway of the crane to the minimum when the two trolleys brake simultaneously. (8) Leading automation and control technologies are applied to the crane as well as safety measures and faults indicating devices, which have also accomplished the automated control of the AGVs on the ground while the trolleys are handling containers. 2. The technical parameters of the double trolleys quay cranes The technical parameters of the double trolleys quay cranes include loading capacity, outreach, span, and inreach. (1) Loading capacity Since double 20 ft container spreader is configured on the QCs, the loading capacity is designed as 65 t under the spreader, according to ISO regulations, domestic and overseas practice experience as well as operation requirements of lifting containers of different sizes (including 45, 48, 53 ft, etc.), over-weighted containers, and hatchway covers. (2) Outreach at seaside Comparing with designing and manufacturing cranes capable of handling ves- sels with 16–18 rows of containers stacking on deck and extending the outreach in the future, directly designing and manufacturing cranes capable of handling vessels with 22 rows of containers stacking on deck is with lower costs and no interference with the handling operations. To satisfy the requirements of han- dling 18,000 TEU container vessels and development in a long run, the crane should be designed capable of handling vessels with 23 rows of containers stacking on deck, with the outreach at seaside as 70 m. (3) Span As the container vessels and QCs are becoming increasingly larger in the world, the stability of the cranes with larger outreaches should be considered when determining the span. Meanwhile, the situation of concentrative operations of multiple facilities when handling large container vessels should also be con- sidered. By taking into account the possibility of concentrative operations of multiple facilities as well as the stability of the cranes, the span of the QCs should be set as 35 m.
  • 48. 30 1 Introduction (4) Outreach at landside In order to ensure concentrative operations of multiple facilities at the ports, two lanes are added behind the landside tracks of the QCs. Meanwhile, considering the requirements of lifting hatchway covers, the outreach at landside of the QCs should be set as 20 m. 1.5.2 Horizontal Moving Facilities in ACTs The horizontal moving facilities adopted in ACTs are mainly AGVs and lift-AGVs. 1. Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV) The first ACT in the world (ECT) adopted AGVs capable of autonomous navigation and positioning as the horizontal moving facilities. Such ACTs have flexible layout, with yards of various sizes and shapes and back-up yards configured perpendicular to the coastline. The first generation of AGVs could only travel with fixed routes, but at CTA in Hamburg, they had been optimized, capable of traveling with variable routes and turning anywhere without obstacles. AGVs can be powered with internal combustion engine, pure barratries, or hybrid power. One AGV can take two 20 ft containers or one 40 ft container at one time with the positioning accuracy up to ±5 cm. With the help of ultrasonic detecting device and other anti-collision devices, they are capable of detecting obstacles within the brake distance to avoid collisions. The remote management and control of AGVs and ASCs in the container yards by the central controlling office has achieved full automation. Since AGVs cannot be loaded or unloaded by themselves, there is a possibility that they may wait or be waited in the operating interaction areas. In order to improve the operating efficiency and solve the “handshake” problems of AGVs and yard cranes, ZMPC has developed the AGV mates (see Fig. 1.12) applied at the ends of operation areas in the yards. 2. Lift-AGV In order to improve the operating efficiency of the AGV system and decouple AGVs in the head areas of the container blocks, the horizontal moving techniques with lift-AGVs have been developed in recent years. Different from the traditional AGVs, the lift-AGVs are capable of lifting the container automatically. Combined with the lift-AGV mates (see Fig. 1.13), the lift-AGVs are decoupled in the head areas of the container blocks. When the lift-AGV loaded with containers enters the head area, the containers could be unloaded to the mate platform with the automatic jacking devices of the lift-AGV, and also the empty lift-AGV could also be loaded with containers on the mate platform in the same way.
  • 49. 1.5 Handling Facilities in the Automated Container Terminals (ACT) 31 Fig. 1.12 The AGV and the AGV mate Fig. 1.13 A lift-AGV and the lift-AGV mate 1.5.3 Handling Facilities in the Yards in ACT Since the ECT in Rotterdam in Europe was put in operation in 1993, the ACTs have gained great progress and development. The semi-automated terminals with automatic operation systems in the yards have been applied widely in the world, and the technologies, equipment, processes, and controlling systems have become very mature. There are mainly two kinds of handling facilities in the yards, namely
  • 50. 32 1 Introduction Fig. 1.14 ARMGs in the yards automatic rail-mounted gantry cranes (ARMGs) and automatic rubber-tyred gantry cranes (ARTGs) 1. ARMG The ARMGs can be operated automatically without drivers. In the controlling office, multiple ARMGs can be remotely controlled simultaneously. They have been applied at the Times Port in GB and the PPT in Singapore. The ARMGs can also be operated in a semi-automatic way with divers. At present, the automatic operation mode with remotely controlled ARMGs (see Fig. 1.14) has been established in China. Compared with the traditional RMGs and RTGs, the new ARMGs have advantages in positioning and detecting technology, safety protection technology, and man-machine interactive system, providing effi- cient and stable security for the operations. Since the ARMGs are stable in technology and handling efficiency, it is assumed that the ARMGs are suitable handling facilities in the yards in the ACTs. Besides the parameters of traditional gantry cranes, the ARMGs have their unique spans and configuration of over-hanging arms. ➀ From the angle of operation configuration, the larger the span of an ARMG, the higher the utilization rate of the yard. However, from the angle of mechanical design, the larger the span of an ARMG, the higher the requirements on strength and stiffness of the metal structures of the whole crane, especially on the dynamic stiffness, which makes the structural design and manufacturing processes more complicated and difficult. It is generally assumed that all-fixed-gantry-legs design is suitable for ARMGs with span smaller than 35 m, however, if the span reaches 35 m or above, such design
  • 51. 1.5 Handling Facilities in the Automated Container Terminals (ACT) 33 is liable to rail gnawing. As the span increases, the length of the boom will also increase, which makes the boom liable to deform under loadings, leading to rail gnawing due to outward displacement of the legs. If such design must be adopted, the vertical stiffness of the boom should also be increased, causing increased weight of the whole crane and wheel loads as well as the cost. So in order to avoid rail gnawing with large spans, the design of fixed gantry legs on one side and hinged legs on the other is adopted on the ARMGs. However, such design will result in low dynamic stiffness in the trolley traveling direction. In order to solve the problem, the stiffness of the boom should be increased, also causing increased weight of the whole crane and wheel loads as well as the cost of the track base. Additionally, the larger the span of an ARMG is, the more serious the deformation of the metal structures of the whole crane will be. As the traveling speed of the gantry increases, the difference of resistance to traveling on the gantry legs of both sides will also increase, leading to different movements of the gantry legs and higher liability to rail gnawing. So as to solve such problem, electrical control equipment should be added to ensure the same traveling speed of the gantry traveling mechanisms on both sides, which will make the manufacture expense of the whole crane increase. Meanwhile, the larger the span, the longer the trolley has to travel, leading to decrease of the operating efficiency. So taking the geological conditions of the terminal, handling efficiency and terminal layouts into account, the span usually ranges from 35 to 40 m. ➁ At present, ARMGs are configured with over-hanging arms or none, and the ARMGswithover-hangingarmsincludethesingle-armedononesideandthedouble- armed on both sides. When the ARMGs are configured with over-hanging arms, gantry structures are usually adopted considering the pass of the containers, resulting in increased distance between the track centers of the trolley (usually around 16 m) as well as low structural stiffness, high weight, and high wheel loads. However, for the ARMGs without over- hanging arms, the operation passing lanes are configured inside the tracks and the pass of the containers is not a consideration, such design results in simple structures and good stiffness. The weight of ARMG with over-hanging arms is much higher than that without over-hanging arms. With the same span, the weight will double and the wheel loads also increase. For the ARMGs with over-hanging arms, since the operations take place outside the tracks, it is good for the organization of the operating vehicles in the terminal as well as operation safety. However, it also results in lower utilization rate of the yards. 2. ARTGs The automation degree of ARTGs is increasing constantly with improving operation performance and flexibility (see Fig. 1.15). The ARTGs are configured with container stacks detecting systems, anti-collision systems, stacking guiding systems, trailer position detecting systems, automatic position indicating systems, and so on to ensure the collaborative operations with the AGVs.
  • 52. 34 1 Introduction Fig. 1.15 An ARTG 1.6 Key Information of Containers and Data Structure Containers are large goods holders with certain strength, stiffness, and specifica- tions for circulation use. When transporting goods with containers, the goods can be loaded directly at the warehouse of the shipper and unloaded at the warehouse of the consignee, without reloading them when the vehicles or vessels are changed during the journey. As goods holders, the containers are different from general holders since they have to follow some special requirements. The ISO has specific standards on container sizes, terms, testing methods as well as regulations on technical features such as structures, performance, etc. The standardization of containers has promoted the container circulation throughout the world and played a vital role to the rational exchange of the international goods. In order to avoid mistakes during transportation, some attribute values should be set to the containers before the journey, including information about the container, status of the goods inside as well as transportation information.
  • 53. 1.6 Key Information of Containers and Data Structure 35 1.6.1 Information About the Container (1) Container no. is the only identification for the container in theory, just like the ID no., which must be unique. The container no. includes two parts, namely holder code and sequence number. The container no. generally has 11 characters, for example like “YMCU2008570,” the first four characters are holder code. According to the ISO regulations, the holder code should be represented with four capital Latin letters, the first three letters can be specified by the holder and the fourth letter must be “U.” The last seven of the container no. is sequence number and represented with Arabic numerals. If the sequence number is less than 7 characters, the other characters should be filled with “0” before the effective characters, such as “0531842.” (2) Size refers to the length of the container, with feet as the unit. Containers in container terminals are 20, 40, and 45 ft. Usually, a standard 20 ft container is referred to as a TEU. Containers with other sizes, such as 10, 12, 30, 48, 53 ft, etc, are usually handled in general cargo terminals. The Fig. 1.16 has shown the most common 20 and 40 ft containers. (3) Container height, namely the height of the container, has the sizes of 8 6 and 9 6 (see Fig. 1.17). Usually, the containers with the height of 8 6 are referred to as flat containers, and the containers with the height of 9 6 referred to as high cubics. In the container terminals, the specific sizes in height are not concerned and the containers are only defined as flat or high cubic, among which the flat containers (8 6 ) are the most. (4) Container types, namely the descriptions on container types, which determine the goods types inside. Main container types handled in the container terminals include general purpose containers, bulk containers, flat rack containers, open- top containers, reefer containers, tank containers, etc, most of which are the general containers. The container type codes are shown in Table 1.2. (5) Container holders, also known as container operators, refer to entity units that the containers belong to. Such information is quite important for the man- agement of empty containers since they are usually stacked according to their holders in the terminals. 40 feet 20 feet Fig. 1.16 20 ft and 40 ft containers
  • 54. 36 1 Introduction 8 6 9 6 Fig. 1.17 Containers with the heights of 86 and 96 Table 1.2 Container types Container types Container type codes General purpose GP General high cubic GH (HC, HQ) Bulk BU Garmentainer HT Open top OT Reefer RF Reefer high cubic RH Tank TK Flat racks FR 1.6.2 Information About the Goods (1) Net weight of the container is the gross weight of the goods inside, regardless of the weight of the container, and the unit is ton. (2) Gross weight of the container is the weight of the goods inside of the export container plus the weight of the container, and the unit is ton. This is another important attribute of export containers. When the export containers are loaded into the vessels, the full containers must not be stacked on the empty ones, and the full containers at different tonnage levels should also be stowed separately, or stacked under empty ones, which means the containers in the yards should also be stacked with the same rules. So the gross weight of the container is
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  • 56. Young Jack Paul is polite enough to arch his brows and draw a serious face. Shipowner Younger is pleased at this, and, with a deprecatory wave of his hand, as one who dismisses discussion of misfortunes which are beyond the help of words, proceeds: “But enou’ of idle clavers; I’ll e’en get to what for I brought you here.” Shipowner Younger leans far back in his big chair, and contemplates young Jack Paul with a twinkle. “Now, lad,” he begins, “when from ‘prentice ye are come to be first mate among my ships, I’m to tell ye that from Dick Bennison who signed ye, to Ed’ard Denbigh whose first officer ye now be, all the captains ye’ve sailed wi’ declare ye a finished seaman. But”—here Shipowner Younger shakes his head as though administering reproof—“they add that ye be ower handy wi’ your fists.” “Why, then,” breaks in young Jack Paul, “how else am I to keep my watch in order! Besides, I hold it more humane to strike with your fist than with a belaying pin. The captains, I’ll warrant, have told you I thrashed none but ship’s bullies.” “They’ll have told me nothing of the kind,” returns Shipowner Younger. “They said naught of bullies. What they did observe was that ye just pounded the faces of the fo’c’sle hands in the strict line of duty. Why, they said the whole ship’s crew loved ye like collie dogs! It seems ye’ve a knack of thrashing yourself into their hearts.” Young Jack Paul’s eyes show pleasure and relief; he perceives he is not being scolded. “And now,” says Shipowner Younger, donning the alert manner of your true-born merchant approaching pounds, shillings and pence —“and now, having put the compliments and the lecture astern, we’ll even get doon to business. As I was tellin’, I’m about to retire from the ships. I’m rich enou’; and, being called to gi’ counsel to the King, I want no exter-aneous interests to distract me. The fair truth is, I’ve sold all but the bark ye’re now wi’, the John O’ Gaunt, ye’ll ken; and that’s to be sold to-day.” “You’ll sell our John O’ Gaunt, sir? Who is to own it?”
  • 57. “Ed’ard Denbigh, your captain, is to own five-sixths of her, for which he’ll pay five thousand pounds; being dog-cheap”—here a deep sigh—“as I’m a Christian! As for the remaining sixth, lad, why it’s to be yours. Ye’ll sail oot o’ Whitehaven this v’yage in your own ship, partners wi’ Ed’ard Denbigh.” “But, sir,” protests young Jack Paul, his voice startled into a tremor, “with all thanks for your goodness, I’ve got no thousand pounds. You know the wages of a mate.‘’ “Ay! I ken the wages of a mate weel enou’; I’ve been payin’ ‘em for thirty year come New Year’s day. But ye’ll no need money, Jack!”—the dry, harsh tones grow soft with kindliness—“ye’ll no need money, mon, and there’s the joke of it. For I’m to gi’ ye your one- sixth of the John O’ Gaunt, wi’ never a shillin’ from your fingers, and so make a man and a merchant of ye at a crack. Now, no words, lad! Ye’ve been faithful; and I’ve no’ forgot that off Cape Clear one day ye saved me a ship. Ay! ye’ll ken by now that Jamie Younger, for all he’s ‘lected to Parleyment to tell the King his mind, is no so giddy wi’ his honors as to forget folk who serve him. No words, I tell ye! There ye be, sailor and shipowner baith, before ye’re twenty-one. An’ gude go wi’ ye!” The big-hearted Scotchman smothers the gratitude on the lips of young Jack Paul, and hands him out the door. As the latter goes down the stair, Shipowner Younger calls after him with a kind of anticipatory crow of exultation: “And, lad! if ye get ever to Lunnon, come doon to Westminster, and see me just passin’ the laws!” The John O’ Gaunt lies off the Guinea coast. The last one of its moaning, groaning, black cargo of slaves has come over the side from the shore boats, and been conveyed below. The John O’ Gaunt has been chartered by a Bristol firm to carry three thousand slaves from the Guineas to Kingston; it will require ten voyages, and this is the beginning of the first.
  • 58. The three hundred unhappy blacks who make the cargo are between decks. There they squat in four ranks, held by light wrist- chains to two great iron cables which are stretched forward and aft. There are four squatting ranks of them; each rank sits face to face with its fellow rank across the detaining cable. Thus will they sit and suffer, cramped and choked and half-starved in that tropical hell between decks, through those two-score days and nights which lie between the John O’ Gaunt and Kingston. Captain Denbigh keeps the deck until the anchors are up. The wind is forward of the beam, and now, when its canvas is shaken out, the John O’ Gaunt begins to move through the water on the starboard tack. The motion is slow and sulky, as though the ship were sick in its heart at the vile traffic it has come to, and must be goaded by stiffest gales before it consents to any show of speed. Captain Denbigh leaves the order, “West by north!” with second mate Boggs, who has the watch on deck; and, after glancing aloft at the sails and over the rail at the weather, waddles below to drink “Prosperous voyage!” with his first mate and fellow owner, young Jack Paul. He finds that youthful mariner gloomy and sad. The cabin where the two are berthed is roomy. At one end is a case of bottles—brandy and rum, the property of Captain Denbigh. At the other is a second lock-fast case, filled with books, the sailing companions of first mate Jack Paul. There are text-books—French, Spanish, Latin and Greek; for first mate Jack Paul is of a mind to learn languages during his watch below. There are books on navigation and astronomy, as well as volumes by De Foe and Richardson. Also, one sees the comedies of Congreve, and the poems of Alexander Pope. To these latter, first mate Jack Paul gives much attention; his inquiring nose is often between their covers. He studies English elegancies of speech and manner in Congreve, Pope and Richardson, while the crop-eared De Foe feeds his fancy for adventure.
  • 59. As Captain Denbigh rolls into the cabin, first mate Jack Paul is not thinking on books. He has upon his mind the poor black wretches between decks, the muffled murmur of whose groans, together with the clanking of their wrist-chains, penetrates the bulkhead which forms the forward cabin wall. Captain Denbigh never heeds the silence and the sadness of his junior officer and partner, but marches, feet spread wide and sailorwise, to the locker which holds his bottles. Making careful selection, he brings out one of rum and another of sherry. “You not likin’ rum,” explains Captain Denbigh, as he sets the sherry within reach of first mate Jack Paul. First mate Jack Paul mechanically fills himself a moderate glass, while Captain Denbigh does himself more generous credit with a brimmer from the rum bottle. “Here’s to the good ship John O’ Gaunt,” cries Captain Denbigh, tossing the rum down his capacious throat. “May it live to carry niggers a hundred years!” There is no response to this sentiment; but Captain Denbigh doesn’t feel at all slighted, and sits down comfortably to the floor- fast table, the rum at his elbow. Being thus disposed, he glances at his moody companion. There is much that is handsome in a rough, saltwater way about Captain Denbigh. He is short, stout, with a brown pillar of a throat, and shoulders as square as his yardarms. His thick hair is clubbed into a cue; there are gold rings in his ears, and his gray eyes laugh as he looks at you. “An’ now, mate Jack,” says Captain Denbigh, cheerfully, “with our three hundred niggers stowed snug, an’ we out’ard bound for Jamaica, let you an’ me have a bit of talk. Not as cap ‘in an’ mate, mind you, but as owners. To begin with, then, you don’t like the black trade?” First mate Jack Paul looks up; the brown eyes show trouble and resolve.
  • 60. “Captain,” he says, “it goes against my soul!” Then, he continues apologetically: “Not that I say aught against slavery, which I’ve heard chaplains and parsons prove to be right and pious by Bible text. Ay! I’ve heard them when I’ve been to church ashore, with my brother William by the Rappahannock. My kinsman Jones owns slaves; and I can see, too, that they have safer, happier lives with him than could fall to their lot had they remained savages in the wild Guinea woods. But owning slaves by the Rappahannock, where you can give them kindness and make them happy, is one thing. This carrying the tortured creatures —chained, and mad with grief!—to Jamaica is another.” Captain Denbigh refreshes himself with more rum. “It wards off the heat,” he vouchsafes, in extenuation of his partiality for the rum. Having set himself right touching rum, he takes, up the main question: “What can we do?” he asks. “You know we’re chartered for ten v’yages?” “I’m no one to argue with my captain,” responds first mate Jack Paul. “Still less do I talk of breaking charters. All I say is, it makes me heart-sore.” “Let me see!” responds Captain Denbigh, searching for an idea. “Your brother William tells me, the last time we takes in tobacco from the Jones plantation, that old William Jones is as fond o’ you as o’ him?” “That is true. He wanted me to stay ashore with him and William, and give up the sea.” “An’ why not, mate Jack?” First mate Jack Paul shrugs his shoulders, which, despite his youth, are as broad and square as his captain’s. “Because I like the sea,” says he; “and shall always like the sea.” Captain Denbigh takes more rum; after which he sits knitting his forehead into knots, in a very agony of cogitation. Finally he gives the table a great bang, at which the rum bottle jumps in alarm.
  • 61. “I’ve hit it!” he cries. “I knowed I would if I’d only drink rum enough. I never has a bright idea yet, I don’t get it from rum. Here, now, mate Jack; I’ll just buy you out. You don’t like the black trade, an’ you’ll like it less an’ less. It’s your readin’ books does it; that, an not drinkin rum. Howsumever, I’ll buy you out. Then you can take a merchant-ship; or—an’ you may call me no seaman if that ain’t what I’d do you sits down comfortable with your brother an’ your old kinsman Jones by the Rappahannock, an plays gentleman ashore.” While Captain Denbigh talks, the trouble fades from the face of first mate Jack Paul. “What’s that?” he cries. “You’ll buy me out?” “Ay, lad! as sure as my name’s Ed’ard Denbigh. That is, if so be you can sell, bein’ under age. I allows you can, howsumever; for you’re no one to go back on a bargain.” Having thus adjusted to his liking the legal doubt suggested, Captain Denbigh turns to the question of price. “Master Younger puts your sixth at a thousand pounds. If so be you’ll say the word, mate Jack, I’ll give you a thousand pounds.” Countenance brightened with a vast relief, first mate Jack Paul stretches his hand across the table. Captain Denbigh, shifting his glass to the left hand, grasps it. “Done!” says first mate Jack Paul. “An’ done to you, my hearty!” exclaims Captain Denbigh. “The money’ll be yours, mate Jack, as soon as ever we sees Kingston light. An’ now for another hooker of rum to bind the bargain.”
  • 62. A CHAPTER III—THE YELLOW JACK t Kingston, Captain Denbigh goes ashore with first mate Jack Paul, and pays over in Bank of England paper those one thousand pounds which represent that one-sixth interest in the John O’Gaunt. While the pair are upon this bit of maritime business, the three hundred mournful blacks are landed under the supervision of the second mate. Among the virtues which a cargo of slaves possesses over a shipment of cotton or sugar or rum, is the virtue of legs. This merit is made so much of by the energetic second officer of the John O’Gaunt, that, within half a day, the last of the three hundred blacks is landed on the Kingston quay. Received and receipted for by a bilious Spaniard with an umbrella hat, who is their consignee, the blacks are marched away to the stockade which will confine them while awaiting distribution among the plantations. Captain Denbigh puts to sea with the John O’Gaunt in ballast the same evening. A brisk seaman, and brisker man of business, is Captain Denbigh, and no one to spend money and time ashore, when he may be making the one and saving the other afloat. First mate Jack Paul, his fortune of one thousand pounds safe in the strong-boxes of the Kingston bank, sallies forth to look for a ship. He decides to go passenger, for the sake of seeing what it is like, and his first thought is to visit his brother William by the Rappahannock. This fraternal venture he forbears, when he discovers Kingston to be in the clutch of that saffron terror the yellow fever. Little is being locally said of the epidemic, for the town is fearful of frightening away its commerce. The Kingston heart, like most human hearts, thinks more of its own gold than of the lives of other men. Wherefore Kingston is sedulous to hide the plague in its midst, lest word go abroad on blue water and drive away the ships.
  • 63. First mate Jack Paul becomes aware of Kingston for the death-trap it is before he is ashore two days. It is the suspicious multitude of funerals thronging the sun-baked streets, that gives him word. And yet the grewsome situation owns no peculiar threat for him, since he has sailed these blistering latitudes so often and so much that he may call himself immune. For him, the disastrous side is that, despite the Kingston efforts at concealment, a plague-whisper drifted out to sea, and as a cautious consequence the Kingston shipping has dwindled to be nothing. This scarcity of ships vastly interferes with that chance of a passage home. “The first craft, outward bound for England, shall do,” thinks first mate Jack Paul. “As to William, I’ll defer my visit until I may go ashore to him without bringing the yellow jack upon half Virginia.” While waiting for that home-bound ship, first mate Jack Paul goes upon a pilgrimage of respect to the tomb of Admiral Benbow. That sea-wolf lies buried in the parish chapel-yard in King Street. As first mate Jack Paul leaves the little burying-ground, he runs foul of a polite adventure which, in its final expression, will have effect upon his destiny. His aid is enlisted in favor of a lady in trouble. The troubled lady, fat, florid and forty, is being conveyed along King Street in her ketureen, a sort of sedan chair on two wheels, drawn by a half-broken English horse. The horse, excited by a funeral procession of dancing, singing, shouting blacks, capsizes the ketureen, and the fat, florid one is decanted upon the curb at the feet of first mate Jack Paul. Alive to what is Christian in the way of duty, he raises the florid, fat decanted one, and congratulates her upon having suffered no harm. The ketureen is restored to an even keel. The fat, florid one boards it, though not before she invites first mate Jack Paul to dinner. Being idle, lonesome, and hungry for English dishes, he accepts, and accompanies the fat, florid one in the dual guise of guest and bodyguard.
  • 64. Sir Holman Hardy, husband to the fat, florid one, is as fatly florid as his spouse. Incidentally he is in command of what British soldiers are stationed at Kingston. The fat, florid one presents first mate Jack Paul to her Hector, tells the tale of the rescue, and thereupon the three go in to dinner. Later, first mate Jack Paul and his host smoke in the deep veranda, where, during the cool of the evening, Sir Holman drinks sangaree, and first mate Jack Paul drinks Madeira. Also Sir Holman inveighs against the Horse Guards for consigning him to such a pit of Tophet as is Kingston. Between sangaree and maledictions levelled at the Horse Guards, Sir Holman gives first mate Jack Paul word of a brig, the King George’s Packet, out of China for Kingston with tea, which he looks for every day. Discharging its tea, the King George’s Packet will load with rum for Whitehaven; and Sir Holman declares that first mate Jack Paul shall sail therein, a passenger-guest, for home. Sir Holman is able to promise this, since the fat, florid rescued one is the child of Shipowner Donald of Donald, Currie Beck, owners of the King George’s Packet. “Which makes me,” expounds Sir Holman, his nose in the sangaree, “a kind of son-in-law to the brig itself.” He grumblingly intimates—he is far gone in sangaree at the time— that a fleet of just such sea-trinkets as the King George’s Packet, so far as he has experimented with the marital condition, constitutes the one redeeming feature of wedlock. “And so,” concludes the excellent Sir Holman, “you’re to go home with the rum, guest of the ship itself; and the thing I could weep over is that I cannot send my kit aboard and sail with you.” Two days go by, and the King George’s Packet is sighted off Port Royal; twenty-four hours later its master, Captain Macadam—-a Solway man—is drinking Sir Holman’s sangaree. Making good his word, Sir Holman sends for first mate Jack Paul, and that business of going passenger to Whitehaven is adjusted.
  • 65. “True!” observes Captain Macadam, when he understands—“true, the George isn’t fitted up for passengers. But”—turning to first mate Jack Paul—“you’ll no mind; bein’ a seaman yours eh?” “More than that, Captain,” breaks in Sir Holman, “since the port is reeling full of yellow jack, some of your people might take it to sea with them. Should aught go wrong, now, why here is your passenger, a finished sailorman, to give you a lift.” Captain Macadam’s face has been tanned like leather. None the less, as he hears the above the mahogany hue thereof lapses into a pasty, piecrust color. Plainly that word yellow jack fills his soul with fear. He mentions the wearisome fact to first mate Jack Paul, as he and that young gentleman, after their cigars and sangaree with Sir Holman, are making a midnight wake for the change house whereat they have bespoken beds. “It’s no kindly,” complains Captain Macadam, “for Sir Holman to let me run my brig blindfold into sic a snare. But then he has a fourth share in the tea, and another in the rum; and so, for his profit like, he lets me tak’ my chances. He’d stude better wi’ God on high I’m thinkin’, if he’d let his profit gone by, and just had a pilot boat standin’ off and on at Port Royal, to gi’ me the wink to go wide. I could ha’ taken the tea to New York weel enou’. But bein’ I’m here,” concludes the disturbed Captain, appealing to first mate Jack Paul, “what would ye advise?” “To get your tea ashore and your rum aboard as fast as you may.” “Ay! that’ll about be the weesdom of it!” Captain Macadam can talk of nothing but yellow jack all the way to the change house. “It’s the first time I was ever in these watters,” he explains apologetically, “and now I can smell fever in the air! Ay! the hond o’ death is on these islands! Be ye no afeard, mon?” First mate Jack Paul says that he is not. Also he is a trifle irritated at the alarm of the timorous Captain Macadam.
  • 66. “That’ll just be your youth now!” observes the timorous one. “Ye’re no old enou’ to grasp the responsibeelities.” At four in the morning Captain Macadam comes into first mate Jack Paul’s room at the change house. He is clad in his linen sleeping suit, and his teeth are chattering a little. “It’s the bein’ ashore makes my teeth drum,” he vouchsafes. “But what I wushed to ask ye, lad, is d’ye believe in fortunes? No? Weel, then, neither do I; only I remembered like that lang syne a wierd warlock sort o’ body tells me in the port o’ Leith, that I’m to meet my death in the West Injies. It’s the first time, as I was tellin’ ye, that ever I comes pokin’ my snout amang these islands; and losh! I believe that warlock chiel was right. I’ve come for my death sure.” Captain Macadam promises his crew’ double grog and double wages, and works night and day lightering his tea ashore, and getting his rum casks into the King George’s Packet. Then he calls a pilot, and, with a four-knot breeze behind him, worms his way along the narrow, corkscrew channel, until he finds himself in open water. Then the pilot goes over the side, and Captain Macadam takes the brig. He casts an anxious eye astern at Port Royal, four miles away. “I’ll no feel safe,” says he, “while yon Satan’s nest is under my quarter. And afterward I’ll no feel safe neither. How many days, mon, is a victeem to stand by and look for symptoms?” First mate Jack Paul, to whom the query is put, gives it as his opinion that, if they have yellow fever aboard, it will make its appearance within the week. “Weel that’s a mercy ony way!” says Captain Macadam with a sigh. There are, besides first mate Jack Paul, and the Captain with his two officers, twelve seamen and the cook—seventeen souls in all— aboard the King George’s Packet as, north by east, it crawls away from Port Royal. For four days the winds hold light but fair. Then come head winds, and the brig finds itself making long tacks to and
  • 67. fro in the Windward Passage, somewhere between Cape Mazie and the Mole St. Nicholas. “D’ye see, mon!” cries Captain Macadam, whose fears have increased, not diminished, since he last saw the Jamaica lights. “The vera weather seeks to keep us in this trap! I’ll no be feelin’ ower weel neither, let me tell ye!” First mate Jack Paul informs the alarmed Captain that to fear the fever is to invite it. “I’m no afeard, mon,” returns Captain Macadam, with a groan, “I’m just impressed.” The timidities of the Captain creep among the mates and crew; forward and aft the feeling is one of terror. The King George’s Packet becomes a vessel of gloom. There are no songs, no whistling for a wind. Even the cook’s fiddle is silent, and the galley grows as melancholy as the forecastle. It is eight bells in the afternoon of the fourth day, when the man at the wheel calls to Captain Macadam. He tosses his thumb astern. “Look there!” says he. Captain Macadam peers over the rail, and counts eleven huge sharks. The monsters are following the brig. Also, they seem in an ugly mood, since ever and anon they dash at one another ferociously. “It’ll be a sign!” whispers Captain Macadam. Then he counts them. “There’ll be ‘leven o’ them,” says he; “and that means we’re ‘leven to die!” After this he dives below, and takes to the bottle. Bleared of eye, shaken of hand, Captain Macadam on the fifth morning finds first mate Jack Paul on the after deck. The eleven sharks are still sculling sullenly along in the slow wake of the wind- bound brig. “Be they there yet?” asks Captain Macadam, looking over the stern with a ghastly grin. Then answering his own query: “Ay! they’ll
  • 68. be there—the ‘leven of ‘em!” First mate Jack Paul, observing their daunting effect on the over- harrowed nerves of Captain Macadam, is for having up his pistols to take a shot at the sharks; but he is stayed by the other. “They’ll be sent,” says Captain Macadam; “it’ll no do to slay ‘em, mon! But losh! ain’t a sherk a fearfu’ feesli?” Then, seeing his hand shake on the brig’s rail: “It’s the rum. And that’s no gude omen, me takin’ to the rum; for I’m not preeceesely what you’d ca’ a drinkin’ body.” Two hours later Captain Macadam issues from his cabin and seeks first mate Jack Paul, where the latter is sitting in the shade of the main sail. “Mon, look at me!” he cries. “D’ye no see? I tell ye, Death has found me oot on the deep watters!” The single glance assures first mate Jack Paul that Captain Macadam is right. His eyes are congested and ferrety; his face is flushed. Even while first mate Jack Paul looks, he sees the skin turn yellow as a lemon. He thumbs the sick man’s wrist; the pulse is thumping like a trip-hammer. Also, the dry, fevered skin shows an abnormal temperature. “Your tongue!” says first mate Jack Paul; for he has a working knowledge of yellow jack. It is but piling evidence upon evidence; the tongue is the color of liver. Three hours later, the doomed man is delirious. Then the fever gives way to a chill; presently he goes raving his way into eternity, and the King George’s Packet loses its Captain. First mate Jack Paul sews the dead skipper in a hammock with his own fingers; since, mates, crew and cook, not another will bear a hand. When the hammock sewing is over, the cook aids in bringing the corpse on deck. As the body slips from the grating into the sea, a thirty-two pound shot at the heels, the cook laughs overboard at
  • 69. the sharks, still hanging, like hounds upon a scent, to the brig’s wake. “Ye’ll have to dive for the skipper, lads!” sings out the cook. Offended by this ribaldry, first mate Jack Paul is on the brink of striking the cook down with a belaying pin. For his own nerves are a- jangle, and that misplaced merriment rasps. It is the look in the man’s face which stays his hand. “Ye’ll be right!” cries the cook, as though replying to something in the eye of first mate Jack Paul. “Don’t I know it? It is I who’ll follow the skipper! I’ll just go sew my own hammock, and have it ready, shot and all.” As the cook starts for the galley, a maniac yell is heard from the forecastle. At that, he pauses, sloping his ear to listen. “I’ll have company,” says he. First the cook; then the mates; then seven of the crew. One after the other, they follow a thirty-two pound shot over the side; for after the Captain’s death the sailors lose their horror of the plague-killed ones, and sew them up and slip them into the sea as readily as though they are bags of bran. The worst is that a fashion of dull panic takes them, and they refuse their duty. There is no one to command, they say; and, since there can be no commands, there can be no duty. With that they hang moodily about the capstan, or sulk in their bunks below. First mate Jack Paul takes the wheel, rather than leave the King George’s Packet to con itself across the ocean. As he is standing at the wheel trying to make a plan to save the brig and himself, he observes a sailor blundering aft. The man dives below, and the next moment, through the open skylights, first mate Jack Paul hears him rummaging the Captain’s cabin. In a trice, he lashes the wheel, and slips below on the heels of the sailor. As he surmises, the man is at the rum. Without word spoken, he knocks the would-be rum guzzler over, and then kicks him up the companion way to the deck.
  • 70. Pausing only to stick a couple of pistols in his belt, first mate Jack Paul follows that kicked seaman with a taste for rum. He walks first to the wheel. The wind is steady and light; for the moment the brig will mind itself. Through some impulse he glances over the stern; the sharks are gone. This gives him a thought; he will use the going of the sharks to coax the men. The five are grouped about the capstan, the one who was struck is bleeding like tragedy. First mate Jack Paul makes them a little speech. “There are no more to die,” says he. “The called-for eleven are dead, and the sharks no longer follow us. That shows the ship free of menace; we’re all to see England again. And now, mates”—there is that in the tone which makes the five look up—“I’ve a bit of news. From now, until its anchors are down in Whitehaven basin, I shall command this ship.” “You?” speaks up a big sailor. “You’re no but a boy!” “I’m man enough to sail the brig to England, and make you work like a dog, you swab!” The look in the eye of first mate Jack Paul, makes the capstan quintette uneasy. He goes on: “Come, my hearties, which shall it be? Sudden death? or you to do your duty by brig and owners? For, as sure as ever I saw the Solway, the first who doesn’t jump to my order, I’ll plant a brace of bullets in his belly!” And so rebellion ceases; the five come off their gloomings and their grumblings, and spring to their work of sailing the brig. It is labor night and day, however, for all aboard; but the winds blow the fever away, the gales favor them, one and all they seem to have worn out the evil fortune which dogged them out of Kingston. The King George’s Packet comes safe, at the last of it, into Whitehaven —-first mate Jack Paul and his crew of five looking for the lack of sleep like dead folk walking the decks. Donald, Currie Beck pay a grateful salvage on brig and cargo to first mate Jack Paul and the five, for bringing home the brig. This puts six hundred pounds into the pockets of first mate Jack Paul,
  • 71. and one-fifth as much into the pockets of each of the five. Then Donald, Currie Beck have first mate Jack Paul to dinner with the firm. “We’ve got a ship for ye,” says shipowner Donald, as the wine is being passed. “Ye’re to be Captain.” “Captain!” repeats first mate Jack Paul. “A ship for me?” “Who else, then!” returns shipowner Donald. “Ay! it’s the Crantully Castle, four hundred tons, out o’ Plymouth for Bombay. Ye’re to be Captain; besides, ye’re to have a tenth in the cargo. And now if that suits ye, gentlemen”—addressing shipowners Currie Beck—“let the firm of Donald, Currie Beck fill up the glasses to the Crantully Castle and its new Captain, Jack Paul.”
  • 72. C CHAPTER IV—THE KILLING OF MUNGO aptain Jack Paul and his Grantully Castle see friendly years together. They go to India, to Spain, to the West Indies, to the Mediterranean, to Africa. While Captain Jack Paul is busy with the Grantully Castle, piling up pounds and shillings and pence for owners Donald, Currie Beck, he is also deep with the books, hammering at French, Spanish and German. Ashore, he makes his way into what best society he can find, being as eager to refine his manners as refine his mind, holding the one as much an education as is the other. Finally he is known in every ocean for the profundity of his learning, the polish of his deportment, the power of his fists, and the powder-like explosiveness of his temper. It is a cloudy October afternoon when Captain Jack Paul works the Grantully Castle out of Plymouth, shakes free his canvas, and fills away on the starboard tack for Tobago. The crew is an evil lot, and a spirit of mutiny stirs in the ship. Captain Jack Paul, who holds that a good sailor is ever a good grumbler, can overlook a deal in favor of this aphorism; and does. On the sixth day out, however, when his first officer, Mr. Sands, staggers below with a sheath-knife through his shoulder, it makes a case to which no commander can afford to seem blind. “It was Mungo!” explains the wounded Mr. Sands. Captain Jack Paul goes on deck, and takes his stand by the main mast. “Pipe all hands aft, Mr. Cooper,” he says to the boatswain. The crew straggle aft. They offer a circling score of brutal faces; in each the dominant expression is defiance.
  • 73. “The man Mungo!” says Captain Jack Paul. “Where is he?” At the word, a gigantic black slouches out from among his mates. Sloping shoulders, barrel body, long, swinging arms like a gorilla’s, bandy legs, huge hands and feet, head the size and shape of a cocoanut, small, black serpent eyes, no soul unless a fiend’s soul, Mungo is at once tyrant, pride and leader of the forecastle. Rumor declares that he has sailed pirate in his time, and should be sun- drying in chains on the gibbet at Corso Castle. As he stands before Captain Jack Paul, Mungo’s features are in a black snarl of fury. It is in his heart to do murderously more for his captain than he did for first officer Sands. He waits only the occasion before making a spring. Captain Jack Paul looks him over with a grim stare as he slouches before him. “Mr. Cooper,” says Captain Jack Paul after a moment, during which he reads the black Mungo like a page of print, “fetch the irons!” The boatswain is back on deck with a pair of steel wristlets in briefest space. He passes them to Captain Jack Paul. At this, Mungo glowers, while the mutinous faces in the background put on a dull sullenness. There are a brace of pistols in the belt of Captain Jack Paul, of which the sullen dull ones do not like the look. Mungo, a black berserk, cares little for the pistols, seeing he is in a white-hot rage, the hotter for being held in present check. Captain Jack Paul, on his part, is in no wise asleep; he notes the rolling, roving, bloodshot eye, like the eye of a wild beast at bay, and is prepared. “Hold out your hands!” comes the curt command. Plainly it is the signal for which Mungo waited. With a growling roar, bear-like in its guttural ferocity, he rushes upon Captain Jack Paul. The roaring rush is of the suddenest, but the latter is on the alert. Quick as is Mungo, Captain Jack Paul is quicker. Seizing a belaying-pin, he brings it crashing down on the skull of the roaring, charging black. The heavy, clublike pin is splintered; Mungo drops to the deck, a shivering heap. The great hands close and open; the muscles clutch and knot under the black skin; there is a choking
  • 74. gurgle. Then the mighty limbs relax; the face tarns from black to a sickly tallow. Mouth agape, eyes wide and staring, Mungo lies still. Captain Jack Paul surveys the prostrate black. Then he tosses the irons to Boatswain Cooper. “They will not be needed, Mr. Bo’sen,” he says. “Pipe the crew for’ard!” The keen whistle sings; the mutinous ones scuttle forward, like fowls that hear the high scream of some menacing hawk.. It is two bells in the evening; the port watch, in charge of the knife-wounded Mr. Sands, has the deck. The dead Mungo, tight- clouted in a hammock, lies stretched on a grating, ready for burial. Captain Jack Paul comes up from his cabin. In his hand he carries a prayer-book. Also those two pistols are still in his belt. “Turn out the watch below!” is the word. The crew makes a silent half-circle about the dead Mungo. That mutinous sullenness, recently the defiant expression of their faces, is supplanted by a deprecatory look, composite of apology and fear. It is as though they would convince Captain Jack Paul of their tame and sheep-like frame of thought. The fate of Mungo has instructed them; for one and all they are of that criminal, coward brood, best convinced by a club and with whom death is the only conclusive argument. As they stand uncovered about the rigid one in the clouted hammock, they realize in full the villainy of mutiny, and abandon that ship-rebellion which has been forecastle talk and plan since ever the Plymouth lights went out astern. Captain Jack Paul reads a prayer, and the dead Mungo is surrendered to the deep. As the body goes splashing into the sea, Captain Jack Paul turns on the subdued ones. “Let me tell you this, my men!” says he. His tones have a cold, threatening ring, like the clink of iron on arctic ice. “The first of you who so much as lifts an eyebrow in refusal of an order shall go the same voyage as the black. And so I tell you!”
  • 75. Captain Jack Paul brings the Grantully Castle into Tobago, crew as it might be a crew of lambs. Once his anchors are down, he signals for the port admiral. Within half an hour the gig of that dignitary is alongside. The Honorable Simpson, Judge Surrogate of the Vice-Admiralty Court of Tobago, with the Honorable Young, Lieutenant-Governor of the colony, to give him countenance, opens court in the after cabins of the Grantully Castle. The crew are examined, man after man. They say little, lest they themselves be caught in some law net, and landed high and dry in the Tobago jail. First Officer Sands shows his wound and tells his story. Throughout the inquiry Captain Jack Paul sits in silence, listening and looking on. He puts no questions to either mate or crew. When First Officer Sands is finished, the Honorable Simpson asks: “Captain, in the killing of the black, Mungo, are you in conscience convinced that you used no more force than was necessary to preserve discipline in your ship?” “May it please,” returns Captain Jack Paul, who has not been at his books these years for nothing, and is fit to cope with a king’s counsel —“may it please, I would say that it was necessary in the course of duty to strike the mutineer Mungo. This was on the high seas. Whenever it becomes necessary for a commanding officer to strike a seaman, it is necessary to strike with a weapon. Also, the necessity to strike carries with it the necessity to kill or disable the mutineer. I call your attention to the fact that I had loaded pistols in my belt, and could have shot the mutineer Mungo. I struck with a belaying-pin in preference, because I hoped that I might subdue him without killing him. The result proved otherwise. I trust your Honorable Court will take due account that, although armed with pistols throwing ounce balls, weapons surely fatal in my hands, I used a belaying-pin, which, though a dangerous, is not necessarily a fatal weapon.”
  • 76. Upon this statement, the Honorable Simpson and the Honorable Young confer. As the upcome of their conference, the Honorable Simpson announces judgment, exonerating Captain Jack Paul. “The sailor Mungo, being at the time on the high seas, was in a state of mutiny.” Thus runs the finding as set forth in the records of the Vice-Admiralty Court of Tobago. “The sailor Mungo was mutinous under circumstances which lodged plenary power in the hands of the master of the vessel. Therefore, the homicide was justifiable, because it had become the only means of maintaining the discipline required for the safety of the ship.” The court rises, and Captain Jack Paul bows the Honorable Simpson and the Honorable Young over the side. When they are clear, First Officer Sands addresses Captain Jack Paul. “Are the crew to be set ashore, sir?” he asks. “What! Mr. Sands, would you discharge the best crew we’ve ever had?” He continues as though replying to his first officer’s look of astonishment. “I grant you they were a trifle uncurried at first. The error of their ways, however, broke upon them with all clearness in the going of Mungo. As matters now are, compared to the Grantully Castle, a dove-cote is a merest theatre of violence and murderous blood. No, Mr. Sands; we will keep our crew if you please. Should there be further mutiny, why then there shall be further belaying- pins, I promise you.” The Grantully Castle goes finally back to England, the most peaceful creature of oak and cordage that ever breasted the Atlantic. Cargo discharged, the ship is sent into winter overhaul. “As for you, sir,” remarks owner Donald, of Donald, Currie Beck, shoving the wine across to Captain Jack Paul, “ye’re just a maister mariner of gold! Ye’ll no wait ashore for the Grantully Castle. We’ve been buildin’ ye a new ship at our Portsmouth yards. She’s off the ways a month, and s’uld be sparred and rigged and ready for the waves by now. We’ve called her The Two Friends.”
  • 78. T CHAPTER V—THE SAILOR TURNS PLANTER he wooded April banks of the Rappahannock are flourishing in the new green of an early Virginia spring. The bark Two Friends, Captain Jack Paul, out of Whitehaven by way of Lisbon, Madeira, and Kingston, comes picking her dull way up the river, and anchors midstream at the foot of the William Jones plantation. Almost coincident with the splash of the anchors, the Two Friends has her gig in the water, and the next moment Captain Jack Paul takes his place in the stern sheets. “Let fall!” comes the sharp command, as he seizes the tiller-ropes. The four sailors bend their strong backs, the four oars swing together like clockwork, and the gig heads for the plantation landing where a twenty-ton sloop, current-vexed, lies gnawing at her ropes. At twenty-six, Captain Jack Paul is the very flower of a quarter- deck nobility. He has not the advantage of commanding height; but the lean, curved nose, clean jaw, firmly-lined month, steady stare of the brown eyes, coupled at the earliest smell of opposition with a frowning falcon trick of brow like a threat, are as a commission to him, signed and countersigned by nature, to be ever a leader of men. In figure he is five feet seven inches, and the scales telling his weight consent to one hundred and forty-five pounds. His hands and feet are as small as a woman’s. By way of offset to this, his shoulders, broad and heavy, and his deep chest arched like the deck of a whale-back, speak of anything save the effeminate. In his movements there is a feline graceful accuracy with over all a resolute atmosphere of enterprise. To his men, he is more than a captain; he is a god. Prudent at once and daring, he shines a master of seamanship, and never the sailor serves with him who would not
  • 79. name him a mariner without a flaw. He is born to inspire faith in men. This is as it should be, by his own abstract picture of a captain, which he will later furnish Doctor Franklin: “Your captain,” he will say, when thus informing that philosopher, “your captain, Doctor, should have the blind confidence of his sailors. It is his beginning, his foundation, wanting which he can be no true captain. To his men your captain must he prophet, priest and king. His authority when off-shore is necessarily absolute, and therefore the crew should be as one man impressed that the captain, like the sovereign, can do no wrong. If a captain fail in this, he cannot make up for it by severity, austerity or cruelty. Use force, apply restraint, punish as he may, he will always have a sullen crew and an unhappy ship.” The nose of the gig grates on the river’s bank, and Captain Jack Paul leaps ashore. He is greeted by a tall, weather-beaten old man— grizzled and gray. The form of the latter is erect, with a kind of ramrod military stiffness. His dress is the rough garb of the Virginia overseer in all respects save headgear. Instead of the soft wool hat, common of his sort, the old man cocks over his watery left eye a Highland bonnet, and this, with its hawk’s feather, fastened by a silver clasp, gives to his costume a crag and heather aspect altogether Scotch. The gray old man, with a grinning background of negro slaves, waits for the landing of Captain Jack Paul. As the latter springs ashore, the old man throws up his hand in a military salute. “And how do we find Duncan Macbean!” cries Captain Jack Paul. “How also is my brother! I trust you have still a bale or two of winter-cured tobacco left that we may add to our cargo!” “As for the tobacco, Captain Paul,” returns old Duncan Macbean, “ye’re a day or so behind the fair, since the maist of it sailed Englandward a month hack, in the brig Flora Belle. As for your brother William of whom ye ask, now I s’uld say ye were in gude time just to hear his dying words.”
  • 80. “What’s that, Duncan Macbean!” exclaims Captain Jack Paul. “William dying!” “Ay, dying! He lies nearer death than he’s been any time since he and I marched with General Braddock and Colonel Washington, against the red salvages of the Ohio. But you s’uld come and see him at once, you his born brother, and no stand talking here.” “It’s lung fever, Jack,” whispers the sick man, as Captain Jack Paul draws a chair to the side of the bed. “It’s deadly, too; I can feel it. I’ll not get up again.” “Come, come, brother,” retorts Captain Jack Paul cheerfully, “you’re no old man to talk of death—you, with your fewer than fifty years. I’ll see you up and on your pins again before I leave.”
  • 81. “No, Jack, it’s death. And you’ve come in good time, too, since there’s much to talk between us. You know how our cousin left me his heir, if I would take his name of Jones?” “Assuredly I know.” “And so,” continues the dying man, “my name since his passing away has been William Paul Jones. Now when it is my turn to go, I must tell you that, by a clause of the old man’s will, he writes you in after me as legatee. I’m to die, Jack; and you’re to have the plantation. Only you must clap ‘Jones’ to your name, and be not John Paul, but John Paul Jones, as you take over the estate.”
  • 82. “What’s this? I’m to heir the plantation after you?” “So declares the will. On condition, however, that you also take the name of Jones. That should not be hard; ‘Jones’ is one of our family names, and he that leaves you the land was our kinsman.” “Why, then,” cries Captain Jack Paul, “I wasn’t hesitating for that. Paul is a good name, but so also is Jones. Only, I tell you, brother, I hate to make my fortune by your death.” “That’s no common-sense, Jack. I die the easier knowing my going makes way for your good luck. And the plantation’s a gem, Jack; never a cold or sour acre in the whole three thousand, but all of it warm, sweet land. There’re two thousand acres of woods; and I’d leave that stand.” The dying man, being Scotch, would give advice on his deathbed. “The thousand acres now under plow are enough.” Then, after a pause: “Ye’ll be content ashore? You’re young yet; you’re not so wedded to the sea, I think, but you’ll turn planter with good grace?” “No fear, William. I’ve had good fortune by the sea; but then I’ve met ill fortune also. By and large, I shall be very well content to turn planter.” “It’s gainful, Jack, being a planter is. Only keep Duncan Macbean by you to manage, and he’ll turn you in one thousand golden guineas profit every Christmas day, and you never to lift hand or give thought to the winning of them.” “Is the plantation as gainful as that? Now I have but three thousand guineas to call mine, after sailing these years.” “Ay! it’s gainful, Jack. If you will work, too, there’s that to keep you busy. There’s the grist mill, the thirty slaves, the forty horses, besides the cows and swine and sheep to look after; as well as the negro quarters, the tobacco houses, the stables, and the great mansion itself to keep up. They’ll all serve to fill in the time busily, if you should like it that way. Only Jack, with the last of it, always leave everything to Duncan Macbean. A rare and wary man is old Duncan, and saving of money down to farthings.”
  • 83. “Whose sloop is that at the landing!” asks Captain Jack Paul, willing to shift the subject. “Oh, yon sloop! She goes with the plantation; she’ll be yours anon, brother. And there you are: When the sea calls to you, Jack, as she will call, you take the sloop. Cato and Scipio are good sailors, well trained to the coast clear away to Charleston.” And so William Paul Jones dies, and John Paul takes his place on the plantation. His name is no longer John Paul, but John Paul Jones; and, as his dying brother counselled, he keeps old Duncan Macbean to be the manager. When his brother is dead, Captain Jack Paul joins his mate, Laurence Edgar, on the deck of the Two Friends, swinging tide and tide on her anchors. “Mate Edgar,” says Captain Jack Paul, “it is the last time I shall plank this quarterdeck as captain. I’m to stay; and you’re to take the ship home to Whitehaven. And now, since you’re the captain, and I’m no more than a guest, suppose you order your cabin boy to get us a bottle of the right Madeira, and we’ll drink fortune to the bark and her new master.”
  • 84. I CHAPTER VI—THE FIRST BLOW IN VIRGINIA t is a soundless, soft December evening. The quietly falling flakes are cloaking in thin white the streets and roofs of Norfolk. Off shore, a cable’s length, an English sloop of war, eighteen guns, lies tugging at her anchors. In shore from the sloop of war rides the peaceful twenty-ton sloop of Planter Paul Jones. The sailor- planter, loitering homeward from a cruise to Charleston and the coast towns of the Carolinas, is calling on friends in Norfolk. Both the war sloop and the peace sloop seem almost deserted in the falling snow. Aside from the harbor light burning high in the rigging, and an anchor watch of two sailors muffled to the ears, the decks of neither craft show signs of life. Norfolk’s public hall is candle-lighted to a pitch of unusual brilliancy; the waxed floors are thronged with the beauty and gentility of the Old Dominion, as the same find Norfolk expression. It is indeed a mighty social occasion; for the local élite have seized upon the officers of the sloop of war, and are giving a ball in their honor. The honored ones attend to a man—which accounts for the deserted look of their sloop—and their gold lace blazes bravely by the light of the candles, and with tremendous gala effect. Planter Paul Jones is also among the guests. Since he is in town, his coming to the ball becomes the thing most natural. Already he is regarded as the Admirable Crichton, of tide-water Virginia, and the function wanting his presence would go down to history as incomplete. Paul Jones, planter for two years, has made himself a foremost figure in Virginia. Twenty-eight, cultured, travelled, gallant, brilliant, and a bachelor, he is welcome in every drawing-room. Besides, is
  • 85. there not the Jones plantation, with its mile of river front, its noble mansion house, its tobacco teeming acres, its well-trained slaves, and all turning in those yearly one thousand yellow guineas under the heedful managing thumb of canny Duncan Macbean? Planter Paul Jones is a prince for hospitality, too; and the high colonial dames, taking pity on his wifeless state, preside at his table, or chaperone the water parties which he gives on his great sloop. Also —still considering his wifelessness—they seek to marry him to one of their colonial daughters. In this latter dulcet intrigue, the high colonial dames fail wholly. The young planter-sailor is not a marrying man. There is in truth a blushing story which lasts throughout a fortnight in which he is quoted as about to yield. Rumor gives it confidently forth that the Jones mansion will have a mistress, and its master carry altar-ward Betty Parke, the pretty niece of Madam Martha Washington. But pretty Betty Parke, in the very face of this roseate rumor, becomes Mrs. Tyler, and it will be one of her descendants who, seventy-five years later, is chosen President—a poor President, but still a President. Planter Paul Jones rides to the wedding of pretty Betty Parke, and gives it his serene and satisfied countenance. From which sign it is supposed that Dame Rumor mounts by the wrong stirrup when she goes linking the name of pretty Betty Parke with that of Planter Paul Jones; and no love-letter scrap, nor private journal note, will ever rise from the grave to disparage the assumption. That Planter Paul Jones has thus lived for two years, and moved and had his social being among the most beautiful of women, and escaped hand free and heart free to tell the tale, is strange to the brink of marvellous. It is the more strange since no one could be more than he the knight of dames. And he can charm, too—as witness a letter which two years farther on the unimpressionable Doctor Franklin will write to Madam d’Haudetot: “No matter, my dear madam,” the cool philosopher will say, “what the faults of Paul Jones may be, I must warn your ladyship that when face to face with him neither man nor, so far as I learn,
  • 86. woman, can for a moment resist the strange magnetism of his presence, the indescribable charm of his manner; a commingling of the most compliant deference with the most perfect self-esteem that I have ever seen in a man; and above all the sweetness of his voice and the purity of his language.” Paul Jones is not alone the darling of colonial drawing-rooms, he is also the admiration of the men. This is his description as given by one who knew him afloat and ashore: “Though of slender build, his neck, arms and shoulders were those of a heavy, powerful man. The strength of his arms and shoulders could hardly be believed. And he had equal use of both hands, even to writing with the left as well as with the right. He was a past master of the art of boxing. To this he added a quickness of motion that cannot be described. When roused he could strike more blows and cause more havoc in a second than any other could strike or cause in a minute. Even when calm and unruffled his gait and all his bodily motions were those of the panther—noiseless, sleek, the perfection of grace.” The above, by way of portrait: When one adds to it that Planter Paul Jones rides like a Prince Rupert, fences like a Crillon, gives blows with his fist that would stagger Jack Slack, and is death itself with either gun or pistol, it will be seen how he owns every quality that should pedestal him as a paragon in the best circles of his day. It is towards the hour of midnight when Planter Paul Jones, attired like a Brummel, stands in quiet converse with his friend Mr. Hurst. Their talk runs on the state of sentiment in the colonies, and the chance of trouble with the motherland. “Hostilities are certain, my dear Hurst,” says Planter Paul Jones. “I hear it from Colonel Washington, Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Henry. They make no secret of it in Williamsburg about the House of Burgesses.” “But the other colonies’?” “Mr. Morris of Philadelphia, as well as Mr. Pynckney of Charleston, agrees with the gentlemen I’ve quoted. They say, sir, there will soon
  • 87. be an outbreak in Boston.” “In Boston!” repeats Mr. Hurst doubtfully. “Have the Massachusetts men the courage, think you?” “Courage, ay! and the strength, my friend! Both Colonel Washington and Mr. Jefferson assured me that, although slow to anger, they are true sons of Cromwell’s Ironsides. “And what shall be our attitude?” “We must sustain them at all hazards, sir—sustain them to the death!” It is now that a knot of English officers drift up—a little flushed of wine, are these guests of honor. They, too, have been talking, albeit thickly, of a possible future full of trouble for the colonies. “I was observing,” says Lieutenant Parker, addressing Planter Paul Jones and Mr. Hurst, “that the insolence of the Americans, which is more or less in exhibition all the way from Boston to Savannah, will never get beyond words. There will be no blows struck.” “And why are you so confident?” asks Planter Paul Jones, eye agate, voice purringly soft. “Now I should say that, given provocation, the colonies would strike a blow, and a heavy one.” “When do you sail?” interrupts Mr. Hurst, speaking to Lieutenant Parker. Mr. Hurst would shift conversation to less perilous ground. As a mover of the ball, he is in sort host to the officers, as well as to Planter Paul Jones, and for the white credit of the town desires a peaceful evening. “I hear,” he concludes, “that your sloop is for a cruise off the French coast.” “She and the fleet she belongs to,” responds Lieutenant Parker, utterance somewhat blurred, “will remain on this station while a word of rebel talk continues.” “Now, instead of keeping you here,” breaks in Planter Paul Jones, vivaciously, “to hector peaceful colonies, if I were your king I should send you to wrest Cape Good Hope from the Dutch.”
  • 88. “Cape Good Hope from the Dutch?” “Or the Isles of France and Bourbon from the French—lying, as they do, like lions in the pathway to our Indian possessions. If I were your king, I say, those would be the tasks I’d set you.” “And why do you say ‘your king?’ Is he not also your king?” “Why, sir, I might be pleasantly willing,” observes Planter Paul Jones airily, “to give you my share in King George. In any event, I do not propose that you shall examine into my allegiance. And I say again that, if I were your king, sir, I’d find you better English work to do than an irritating and foolish patrol of these coasts.” “You spoke of the Americans striking a blow,” says Lieutenant Parker, who is gifted of that pertinacity of memory common to half- drunken men; “you spoke but a moment back of the Americans striking a blow, and a heavy one.” “Ay, sir! a blow—given provocation.” Lieutenant Parker wags his head with an air of sagacity both bibulous and supercilious. He smiles victoriously, as a fortunate comparison bobs up to his mind. “A blow!” he murmurs. Then, fixing Planter Paul Jones with an eye of bleary scorn: “The Americans would be quickly lashed into their kennels again. The more easily, if the courage of the American men, as I think’s the case, is no more firmly founded than the chastity of the American women.”
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