Hi Ventuari
In Santa Marta they disch corn already via suction,,before 4-5 days now 2-3 days,, but other ports are still slow go.
Maracaibo, full load ,30500 tons,, about 2-3 weeks,,same for P. Cabello or La Guairá. In Brasil most smaller ports also 3-6 days with petcoke as cargo. Nevertheless still much better than 12 hrs with container !!!!

Hi Captain Ted. You are right. Agree with you 100% until they discover...( somebody...)a new kind of machine system with suction-loading faster and ultra-mega-hiper efficient. Sailor life its not like before anymore.
MBregards.
ventuari

@Henning,, I have some other pics from the opposite conditions :-))
@Ventuari
I hear,, bulkers are the only section of shipping where one is still 3-7 days in ports,, all else one can forget
@ Denis
thanks

Very beautiful view!

Hi Captain Ted. Nice shot. Beautiful colors. Talking about cont.ships., thats why "I said goodbye" to sea life in the 90s.In my case, besides your reasons ( bus driver the N.1), I would include no time (enough) at any port to enjoy the real sailors life ( as before ). I missed a lot tramp vessels and my old general cargo ships. When I was Capt. in cont.vessels I felt like a time and office slave, not as a real captain.
MBregards.
ventuari

Conditions like on the pic gave him the name "Il pacifico".
I have seen it differently :-)

I liked ships deck.
Rgds.
Antonio

@ JUERGEN
Thanks pointing it out, I left Conts in 2008 when I realized that as Capt you are not much more than a bus driver o those ships and went to bulkers where you as Master have a much greater influence on ship and/or operations and one is at least to a certain extent still a Capt and not a "follow-office-direction" at any price

Hello @Captain Ted.

Which date is correct, 2006 or 2013?

Rgds.
Juergen