Cargo ships sit empty, waiting for economy to rebound

 Posted by on 13 May 2009  Modern Life
May 132009
 

Eye-popping numbers from a New York Times story about how cargo ships are just waiting outside of ports for business — any business. Check it:

  • Number of ships currently crowding the sea around the Singapore harbour: 735
  • Number of ships in the entire Spanish Armada: 130
  • Cost to charter a large bulk freighter last year: $300,000
  • Cost now: $25,000
  • Earlier this year: $10,000
  • Cost to ship a 40-foot steel container from China to Europe a year ago: $1,400 plus fuel
  • Cost now: $300
  • Cost earlier this year: $150
  • Total tonnage at Singapore right now: approximately 41 million tons
  • Total merchant tonnage in the whole world at the end of WWII: approximately 41 million tons
  • Percentage of the world’s shipping fleet that’s parked at Singapore right now: 4

Wow.

Grant Hamilton

  • the banana

    Cheap prices. Makes me wish I had a bunch of crap to ship to Europe. Maybe I’ll clean out the garage this weekend after all.

    • http://www.absurdintellectual.com/ Grant Hamilton

      Personally, I’d like to buy a couple of shipping containers — I think with some welding and what-not, they’d make killer post-apocalyptic style cottages. And, frankly, couldn’t cottage country use a little Mad Max?

    • http://www.absurdintellectual.com/ Grant Hamilton

      or, oh my god, I just thought: Ship OURSELVES to Europe! I mean, how many people do you think you could fit in a shipping container, if you didn’t pack ‘em in illegal-immigration style? Maybe eight or so? Pop some bunk beds in there, add some rations and a TV. Hook up a portable bike to some lights, and you’re good as gold!