Ramiro Chavez, Ship Agent
‘A Day in the Life’ A Ship Agent – Streamlining port visits
“A ship’s agency is like the branch office for tanker owners, operators, charterers and managers, looking out for their financial interests,” says Ramiro Chavez, manager of Biehl & Co’s Beaumont, Texas office. “If we do our job right and we’re lucky, we’re problem preventers. If something slips beyond our control, we get on top of it and become problem solvers.”
0330 hours
Ramiro Chavez’ home phone rings. It’s a helicopter pilot, locked in by fog, who cannot transport a US Coast Guard officer and surveyor to a crude oil tanker as scheduled at 0500 hours. The tanker is anchored 55 miles offshore in the US Gulf for lightering. Every detail Chavez had orchestrated for the tanker’s arrival – lightering, discharging and departure – must now be re-scheduled. He contacts the owner, the Master, the Coast Guard, the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), US Customs, the channel pilots, the tug service, the cargo receivers and the terminal.
0400
The phone rings again. The fog has also shut down the Houston Ship Channel, so the Channel pilots will not be able to board another tanker, the Nor-Dana, which Chavez had organised to proceed inbound to Houston at 0600. Chavez makes another string of calls to all involved with this second vessel.
0600
Chavez calls the pilots. No change in the weather yet. His pager buzzes. Nor-Dana’s charterers want a firm berthing time so they can schedule reloading. Chavez promises an answer ASAP.
0730
Good news: The sun is breaking through. The helicopter will depart for the crude oil tanker at 0800. The Channel pilots will board Nor-Dana at 0900. On his car phone, Chavez informs all the parties involved.
0830
On his office computer, six inter-company messages must wait. A US Coast Guard inspector and the cargo surveyor have boarded the crude oil tanker offshore. Inspecting the ship to update its expired Tank Vessel Exam Letter, the Coast Guard wants proof that an inert gas system (IGS) is working. Chavez telexes the Master for paperwork to document the problem. The surveyor, checking the tanker’s ullage, informs Chavez that 500 tonnes of the crude oil cargo is missing. Chavez advises the ship’s charterer, owner and operator of the details.
0845
Biehl’s office phones, fax and telex are buzzing.
0900
The dispatcher confirms a pilot is finally aboard Nor-Dana. Chavez gives the charterers the good news, advises the terminal of the vessel’s ETA at the dock, confirms boarding times with Customs and the INS, schedules linemen for mooring and confirms offloading time with the receiver.
0915
A charterer in London needs to know financial projections and terminal restrictions for a vessel arriving in eight weeks. Paperwork from two tankers that sailed yesterday must be completed. Five more tankers are due in the next three days: Chavez arranges their schedules, coordinates the delivery of spares and prepares paperwork. Biehl’s port handbook provides information on the Beaumont/Port Arthur area’s 15-20 tanker docks, but Chavez always calls to confirm it. He is responsible for the ship’s every minute in port, and time wasted is money burned. All details are documented.
1400
As he leaves for the dock to greet Nor-Dana, Chavez checks his briefcase: he’ll need the endorsed bill of lading, checks for Customs and the INS, paycheck cash and packages of crew mail. He grabs a quick bite of lunch and stops at the bus station to pick up charts for the Master.
1500
Chavez checks in at the terminal’s main gate, picks up a hard hat and security badge, and proceeds to the dock. Fifteen minutes later, Customs and the INS arrive, impatient to board. The weather has turned, and it is beginning to rain.
1530
The ship is fast, but Chavez and the agents are still waiting for a cherry picker to install the gangway. When the Customs agent threatens to leave, the dockmaster magically finds one.
1600
Aboard with the agents, Chavez collects the vessel documents from the Master and completes paperwork for Customs. The second officer doesn’t have a visa; luckily, Chavez came prepared with a check for a visa waiver.
1630
Immigration has seen the crew and granted the most desirable visa waiver. The Customs agents have received tonnage tax and users fees. Chavez and the Master review Nor-Dana’s requirements for stores and spares. Timing is tricky for loading the half-tonne engine bearings Chavez has arranged for delivery to Nor-Dana, which must be loaded by a specially-equipped launch. They’ll have a one-hour window tomorrow, after the cargo hoses have been removed, to load before she sails again. One crewman has a high fever, so Chavez arranges for him to visit a doctor.
1700
After leaving the Captain’s office, Chavez stops by the cargo room to be assured that all parties are in agreement on the amount of cargo loaded on the vessel. The cargo hoses are hooked, and Nor-Dana begins discharging. Chavez returns to the office to send arrival messages to all concerned parties, then confirms tomorrow’s traffic with the pilots and tugs and sets a tentative departure order at 1500 hours tomorrow. After this, it’s back to the rest of the day’s business: faxes and telexes for tomorrow’s customers.
1730
Chavez calls home; he won’t be able to make it for dinner.
1800
Heading home, Chavez checks in with the motor tanker’s Master. Lightering will be complete by midnight. A cold front is coming, so the early morning will bring high winds and rough seas.
This article has been compiled with the assistance of Russell Mullins, Manager, Biehl & Co, Inc, Galveston, and Richard S Ludwig, Manager, Biehl & Co, Inc, Corpus Christi. Biehl & Co has port offices throughout the US Gulf and East Coast regions and represents a number of tanker and dry cargo charterers, operators, owners and managers.
SOURCE: INTERTANKO’s 1998 Annual Report
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