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Author Topic:   Green Maritime: M/V FAUST

jimh posted 01-29-2011 02:28 PM ET (US)
A tip of my hat to Sweden for their maritime company Wallenius Lines. I recently became aware of this fine marine company from a high-definition television (HDTV) documentary on their vessel M/V FAUST. M/V FAUST is classified as a Large Car and Truck Carrier (LCTC). This giant ship can transport 8,000 standard-size automobiles or a variety of other roll-on roll-off (RoRo) cargo. As a result of watching the documentary, I visited the Wallenius Lines website to learn more about the ship and the company. I was very impressed. While the size of the ship was impressive, what stood out was the manner in which the Wallenius Lines operates M/V FAUST.
M/V FAUST is owned by Wallenius Lines. They bore the (over) $300-million cost of construction, and collaborated with a cadre of marine design professionals to produce a vessel to their precise specifications. The vessel sails under the Swedish flag of registry. It is crewed by a Swedish crew that works for Wallenius. The vessel uses only the lowest sulfur content fuel available, buys its fuel from only one source, and carries enough fuel to permit around the world operation without refueling. The M/F FAUST uses careful methods to prevent ballast water contamination, uses only bio-degradable oils and lubricants, has reduced chemical use on-board as much as possible. No waste or waste water are ever discharged. As much as is possible with the current state of the art equipment, the M/V FAUST operates in the most ecologically friendly manner possible for an ocean-going commercial ship.
The M/V FAUST is part of a modern fleet of vessels operated by Wallenius Lines, which are all relatively new, and whose design and operation have been undertaken with care to reduce environmental impact. And all vessels are equipped with advanced electronic systems for navigation, operation, fire-fighting, and safety.
Wallenius Lines deserves recognition for this conduct. With our oceans filled with poorly-maintained, badly-designed, shoddily-operated ships, owned by a string of false front corporate entities to shield legal responsibility, financed by multi-national banks and syndicates, operated through leasing companies, crewed with low-paid third-world sailors who work for crew-supply companies who are exploited by low wages, long hours, and long separation from their families, it is fantastic to see an honest shipping company running a fleet of good ships with good crews.
In particular, I liked the personal history of the M/V FAUST captain. He began as a cabin boy, became a seaman, and worked his way up through the ranks, becoming a Third Mate, a Second Mate, a First Mate, and finally Captain. Isn't that how a career with a company is supposed to work?
Becoming aware of the M/V FAUST and Wallenius Lines was a great pleasure for me. I assume Wallenius Lines makes a profit. They are a fine example of responsible maritime operation on a global scale.
If Wallenius Lines can operate profitably like this, with the highest standards of ship design, ship crewing, and ship operation, is it anything but simple greed that produces the many other wretched ships that pollute our oceans, exploit their crews, and create a risk to all who encounter them?
And to Boston Whaler boats owners, if a mega-ship like M/V FAUST can operate with no-discharge and significantly reduced exhaust gas emission, shouldn't your Boston Whaler small boat be able to as well?
I encourage you to visit the Wallenius Lines website to learn more about this company. They are a great example of how a modern corporation should conduct itself in a global business.
http://www.walleniuslines.com/
http://www.walleniuslines.com/en/Our-business/
http://www.walleniuslines.com/Global/FleetImages/Faust%204444.pdf
jimh posted 01-29-2011 02:32 PM ET (US)
The HDTV documentary I saw was part of a series called MIGHTY SHIPS. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mighty_Ships
for more information.
pcrussell50 posted 01-29-2011 03:35 PM ET (US)

quote:
Wallenius Lines deserves recognition for this conduct. With our oceans filled with poorly-maintained, badly-designed, shoddily-operated ships, owned by a string of false front corporate entities to shield legal responsibility, financed by multi-national banks and syndicates, operated through leasing companies, crewed with low-paid third-world sailors who work for crew-supply companies who are exploited by low wages, long hours, and long separation from their families, it is fantastic to see an honest shipping company running a fleet of good ships with good crews.
Sounds like it would be nigh on impossible for a classy operation to succeed without government subsidy... not that Sweden would engage in that sort of thing.
[Changed topic; please start a new discussion for this new topic. I would prefer this discussion remain focused on operation of ships in ecologically sound ways. Thanks--jimh]
-Peter
jimh posted 01-29-2011 07:54 PM ET (US)
Peter--I do not have information on any government subsidy for Wallenius Lines. The same thought occurred to me, but in a different context: could an American shipping company operate an equivalent fleet without government subsidy?
Wallenius Lines is a subsidiary operation of Wilhelmsen Wallenius Logistics, which is a conglomerate of Wihelmsen (a Norwegian company) and Wallenius (a Swedish company). I believe both are private companies.
DeeVee posted 01-30-2011 12:39 AM ET (US)
Jim,
I saw the same program a few months ago. I was similarly impressed.
Doug Vazquez
Russ 13 posted 01-30-2011 01:39 AM ET (US)
Great information. One of the problems to change for cruise ship opperators sailing in and out of the U.S., is the ship's registry. The current Jones act (amended by the Reagan administration) allows cruise ship opperators to sail with foreign flagged vessels. That is why so many cruise ships are registered anywhere but here. If this loophole was removed, and cruise vessels opperating out of the U.S. were required to be registered in the U.S., the safety standards would be higher and the crews would be U.S. citizens. This would create thousands of jobs for U.S. mariners, and improve the safety and working conditions. The price to consumers, could stay the same, IF the companies involved would reduce the GREED factor. Presently only comercial vessels opperating out of U.S. ports are required to be registered in the U.S. and sail with U.S. crews, passenger ships are exempt.
alfred posted 01-30-2011 02:41 AM ET (US)
I have seen [M/V FAUST] up close on two occasions. One was when she brought my 190 Outrage over from Baltimore [presumably to Australia].
pcrussell50 posted 01-30-2011 03:06 AM ET (US)
Greed can only ever be controlled by other competitors in the market. Prices for all-American cruises will never be any higher than any other cruises that are available to the US consumer. If competition is outlawed by decree, greed will prevail, and the American cruise industry will be, well, a good deal smaller than it is now. As with all things that government meddles in, the rich will get to keep playing, and the poor will be priced out and left on the sidelines... as usual.
-Peter
jimh posted 01-30-2011 10:03 AM ET (US)
Re the Jones Act, it is a cabotage law and from my understanding just about all nations have similar laws. The cruise ship industry skirts around the Jones Act because they do not sail from one American port to another. For example, on the West coast most cruise ships of foreign registry cannot sail from a U.S. port like Los Angeles directly to another U.S. port like Honolulu. Instead, the sail to a foreign port, say Fanning Island or some little rock near Hawaii, and then to an Hawaiin port. We see this sort of activity all summer long in the Great Lakes, where foreign-flagged, non-US cruise ships crisscross the Great Lakes, sailing always from a Canadian port to a US port.
To alfred: That is quite interesting that your Boston Whaler boat was shipped over to you in I presume Australia from the US on the M/V FAUST. There is an animation on the Wallenius Lines website that shows cargo loading onto a LCLT where large yachts are loaded.
elaelap posted 01-30-2011 11:03 AM ET (US)
I went walkabout in Europe, the Near East & North Africa after my first year at UC Berkeley. At the conclusion of that wanderjahr I returned to the States via a Dutch car-carrier, much smaller than M/V FAUST. It took nine delightful days to reach Philadelphia from Rotterdam --delightful because the ship was limited to carry only eight or ten passengers (I think because it didn't carry a doctor), two of whom were very friendly British girls heading for the U.S. for their own year abroad. We dined with the ship's officers, and the food was great. We hit some weather for a couple of days toward the end of the trip, but nothing really uncomfortable. Initially I shared my tiny cabin with another returning American hitchhiker/youth hosteler--a male--but because of the importance of improving US/British relations, we soon rearranged our nighttime accommodations. Ah youth!
All this to say, does the FAUST provide for a limited number of passengers? If so, this is a great way to travel, and very different from overcrowded cruise ship voyages. Beats long miserable economy class airline flights across the pond by a hundred nautical miles, and back in the day was the cheapest way to get to and from Europe.
Tony
jimh posted 01-30-2011 11:16 AM ET (US)
In the HDTV documentary the cabin accommodations of the M/V FAUST were briefly shown. The cabin I saw was quite luxurious and large, easily the equivalent of a upper-class cabin on a cruise ship. The information package indicates there are accommodations for 33 aboard the ship. I don't know the crew manifest, but I would guess it is probably more likely in the high-20's. Perhaps there is a cabin available.
number9 posted 02-02-2011 08:12 PM ET (US)
And when the [M/V FAUST] loses its $200-million-a-voyage cargo of vehicles, as happened within the last several years. [its] price-to-build is not too impressive.
jimh posted 02-02-2011 10:02 PM ET (US)
I do not think the M/V FAUST has ever lost its cargo. The demand for transport of automobiles and other roll-on roll-off cargo is no doubt affected by global economic trends. I think that is what was meant.
Tom W Clark posted 02-02-2011 10:06 PM ET (US)
I too was impressed by the accommodations onboard the Faust. En-suite heads? Amazing.
Having worked aboard a large ship engaged in the factory fish processing business and seeing four crew members share a single stateroom of maybe 75 square feet, with a shower room down the corridor, I imagine the crew of the Faust are very content.
nats posted 02-03-2011 10:51 AM ET (US)
I have worked on the "Faust" when it called at the port of Baltimore. It and the rest of the Wallenius fleet are very impressive vessels. Thay can handle all kinds of cargo, from your 13 foot whaler to a Sikorsky helicopter. Short story, One day while loading cargo for Australia. We were stowing a 65 foot ocean yacth. I told one of my co-workers I have a boat just like that at home. He said your joking. Only problem was I was talking about the 170 Montauk Hanging as a dingy. Anyone looking to ship overeas Wallenius is the line to use.

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Author	Topic: Green Maritime: M/V FAUST
jimh	posted 01-29-2011 02:28 PM ET (US) A tip of my hat to Sweden for their maritime company Wallenius Lines. I recently became aware of this fine marine company from a high-definition television (HDTV) documentary on their vessel M/V FAUST. M/V FAUST is classified as a Large Car and Truck Carrier (LCTC). This giant ship can transport 8,000 standard-size automobiles or a variety of other roll-on roll-off (RoRo) cargo. As a result of watching the documentary, I visited the Wallenius Lines website to learn more about the ship and the company. I was very impressed. While the size of the ship was impressive, what stood out was the manner in which the Wallenius Lines operates M/V FAUST. M/V FAUST is owned by Wallenius Lines. They bore the (over) $300-million cost of construction, and collaborated with a cadre of marine design professionals to produce a vessel to their precise specifications. The vessel sails under the Swedish flag of registry. It is crewed by a Swedish crew that works for Wallenius. The vessel uses only the lowest sulfur content fuel available, buys its fuel from only one source, and carries enough fuel to permit around the world operation without refueling. The M/F FAUST uses careful methods to prevent ballast water contamination, uses only bio-degradable oils and lubricants, has reduced chemical use on-board as much as possible. No waste or waste water are ever discharged. As much as is possible with the current state of the art equipment, the M/V FAUST operates in the most ecologically friendly manner possible for an ocean-going commercial ship. The M/V FAUST is part of a modern fleet of vessels operated by Wallenius Lines, which are all relatively new, and whose design and operation have been undertaken with care to reduce environmental impact. And all vessels are equipped with advanced electronic systems for navigation, operation, fire-fighting, and safety. Wallenius Lines deserves recognition for this conduct. With our oceans filled with poorly-maintained, badly-designed, shoddily-operated ships, owned by a string of false front corporate entities to shield legal responsibility, financed by multi-national banks and syndicates, operated through leasing companies, crewed with low-paid third-world sailors who work for crew-supply companies who are exploited by low wages, long hours, and long separation from their families, it is fantastic to see an honest shipping company running a fleet of good ships with good crews. In particular, I liked the personal history of the M/V FAUST captain. He began as a cabin boy, became a seaman, and worked his way up through the ranks, becoming a Third Mate, a Second Mate, a First Mate, and finally Captain. Isn't that how a career with a company is supposed to work? Becoming aware of the M/V FAUST and Wallenius Lines was a great pleasure for me. I assume Wallenius Lines makes a profit. They are a fine example of responsible maritime operation on a global scale. If Wallenius Lines can operate profitably like this, with the highest standards of ship design, ship crewing, and ship operation, is it anything but simple greed that produces the many other wretched ships that pollute our oceans, exploit their crews, and create a risk to all who encounter them? And to Boston Whaler boats owners, if a mega-ship like M/V FAUST can operate with no-discharge and significantly reduced exhaust gas emission, shouldn't your Boston Whaler small boat be able to as well? I encourage you to visit the Wallenius Lines website to learn more about this company. They are a great example of how a modern corporation should conduct itself in a global business. http://www.walleniuslines.com/ http://www.walleniuslines.com/en/Our-business/ http://www.walleniuslines.com/Global/FleetImages/Faust%204444.pdf
jimh	posted 01-29-2011 02:32 PM ET (US) The HDTV documentary I saw was part of a series called MIGHTY SHIPS. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mighty_Ships for more information.
pcrussell50	posted 01-29-2011 03:35 PM ET (US) quote: Wallenius Lines deserves recognition for this conduct. With our oceans filled with poorly-maintained, badly-designed, shoddily-operated ships, owned by a string of false front corporate entities to shield legal responsibility, financed by multi-national banks and syndicates, operated through leasing companies, crewed with low-paid third-world sailors who work for crew-supply companies who are exploited by low wages, long hours, and long separation from their families, it is fantastic to see an honest shipping company running a fleet of good ships with good crews. Sounds like it would be nigh on impossible for a classy operation to succeed without government subsidy... not that Sweden would engage in that sort of thing. [Changed topic; please start a new discussion for this new topic. I would prefer this discussion remain focused on operation of ships in ecologically sound ways. Thanks--jimh] -Peter
jimh	posted 01-29-2011 07:54 PM ET (US) Peter--I do not have information on any government subsidy for Wallenius Lines. The same thought occurred to me, but in a different context: could an American shipping company operate an equivalent fleet without government subsidy? Wallenius Lines is a subsidiary operation of Wilhelmsen Wallenius Logistics, which is a conglomerate of Wihelmsen (a Norwegian company) and Wallenius (a Swedish company). I believe both are private companies.
DeeVee	posted 01-30-2011 12:39 AM ET (US) Jim, I saw the same program a few months ago. I was similarly impressed. Doug Vazquez
Russ 13	posted 01-30-2011 01:39 AM ET (US) Great information. One of the problems to change for cruise ship opperators sailing in and out of the U.S., is the ship's registry. The current Jones act (amended by the Reagan administration) allows cruise ship opperators to sail with foreign flagged vessels. That is why so many cruise ships are registered anywhere but here. If this loophole was removed, and cruise vessels opperating out of the U.S. were required to be registered in the U.S., the safety standards would be higher and the crews would be U.S. citizens. This would create thousands of jobs for U.S. mariners, and improve the safety and working conditions. The price to consumers, could stay the same, IF the companies involved would reduce the GREED factor. Presently only comercial vessels opperating out of U.S. ports are required to be registered in the U.S. and sail with U.S. crews, passenger ships are exempt.
alfred	posted 01-30-2011 02:41 AM ET (US) I have seen [M/V FAUST] up close on two occasions. One was when she brought my 190 Outrage over from Baltimore [presumably to Australia].
pcrussell50	posted 01-30-2011 03:06 AM ET (US) Greed can only ever be controlled by other competitors in the market. Prices for all-American cruises will never be any higher than any other cruises that are available to the US consumer. If competition is outlawed by decree, greed will prevail, and the American cruise industry will be, well, a good deal smaller than it is now. As with all things that government meddles in, the rich will get to keep playing, and the poor will be priced out and left on the sidelines... as usual. -Peter
jimh	posted 01-30-2011 10:03 AM ET (US) Re the Jones Act, it is a cabotage law and from my understanding just about all nations have similar laws. The cruise ship industry skirts around the Jones Act because they do not sail from one American port to another. For example, on the West coast most cruise ships of foreign registry cannot sail from a U.S. port like Los Angeles directly to another U.S. port like Honolulu. Instead, the sail to a foreign port, say Fanning Island or some little rock near Hawaii, and then to an Hawaiin port. We see this sort of activity all summer long in the Great Lakes, where foreign-flagged, non-US cruise ships crisscross the Great Lakes, sailing always from a Canadian port to a US port. To alfred: That is quite interesting that your Boston Whaler boat was shipped over to you in I presume Australia from the US on the M/V FAUST. There is an animation on the Wallenius Lines website that shows cargo loading onto a LCLT where large yachts are loaded.
elaelap	posted 01-30-2011 11:03 AM ET (US) I went walkabout in Europe, the Near East & North Africa after my first year at UC Berkeley. At the conclusion of that wanderjahr I returned to the States via a Dutch car-carrier, much smaller than M/V FAUST. It took nine delightful days to reach Philadelphia from Rotterdam --delightful because the ship was limited to carry only eight or ten passengers (I think because it didn't carry a doctor), two of whom were very friendly British girls heading for the U.S. for their own year abroad. We dined with the ship's officers, and the food was great. We hit some weather for a couple of days toward the end of the trip, but nothing really uncomfortable. Initially I shared my tiny cabin with another returning American hitchhiker/youth hosteler--a male--but because of the importance of improving US/British relations, we soon rearranged our nighttime accommodations. Ah youth! All this to say, does the FAUST provide for a limited number of passengers? If so, this is a great way to travel, and very different from overcrowded cruise ship voyages. Beats long miserable economy class airline flights across the pond by a hundred nautical miles, and back in the day was the cheapest way to get to and from Europe. Tony
jimh	posted 01-30-2011 11:16 AM ET (US) In the HDTV documentary the cabin accommodations of the M/V FAUST were briefly shown. The cabin I saw was quite luxurious and large, easily the equivalent of a upper-class cabin on a cruise ship. The information package indicates there are accommodations for 33 aboard the ship. I don't know the crew manifest, but I would guess it is probably more likely in the high-20's. Perhaps there is a cabin available.
number9	posted 02-02-2011 08:12 PM ET (US) And when the [M/V FAUST] loses its $200-million-a-voyage cargo of vehicles, as happened within the last several years. [its] price-to-build is not too impressive.
jimh	posted 02-02-2011 10:02 PM ET (US) I do not think the M/V FAUST has ever lost its cargo. The demand for transport of automobiles and other roll-on roll-off cargo is no doubt affected by global economic trends. I think that is what was meant.
Tom W Clark	posted 02-02-2011 10:06 PM ET (US) I too was impressed by the accommodations onboard the Faust. En-suite heads? Amazing. Having worked aboard a large ship engaged in the factory fish processing business and seeing four crew members share a single stateroom of maybe 75 square feet, with a shower room down the corridor, I imagine the crew of the Faust are very content.
nats	posted 02-03-2011 10:51 AM ET (US) I have worked on the "Faust" when it called at the port of Baltimore. It and the rest of the Wallenius fleet are very impressive vessels. Thay can handle all kinds of cargo, from your 13 foot whaler to a Sikorsky helicopter. Short story, One day while loading cargo for Australia. We were stowing a 65 foot ocean yacth. I told one of my co-workers I have a boat just like that at home. He said your joking. Only problem was I was talking about the 170 Montauk Hanging as a dingy. Anyone looking to ship overeas Wallenius is the line to use.