Another question came up in the comments section and it asked about stowaways. I used a few AI generated images to aid in story-telling. Chief MAKOi Seaman Vlog
Port security here. Two years ago yesterday I dealt with an attempted stowaway who snuck into my quay by, as far as we can tell, clinging to the underside of a lorry. He tried to board a cruise ferry through the bow ramp but was stopped by the stevedores, who called me. As I was guiding him away (our policy is to avoid going hands-on or arresting unless we have to) the ship assumed the situation was resolved, and decided to start closing up. The stowaway broke away, sprinted for the ramp, leapt over the safety gate and jumped 2.5 m up to grab the edge of the ramp as it rose. As he swung his foot up he lost his grip, falling by then three metres down onto the steel plates protecting the quayside, bouncing half a metre back into the air and falling into the water. I radioed for my colleagues (and police and ambulance) and grabbed a life preserver, expecting to find him unconscious - but when I looked over the edge he was happily treading water. Long story short, he pulled all his clothes off and tried to swim across the channel to the other side of the harbour, but thought better of it and came back to where we - and the police - were waiting for him.
(cruise line corporate IT here) In 2018 after a drydock we were repositioning from Bahamas shipyard to Barbados without guests onboard. At one point south of Haiti I was in the office of the Chief Engineer chatting and the engine stopped. We went on the bridge to find out that we intercepted a small boat with 10 people onboard (9 mean, 1 woman, turned out to be pregnant). We managed to safely bring them onboard, as in your case, we hosted them in a confined and guarded area with proper living spaces. Eventually we disembarked them in Barbados, but the company had hard time to convince the authorities to accept them.
Hey chief, 2 years ago I commented about starting at seafaring school thanking you for introducing me to this work field. I'm glad to say after 2 years of schooling that I will be working for 6 months as a cadet onboard a heavy lift vessel next month. I'd once again like to thank you for doing what you do😄
Back in the 1800's the British were quite brutal with stowaways. If they were not thrown overboard they were they were put to work and often turned over to British naval vessels where they would be placed into "indentured servitude" aboard the naval vessel as long as the captain saw fit. Just the word getting out among these travelers they learned to stay clear of British flagged vessels.
You skipped the next step in revolution, when Slavery was Outlawed. Service then equalled Citizenship, and serving a contract with a Navy made Men from Savages. That's the narrative. Read from our Book, eat what we eat, dress like we dress, and we will Accept You as Human. Until then, we will refer to you as Savages, Heathens, Pagans, and Filth, for giving Value to Nature as Equal to Humans, the Kings of Earth.
Sometimes the British would just take people from other ships and force them into service. No stowage needed! But, that was then. Today they'd probably give them tea. 😁
@@grondhero Press Gangs. Several times in the leadup to the American Revolution, British ships came to various coastal New England towns, trying to press random young men into service and were met with the local militia. It's kind of a stupid practice. Even if you succeed in kidnapping people for your crew, you're going to have a whole bunch of potential mutineers with an axe to grind aboard.
My mom would tell me stories about family members, around the turn of the last century, who would hop on freight trains and disappear. Maybe several months later a letter would arrive, but not always. But they wanted to go out west, looking for opportunities. They didn't see much of a future in being just another poor Irish guy living in South Boston.
There are still transient working men who know the railroads EXTREMELY well, and still to this day travel around the country usually picking up seasonal jobs with established connections year after year. Cool people. Much more interesting than the youtubers and myself who did such things recreationally; some people live that lifestyle.
Retired chief engineer and radio officer here. I've had two experiences with stowaways on a ship. The first time was actually on the training ship I was aboard during my Merchant Marine Academy training days. We were leaving Mexico when a stowaway was caught aboard our ship. I was standing next to him and felt sorry for his hungry and sad look so gave him a coupule candy bars that I had in my pocket. Later I was talked to by the captain and told that any stowaways on American flagged vessels must be only fed bread and water (that was the law) until they could be discharged. It took a couple of days but the stowaway left the ship and I don't know what happened after that. The second case was when I was an officer on a car carrier anchored before transiting the Panama Canal. Late at night, 5 stowaways climbed up the anchor chain and got onto the foredeck. They really couldn't go anywhere because all the hatches to the other areas of the ship were secured. Eventually they were caught the next morning while the crew was heaving anchor before our canal transit. The authorities were immediately called and the stowaways were removed. We did loose our spot in line for our canal transit but eventually got thru the same day. One of the enforcement officers rode along with us during our transit in case we found any other stowaways. I asked him why a stowaway would leave a fairly prosperous area like Panama and was told that the stowaways were from another country in Central America and they really couldn't get any kind of a good job there so thought they could do better in the USA. If they could have gotten into the cargo area with the 1000's of cars there we would have to be very lucky to ever find them on our 7 day trip to our next stop in Jacksonville, FL. It's possible that they could have gotten something to eat & drink in the officer's or crew mess during the trip at the late night hours as no one is really around much then. PS: After reading another's stowaway experience, it triggered another 'sea story' memory while I was a crew member (Merchant Marine) aboard a US Navy ship. This was a research ship that was owned by the US Navy but 100% crewed by Merchant Marine personnel. In this case I had to share a room with another crew member. We were at the dock and after a good nights sleep I got out of my top bunk and found my berthmate in the lower bunk with a female. I was surprised and quickly left the room not sure exactly what to do. As luck would have it I came across the captain at the coffee pot in the officer's lounge and told him what I saw. He quickly went to the room and confronted the other crew member and his girl friend. She was kicked off. I don't know if the plan was for her to be a stowaway but obviously they needed a better plan for that to work.
Hey Chief I was starting to worry about you and missing your new videos. Glad to see it pop up so without further ado I have some business to do for the next 10 minutes or so 😂👍🇨🇦🔧. Also you know me I can't promise that you won't see another comment from me seen as I'm the guy who can't wait until the end of the video to comment. Cut me some slack. I'm older than dirt and if I don't do it right away I will forget 😂😂😂. Thanks Chief 👍🇨🇦
@@ChiefMAKOi Mr Chief it's an absolute honor and when I get a response it makes it so much better. I know that without a single doubt you use the money for the guys. It's really nothing by the time you get it you probably don't have enough to buy yourself a coffee. My technical skills are terrible. There has to be a better more direct way and when I find it you will be the first to know. I think that I have asked you in the past if you have merch and if so I would give you whatever it takes to get one and even more if you would autograph it!!! Finally do you ever get out this way? I'm smack dab in the middle of Canada (Toronto) so that's a fair jag from either the coasts. I can't see that you would ever go thru the great lakes. Anyway ty again Chief I will continue to support you. If you ask me it's great entertainment and it's hard to find nowadays and when you do it's fairly expensive so just like anything else you should be paid for putting up the entertainment. Ty ever so much 👍 🇨🇦 🔧
Excellent episode, once again! I have no actual need for information about marine business, but your explanations are so informative and interesting that I end up learning a lot anyway!
THIS IS THE FIRST OF YOUR VIDEOS I HAVE SEEN SINCE 2?? YEARS AGO!! THIS WAS QUITE INTERESTING , AS I WORKED FOR THE RAILROAD, AND WE DO SEE FREELOADING RIDERS ON OCCASION!!
I've come across hobos while working on the railroad. Some comply when told to get off others are as nasty as a Farrel pig. We were usually told to leave them to their own demise unless there were more than 1 then call the dispatcher and let them deal with it.
What an interesting story... I was surprised by several parts within it, and am thankful for the humane treatment and decent resolution of this situation.
@@yrobtsvt ... If those fellas had something easier and more reliable to earn money from than what you two described, don't you think they'd do it? It sounds like a great adventure, but isn't that what you reserve your weekends and vacations for?
@@sagmilling ... Don't forget the Sanitary Bathroom, Music from the Radio, a Physical from the Doc, a handful of lonely men to share stories with, and NO nagging Wife, Mother or Sister. Priceless.
@@truthsRsung lots of people seek opportunities where they can "be their own boss" even when they pay considerably less. I would not assume that having more opportunity would mean stowaways would stop being a problem. They would just become less of a problem. Even in developed countries they still have people riding the rails who aren't supposed to. We still have beggars and swindlers. You can make more in a day working fast food in canada than holding your hand out on the side of the highway yet there are still people of able body and mind standing outside the mcdonalds with a "hiring" sign asking for a handout. There are those with need, those who pretend to have need, and those that refuse to work. In the old language, A hobo is a person that travels looking for work, a tramp is one that travels to avoid work, and a bum neither travels nor works.
There were some African ports we tied up at where the port security was virtually nonexistent. We always searched the vessel prior to getting underway and fortunately never had stowaways. It certainly was a fear however as this was and still is a serious concern. Have a good watch chief.
I've heard of them hiding in cargo containers and nearly died from the 50C heat, lack of water and air since their particular container was somewhere in the middle of the stack. It would be horrible to find a body days later of someone who hid in a dangerous spot and died there.
You have heard of Human Trafficking, where Idiots pay Criminals to save them from Governments. That is a far cry from someone with the skills to avoid Customs, the physical ability to swim long distances, and educated in English. Those folks don't plan an ocean cruise without food and water. If you don't see evidence of Supplies, you know they planned on being Found before the planned destination. Those containers are registered to Corporations, and if they make it through Customs, so did some of their money. Don't confuse willing independents from the criminal enterprise built off of the Fear and Confusion of Minorities.
Stowaways were found in a container in Philadelphia in the early 90s (I'm a trucker, I was in the pier). They were from Colombia, 2 of them were dead, one was barely alive. When the guy that was alive felt the container moving he started beating on the side of it. That must have been horrible.
Still happens with people found in cargo containers. Not all are inspected and go direct from ship to truck or rail car after clearing customs. We usually would find one or two containers every couple of months but there could have been more that got out of the port. The truck drivers were usually the ones to find the remains mose so than the railroad where the containers most often moved longer distance with more stops to load and unload at every yard.
@@onrr1726 ... Humans in Cargo Containers don't "Pass" through Customs, they slide through, well greased. You can't hide the smell of a week at sea. You are paying Taxes so your neighbor can be in charge of the Safety of the Port, while they take More Money from someone else to Ignore It. Accept it. I get when Pirate Gucci manages to go under the RADAR, but People Stink to High Hell after being Trapped in a Box for more than a few days. This isn't counterfeit this or that illegal substance packaged with coffee. It's loud, smelly animals.
given the size of the ship and hiding opportunities, do some go undetected for the entire voyage, or even found dead later from dehydration, suffocation, or extreme heat or cold.
What's really sad are those that attempt to stowaway in airplane wheel wells. The wheel wells on many aircraft is one of the places quite a bit of equipment is housed (its a convenient place to put stuff that isn't inside the people tank). That leaves plenty of room. What those doing this don't understand is that the airplanes fly far higher than humans can breathe and the airplanes are pressurized for those inside. They either die of hypoxia in flight, or fall unconscious and fall on the doors, only to drop from the sky when the landing gear open.
@@ChiefMAKOi There was also the "Maersk Dubai incident" in 1996. (See Wikipedia.) You can find similar incidents by searching for "Stowaways thrown overboard."
As the story goes, my great grandfather stowed away on a ship to escape conscription in Kaiser Wilhelm's army. He was found but stayed on board until the ship docked in the US.
I remember as a child in some parts of the world, some of the freight carrying ships would be willing to book passage for passengers. I remember sailing from the US to the Bahamas either in a "vanna boat" or "tomato boat". We were given (paid for) a room and the same meals as the crew. I remember in particular one crew member named Winston, and we had fun with him. At that time cigarettes were still advertised on Radio and TV. We would sing the jingle to him for Winston cigarettes. Do they still have this policy of hiring out rooms in some cargo ships, or is that a thing of the past? I remember it being a fun, frugal and interesting way to do some travel. This was back in the 1950'scabd 60's.
Hi Chief! Love your videos! Can you do a story on what happened with the stuck throttle in Charleston? How can that happen, and has it ever happened to you?
Thank you for this video. Excellent as always. I was amazed at the cost to the company. That sucks so bad. I would imagine this raises prices for lawful shipping customers, and in turn, their customers.
Love your channel. In another life i would have , should have been in the merchant navy. I have Spent thousands of hours at sea as a commercial fisherman and often wondered what may happen to stowaways if theyr'e found in international waters. Thanks for answering it. Doesn't seem right that the company pays for it. Possibly the insurance company would end up paying, which would mean that the consumer ends up paying in the end. Thanks for all the vids and Keep Up the good work.
@ChiefMako - I'm surprised to hear that there was no brig on board. I appreciate your kindness and understanding that in this world "there by the Grace of God, go I", in spite of all that we have.
WOW! Professional Stowaways?! I've heard of TH-camrs who illegally hop trains and have paying subscribers, but I'd never even thought about the seafaring kind. Fascinating.
More amazing stories and facts. I never would have thought it was such a big problem. But it obviously is. From the sound of it the biggest problem is the system. There should be some universal maritime agreement that stowaways can be dropped at the next nearest port with international flights. Even if the ship owners had to cover the cost of security and flights. Way cheaper than what you described. And having to pay them money is bizarre. That is just encouraging the problem. What a weird set up.
Hello Chief, From Cape Town. Thanks for another interesting video. I've found your well presented videos about the m.v. Dali enlightening and most enjoyable. Was the master able to ascertain whether those stowaways were South African, or from another African country? If so, which country? When you reached Durban, did your vessel dock, or were the stowaways disembarked onto a pilot boat, tug or other small craft? As a former mariner; with the Chief Mate on the bridge÷ it must have been the 4 to 8 watch. In the morning or afternoon? I'm surprised that he was alone on the bridge, with no helmsman or lookout.
@@ChiefMAKOi Given that one spoke fluent English it's very likely that they were Zimbabwean - most speak very good English because of it's British connection. The Zimbabweans are quite desperate -the county is run by a corrupt, despotic regime who have destroyed the economy. 95% of the population are unemployed and live in absolute poverty.
What plans are in place to deal with medical emergencies-beyond basic health care or procedures-in the middle of the ocean? Are potential crew members denied work if taking prescription medications?
Never ceases to amaze me, the schemes people will come up with to avoid doing an honest days work. I realise some will be doing it to escape persecution etc, and I guess that's fair enough, but I get the impression from what you said those are few and far between.
Very interesting Chief! I would not have thought that the issue is so rampant. Of course as society becomes less and less likely to punish, what deterence is there?
When you returned to Durban did your ship dock or did a boat take them by rope ladder? Are you able to reverse the lock on a cabin to make it into a makeshift Brigg?
Chief, have you heard about a MSC container ship having its throttle stuck open in Charelstone? I saw it on Sal Mercagliano's channel apparently it was doing 15 knots down the river heading out to the anchorage and they didn't kill the engines so as to keep being able to steer it
G'day mate from Australia....great video as usual....have you done a video or have any experience with your vessels maybe possibly have some crew involved in drug trafficking.... Australia being an island our borders are oceans, ships is usually the way drugs hit our shores over aircrafts...
@@kbearlLife is free in China. It costs nothing to buy it, and the Party is the actual owner, you just lease yours by their magnanimity. Amoral despotic good will is reliable of course. You can rely on its lack of adherence to anything approaching good. All this to say. If it was a Chinese Ship, it’s probably going to involve the revocation of your lease.
One interesting but sad story of a stowaway was of a young guy who climbed up into the the wheel arch/section of an aircraft. When the aircraft took off naturally the wheels were raised and the wheel bay doors closed. During the flight at 30,000 feet he froze to death. As the aircraft approached the UK and was preparing to land the landing wheel doors opened the his body plunged to ground, *not* a pretty sight but very sad.
I met a professional stowaway from Fiji some years ago here in New Zealand. His modus operandi was to board a ship bound for New Zealand, and he carried with him some long sustaining food and drink which he hid in the overalls that he wore. The overalls made him look like he was working on a ship. Once the ship docked in New Zealand he would somehow slip through and make his way into the city. I think he had some family in New Zealand. After a while, the immigration would then catch up with him and deport him, but he would then just keep repeating it. Strange, I think it was a lifestyle for him.🐞
While I was in the Navy we did a thorough ship's search after leaving foreign ports, after twenty years I only encountered ONE stowaway , and Australian national that wanted to follow her new American boyfriend back to the states, she got caught due to a medical emergency, got sick from three day old hamburgers
Hi, great interesting video again, one question, you told us that there was an inspection to search for such persons just before departure and I assume this was not for free, isnt there some responsibility of this very company to pay for the cost incurred - or any insurance cover if such an inspection is done?
Perhaps someone at the port, or onboard .. well, gave them "help" with the assistance through monetary compensation. And gave directions to where someone could sit quiet for a couple of days
I hear RORO ships often get a lot of stowaways as well. Do you know if there's a particular _type_ of ship that gets more stowaways than others? Or is it just whatever is available?
We made a stowaway search before leaving the Dominican Republic and caught two in the engine room where they managed to get on deck and jump overboard. It happens!!
The only stowaways that were on ships I sailed on in the 1960s were young women that were sneaked onboard in Australia by crew members and carried between ports. In one case the captain found out and confined the crew member to ship while in port.
Are you guys allowed to hang hammock in your cabins to sleep in when the ship hits bad weather so you can try and get some sleep. I saw a video of a person on a ship sleeping in a hammock while the ship was rolling in rough conditions and they were sleeping like a baby.
Port security here. Two years ago yesterday I dealt with an attempted stowaway who snuck into my quay by, as far as we can tell, clinging to the underside of a lorry. He tried to board a cruise ferry through the bow ramp but was stopped by the stevedores, who called me. As I was guiding him away (our policy is to avoid going hands-on or arresting unless we have to) the ship assumed the situation was resolved, and decided to start closing up. The stowaway broke away, sprinted for the ramp, leapt over the safety gate and jumped 2.5 m up to grab the edge of the ramp as it rose.
As he swung his foot up he lost his grip, falling by then three metres down onto the steel plates protecting the quayside, bouncing half a metre back into the air and falling into the water. I radioed for my colleagues (and police and ambulance) and grabbed a life preserver, expecting to find him unconscious - but when I looked over the edge he was happily treading water.
Long story short, he pulled all his clothes off and tried to swim across the channel to the other side of the harbour, but thought better of it and came back to where we - and the police - were waiting for him.
Hey. Would love to connect, special Operations’s member. Lots of VBSS experience, can we connect?
Baltimore Stevedore sayin Hello!
What a nightmare
@@undefined7141 Not really my field - I'm in port rather than out on the blue and wavy. What did you have in mind?
Haha, he went for a little sports in the harbor.
(cruise line corporate IT here) In 2018 after a drydock we were repositioning from Bahamas shipyard to Barbados without guests onboard. At one point south of Haiti I was in the office of the Chief Engineer chatting and the engine stopped. We went on the bridge to find out that we intercepted a small boat with 10 people onboard (9 mean, 1 woman, turned out to be pregnant).
We managed to safely bring them onboard, as in your case, we hosted them in a confined and guarded area with proper living spaces.
Eventually we disembarked them in Barbados, but the company had hard time to convince the authorities to accept them.
Good Presentation.
Thank you, Chief!
Hey chief, 2 years ago I commented about starting at seafaring school thanking you for introducing me to this work field. I'm glad to say after 2 years of schooling that I will be working for 6 months as a cadet onboard a heavy lift vessel next month. I'd once again like to thank you for doing what you do😄
This channel never disappoints with profound information. Many thanks! 🤗
Back in the 1800's the British were quite brutal with stowaways. If they were not thrown overboard they were they were put to work and often turned over to British naval vessels where they would be placed into "indentured servitude" aboard the naval vessel as long as the captain saw fit. Just the word getting out among these travelers they learned to stay clear of British flagged vessels.
You skipped the next step in revolution, when Slavery was Outlawed.
Service then equalled Citizenship, and serving a contract with a Navy made Men from Savages.
That's the narrative. Read from our Book, eat what we eat, dress like we dress, and we will Accept You as Human.
Until then, we will refer to you as Savages, Heathens, Pagans, and Filth, for giving Value to Nature as Equal to Humans, the Kings of Earth.
Sometimes the British would just take people from other ships and force them into service. No stowage needed! But, that was then. Today they'd probably give them tea. 😁
@@grondhero Press Gangs. Several times in the leadup to the American Revolution, British ships came to various coastal New England towns, trying to press random young men into service and were met with the local militia. It's kind of a stupid practice. Even if you succeed in kidnapping people for your crew, you're going to have a whole bunch of potential mutineers with an axe to grind aboard.
Indeed. One of the causes of the War of 1812. @@grondhero
That wouldn't help today, because there are no British flagged vessels left.
Chief I didn’t realize all the stuff you guys had to do with a stowaway situation. Thanks for another informative video.
Chief - Thanks for an interesting explanation of something I wouldn't even thing to ask!
My mom would tell me stories about family members, around the turn of the last century, who would hop on freight trains and disappear. Maybe several months later a letter would arrive, but not always. But they wanted to go out west, looking for opportunities. They didn't see much of a future in being just another poor Irish guy living in South Boston.
There are still transient working men who know the railroads EXTREMELY well, and still to this day travel around the country usually picking up seasonal jobs with established connections year after year. Cool people. Much more interesting than the youtubers and myself who did such things recreationally; some people live that lifestyle.
Retired chief engineer and radio officer here. I've had two experiences with stowaways on a ship. The first time was actually on the training ship I was aboard during my Merchant Marine Academy training days. We were leaving Mexico when a stowaway was caught aboard our ship. I was standing next to him and felt sorry for his hungry and sad look so gave him a coupule candy bars that I had in my pocket. Later I was talked to by the captain and told that any stowaways on American flagged vessels must be only fed bread and water (that was the law) until they could be discharged. It took a couple of days but the stowaway left the ship and I don't know what happened after that.
The second case was when I was an officer on a car carrier anchored before transiting the Panama Canal. Late at night, 5 stowaways climbed up the anchor chain and got onto the foredeck. They really couldn't go anywhere because all the hatches to the other areas of the ship were secured. Eventually they were caught the next morning while the crew was heaving anchor before our canal transit. The authorities were immediately called and the stowaways were removed. We did loose our spot in line for our canal transit but eventually got thru the same day. One of the enforcement officers rode along with us during our transit in case we found any other stowaways. I asked him why a stowaway would leave a fairly prosperous area like Panama and was told that the stowaways were from another country in Central America and they really couldn't get any kind of a good job there so thought they could do better in the USA. If they could have gotten into the cargo area with the 1000's of cars there we would have to be very lucky to ever find them on our 7 day trip to our next stop in Jacksonville, FL. It's possible that they could have gotten something to eat & drink in the officer's or crew mess during the trip at the late night hours as no one is really around much then.
PS: After reading another's stowaway experience, it triggered another 'sea story' memory while I was a crew member (Merchant Marine) aboard a US Navy ship. This was a research ship that was owned by the US Navy but 100% crewed by Merchant Marine personnel. In this case I had to share a room with another crew member. We were at the dock and after a good nights sleep I got out of my top bunk and found my berthmate in the lower bunk with a female. I was surprised and quickly left the room not sure exactly what to do. As luck would have it I came across the captain at the coffee pot in the officer's lounge and told him what I saw. He quickly went to the room and confronted the other crew member and his girl friend. She was kicked off. I don't know if the plan was for her to be a stowaway but obviously they needed a better plan for that to work.
Hey Chief I was starting to worry about you and missing your new videos. Glad to see it pop up so without further ado I have some business to do for the next 10 minutes or so 😂👍🇨🇦🔧. Also you know me I can't promise that you won't see another comment from me seen as I'm the guy who can't wait until the end of the video to comment. Cut me some slack. I'm older than dirt and if I don't do it right away I will forget 😂😂😂. Thanks Chief 👍🇨🇦
Thank you very much! I really appreciate your support. 😊
@@ChiefMAKOi Mr Chief it's an absolute honor and when I get a response it makes it so much better. I know that without a single doubt you use the money for the guys. It's really nothing by the time you get it you probably don't have enough to buy yourself a coffee. My technical skills are terrible. There has to be a better more direct way and when I find it you will be the first to know. I think that I have asked you in the past if you have merch and if so I would give you whatever it takes to get one and even more if you would autograph it!!! Finally do you ever get out this way? I'm smack dab in the middle of Canada (Toronto) so that's a fair jag from either the coasts. I can't see that you would ever go thru the great lakes. Anyway ty again Chief I will continue to support you. If you ask me it's great entertainment and it's hard to find nowadays and when you do it's fairly expensive so just like anything else you should be paid for putting up the entertainment. Ty ever so much 👍 🇨🇦 🔧
👍👍😎 Thank you chief for your time. Nice work.
You presented that in great depth and told with the gift of a great story teller. Thank you.
Excellent episode, once again! I have no actual need for information about marine business, but your explanations are so informative and interesting that I end up learning a lot anyway!
THIS IS THE FIRST OF YOUR VIDEOS I HAVE SEEN SINCE 2?? YEARS AGO!!
THIS WAS QUITE INTERESTING , AS I WORKED FOR THE RAILROAD, AND WE DO SEE FREELOADING RIDERS ON OCCASION!!
I've come across hobos while working on the railroad. Some comply when told to get off others are as nasty as a Farrel pig. We were usually told to leave them to their own demise unless there were more than 1 then call the dispatcher and let them deal with it.
What an interesting story... I was surprised by several parts within it, and am thankful for the humane treatment and decent resolution of this situation.
1: Sneak on board a ship
2: Get caught
3: ????
4: Profit!
3, receive kickback from port authority
@@yrobtsvt ... If those fellas had something easier and more reliable to earn money from than what you two described, don't you think they'd do it?
It sounds like a great adventure, but isn't that what you reserve your weekends and vacations for?
3: get 3 meals a day and a warm bed for a few days.
@@sagmilling ... Don't forget the Sanitary Bathroom, Music from the Radio, a Physical from the Doc, a handful of lonely men to share stories with, and NO nagging Wife, Mother or Sister.
Priceless.
@@truthsRsung lots of people seek opportunities where they can "be their own boss" even when they pay considerably less. I would not assume that having more opportunity would mean stowaways would stop being a problem. They would just become less of a problem. Even in developed countries they still have people riding the rails who aren't supposed to. We still have beggars and swindlers. You can make more in a day working fast food in canada than holding your hand out on the side of the highway yet there are still people of able body and mind standing outside the mcdonalds with a "hiring" sign asking for a handout.
There are those with need, those who pretend to have need, and those that refuse to work.
In the old language, A hobo is a person that travels looking for work, a tramp is one that travels to avoid work, and a bum neither travels nor works.
There were some African ports we tied up at where the port security was virtually nonexistent. We always searched the vessel prior to getting underway and fortunately never had stowaways. It certainly was a fear however as this was and still is a serious concern. Have a good watch chief.
Very open and honest example of what really happens. I appreciate your candidness.
I've heard of them hiding in cargo containers and nearly died from the 50C heat, lack of water and air since their particular container was somewhere in the middle of the stack. It would be horrible to find a body days later of someone who hid in a dangerous spot and died there.
You have heard of Human Trafficking, where Idiots pay Criminals to save them from Governments.
That is a far cry from someone with the skills to avoid Customs, the physical ability to swim long distances, and educated in English.
Those folks don't plan an ocean cruise without food and water.
If you don't see evidence of Supplies, you know they planned on being Found before the planned destination.
Those containers are registered to Corporations, and if they make it through Customs, so did some of their money.
Don't confuse willing independents from the criminal enterprise built off of the Fear and Confusion of Minorities.
Stowaways were found in a container in Philadelphia in the early 90s (I'm a trucker, I was in the pier). They were from Colombia, 2 of them were dead, one was barely alive. When the guy that was alive felt the container moving he started beating on the side of it. That must have been horrible.
@mikeabbott2396 Famous case in Germany with a box truck. 30 dead. It wasn't airtight but the cargo container quickly filled with carbon dioxide
Still happens with people found in cargo containers. Not all are inspected and go direct from ship to truck or rail car after clearing customs. We usually would find one or two containers every couple of months but there could have been more that got out of the port. The truck drivers were usually the ones to find the remains mose so than the railroad where the containers most often moved longer distance with more stops to load and unload at every yard.
@@onrr1726 ... Humans in Cargo Containers don't "Pass" through Customs, they slide through, well greased.
You can't hide the smell of a week at sea.
You are paying Taxes so your neighbor can be in charge of the Safety of the Port, while they take More Money from someone else to Ignore It.
Accept it.
I get when Pirate Gucci manages to go under the RADAR, but People Stink to High Hell after being Trapped in a Box for more than a few days.
This isn't counterfeit this or that illegal substance packaged with coffee.
It's loud, smelly animals.
Another great piece from Chief MAKOi. Very dangerous aspect of the shipping industry.
given the size of the ship and hiding opportunities, do some go undetected for the entire voyage, or even found dead later from dehydration, suffocation, or extreme heat or cold.
Things like that have happened before.
@@ChiefMAKOihow horrible for those people they believed that was a better option. That is the definition of a hard fearful life. 😢
What's really sad are those that attempt to stowaway in airplane wheel wells. The wheel wells on many aircraft is one of the places quite a bit of equipment is housed (its a convenient place to put stuff that isn't inside the people tank). That leaves plenty of room. What those doing this don't understand is that the airplanes fly far higher than humans can breathe and the airplanes are pressurized for those inside.
They either die of hypoxia in flight, or fall unconscious and fall on the doors, only to drop from the sky when the landing gear open.
@@ChiefMAKOi There was also the "Maersk Dubai incident" in 1996. (See Wikipedia.) You can find similar incidents by searching for "Stowaways thrown overboard."
I've read news stories about stowaway being found dead or alive in containers when they were unloaded.
Thanks!
Thank you! 😊
I've been enjoying your videos since discovering your channel after the collision in Baltimore. Nice work!!
As the story goes, my great grandfather stowed away on a ship to escape conscription in Kaiser Wilhelm's army. He was found but stayed on board until the ship docked in the US.
That kind of financial impact certainly makes some pretty advanced security systems reasonable.
I remember as a child in some parts of the world, some of the freight carrying ships would be willing to book passage for passengers. I remember sailing from the US to the Bahamas either in a "vanna boat" or "tomato boat". We were given (paid for) a room and the same meals as the crew. I remember in particular one crew member named Winston, and we had fun with him. At that time cigarettes were still advertised on Radio and TV. We would sing the jingle to him for Winston cigarettes. Do they still have this policy of hiring out rooms in some cargo ships, or is that a thing of the past? I remember it being a fun, frugal and interesting way to do some travel. This was back in the 1950'scabd 60's.
That was supposed to be banana boat.
You can still book passage on a freighter, usually a container ship, but not all.
ANOTHER GREAT EPISODE CHIEF 👏 👌 🙌...
Hi Chief! Love your videos! Can you do a story on what happened with the stuck throttle in Charleston? How can that happen, and has it ever happened to you?
You are very well spoken. Thank you for the video
Chief thanks again for this informative video, learned a lot from it👍
These stories make me thankful to live somewhere that becoming a stowaway isn't the better option!!
Great explanation Chief of how to deal with such a dilemma. Always good entertainment.
Fascinating ! Probably not a lot of American stowaways ! Thanks again Chief Makoi ! Great Content as usual 👍
There maybe if the Barking Yam wins in November
Thank you for this video. Excellent as always. I was amazed at the cost to the company. That sucks so bad. I would imagine this raises prices for lawful shipping customers, and in turn, their customers.
Excellent and informative video, Chief! Fair winds, calm seas.
That was a fascinating video, thank you. I had no idea that stowaways were a kind of business.
Amsterdam, calling 📞
Nice to see you back again, Chief😊
Fascinating story. Thank you for sharing.
I had no idea the cost was that high.
Love your channel. In another life i would have , should have been in the merchant navy. I have Spent thousands of hours at sea as a commercial fisherman and often wondered what may happen to stowaways if theyr'e found in international waters.
Thanks for answering it. Doesn't seem right that the company pays for it. Possibly the insurance company would end up paying, which would mean that the consumer ends up paying in the end.
Thanks for all the vids and Keep Up the good work.
I have an idea … how about a stowaway water slide … fun for all!
I'm from Durban, an old school friend is a harbour chopper pilot that ferries the harbour pilot to and from ships.
1:16 Fascinating!! .. I would never have thought about a special team to hire, with dogs even!! .. very interesting!!!
@ChiefMako - I'm surprised to hear that there was no brig on board. I appreciate your kindness and understanding that in this world "there by the Grace of God, go I", in spite of all that we have.
WOW! Professional Stowaways?! I've heard of TH-camrs who illegally hop trains and have paying subscribers, but I'd never even thought about the seafaring kind. Fascinating.
Thank you for another great video ! Cheers
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for the informative video. I've heard of stowaways on ships before but I had no idea they were doing it for profit.
Great info Chief.
More amazing stories and facts. I never would have thought it was such a big problem. But it obviously is. From the sound of it the biggest problem is the system. There should be some universal maritime agreement that stowaways can be dropped at the next nearest port with international flights. Even if the ship owners had to cover the cost of security and flights. Way cheaper than what you described. And having to pay them money is bizarre. That is just encouraging the problem. What a weird set up.
Excellent topic! Love your content Chief.
Keel hall stowaways in old days. Thansk for sharing. Be safe
Very informative video! 👌👍🙏
Great video very interesting
Hello Chief, From Cape Town. Thanks for another interesting video. I've found your well presented videos about the m.v. Dali enlightening and most enjoyable.
Was the master able to ascertain whether those stowaways were South African, or from another African country? If so, which country? When you reached Durban, did your vessel dock, or were the stowaways disembarked onto a pilot boat, tug or other small craft?
As a former mariner; with the Chief Mate on the bridge÷ it must have been the 4 to 8 watch. In the morning or afternoon? I'm surprised that he was alone on the bridge, with no helmsman or lookout.
They were not South African. I forgot which country. A boat approached and some guards took them. It was in the morning, a bit after sunrise.
@@ChiefMAKOi
Given that one spoke fluent English it's very likely that they were Zimbabwean - most speak very good English because of it's British connection.
The Zimbabweans are quite desperate -the county is run by a corrupt, despotic regime who have destroyed the economy.
95% of the population are unemployed and live in absolute poverty.
Thanks Chief, this is really interesting and informative.
First thing I thought was to make them walk the plank. Arrr but ye say no!
I looked away for a second and then back and I thought the dogs were stowaways!😆
Thanks Chief
Thank you Chief.
What plans are in place to deal with medical emergencies-beyond basic health care or procedures-in the middle of the ocean? Are potential crew members denied work if taking prescription medications?
Thanks again for your insights.
Never ceases to amaze me, the schemes people will come up with to avoid doing an honest days work.
I realise some will be doing it to escape persecution etc, and I guess that's fair enough, but I get the impression from what you said those are few and far between.
Thank you chief Makoi
Love your channel
Thanks Chief!
Very interesting
Good information
I hope you'll get together with Sal Marcagliano at What's Up With Shipping and do a video on issues such as this. Good job, Chief!
Interesting 😊
Very interesting Chief! I would not have thought that the issue is so rampant. Of course as society becomes less and less likely to punish, what deterence is there?
When you returned to Durban did your ship dock or did a boat take them by rope ladder? Are you able to reverse the lock on a cabin to make it into a makeshift Brigg?
Chief, have you heard about a MSC container ship having its throttle stuck open in Charelstone? I saw it on Sal Mercagliano's channel apparently it was doing 15 knots down the river heading out to the anchorage and they didn't kill the engines so as to keep being able to steer it
When you were asked to change the route and go back to South Africa, what happened to the cargo on board? Was there no delay?
Thank y😮😂ou for your comments and your information. Chief Makoi you are always so informative.
G'day mate from Australia....great video as usual....have you done a video or have any experience with your vessels maybe possibly have some crew involved in drug trafficking.... Australia being an island our borders are oceans, ships is usually the way drugs hit our shores over aircrafts...
Chief, you mentioned several time the vessel taken off hire. Does the crew lose money when this is declared?
Wow. The costs are astronomical!!
That is nuts! Thank you..
I'd bet no one would stowaway on a Chinese ship.
New hires😂
I've had Chinese seafarers take old flogged out work boots because they only had thongs
I'd bet that Chinese stowaways hide better than these two.
Never underestimate the desperation of some people
@@kbearlLife is free in China. It costs nothing to buy it, and the Party is the actual owner, you just lease yours by their magnanimity. Amoral despotic good will is reliable of course. You can rely on its lack of adherence to anything approaching good.
All this to say. If it was a Chinese Ship, it’s probably going to involve the revocation of your lease.
One interesting but sad story of a stowaway was of a young guy who climbed up into the the wheel arch/section of an aircraft. When the aircraft took off naturally the wheels were raised and the wheel bay doors closed. During the flight at 30,000 feet he froze to death. As the aircraft approached the UK and was preparing to land the landing wheel doors opened the his body plunged to ground, *not* a pretty sight but very sad.
I met a professional stowaway from Fiji some years ago here in New Zealand. His modus operandi was to board a ship bound for New Zealand, and he carried with him some long sustaining food and drink which he hid in the overalls that he wore. The overalls made him look like he was working on a ship. Once the ship docked in New Zealand he would somehow slip through and make his way into the city. I think he had some family in New Zealand. After a while, the immigration would then catch up with him and deport him, but he would then just keep repeating it. Strange, I think it was a lifestyle for him.🐞
Haha did he go into more detail
Thank you
Thank you very much for sharing take care
While I was in the Navy we did a thorough ship's search after leaving foreign ports, after twenty years I only encountered ONE stowaway , and Australian national that wanted to follow her new American boyfriend back to the states, she got caught due to a medical emergency, got sick from three day old hamburgers
Hi, great interesting video again, one question, you told us that there was an inspection to search for such persons just before departure and I assume this was not for free, isnt there some responsibility of this very company to pay for the cost incurred - or any insurance cover if such an inspection is done?
Can't you use a control system at the ships entrance? Keep track of everyone that comes on board, and when they leave.
Shyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyt............ "I never heard anyone hitting the water, splashing around yelling for help"!!
Not into shipping but the video was interesting and gave perspective indeed.
Perhaps someone at the port, or onboard .. well, gave them "help" with the assistance through monetary compensation. And gave directions to where someone could sit quiet for a couple of days
I hear RORO ships often get a lot of stowaways as well. Do you know if there's a particular _type_ of ship that gets more stowaways than others? Or is it just whatever is available?
We made a stowaway search before leaving the Dominican Republic and caught two in the engine room where they managed to get on deck and jump overboard. It happens!!
Chief, I have a question. For a hypothetical ship, what is the cost per day of operating that ship averaged out?
The only stowaways that were on ships I sailed on in the 1960s were young women that were sneaked onboard in Australia by crew members and carried between ports. In one case the captain found out and confined the crew member to ship while in port.
Was he confined with the woman??
@@rjmun580 - We were in port and she was put ashore post haste.
Are you guys allowed to hang hammock in your cabins to sleep in when the ship hits bad weather so you can try and get some sleep. I saw a video of a person on a ship sleeping in a hammock while the ship was rolling in rough conditions and they were sleeping like a baby.
Great vlog as always! Wow! That is a huge problem! On airplanes it is only ONE outcome. They die. Keep up the good work. Be safe!
Great video as usual Chief
What does off hire status mean for the crew?
th-cam.com/video/VPFcLDoWIMc/w-d-xo.html
Sounds like decent pay for a difficult and dangerous job. Can I jump on in any port, or is this kind of compensation payment limited to South Africa?
The stowaways aren't the ones getting the $7000
Hello chief salutes
How r u sir
Chief, what about booking passage on a container ship? Maybe it's no longer done?
I don't know about container ships, but some freight ships do carry passengers. Try some Google searches.