Rhythms 4

Here’s 3.

Cape Washington left today, following in the wake of Lia.  Zim Beijing came in;  I’m guessing “my” Bebedouro will leave soon, and the pace of ins-outs is such that I have to content myself seeing in on AIS.

Although I’m intrigued with names and itineraries like OOCL Oakland and

Zim Qingdao back here yesterday,

traffic longterm runs together and

goes out of focus and even

blurs.

For a moment, that is.  HS Livingstone entered the harbor Saturday morning, and by midmorning Sunday, it’s off Atlantic City making for Baltimore.

In

in

inbound, then outbound  .  . .

I wonder about the blur for the mariner of these global box vessels.  Here’s a question I have insufficient info to answer:  Pick a year like 1940, and the number of dockworkers that year per ton of cargo transferred between ship and shore.  Now compare the tonnage of freight handled on the docks of NYC in 1940 and 2012 and thereby calculate how many dockworkers would be needed in 2012 using the 1940 dockworker/ton rate.  And why?  Check out this article in today’s NYTimes called “…Rise of the Machines.”

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

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