Flags of Convenience 6

aka “that you can choose your registry is something I’ve never fully understood.”  I suppose some folks prefer the term “open registry.”  Check all these different registries, FoCs, all taken in the past 30 days!  Here are previous installments.

Let’s start with Maersk, the largest overseas cargo transport company in the world, based in Copenhagen, although with many overseas subsidiaries.    Hvide Sande is a fishing, shipbuilding, windfarm supply port and tourist destination in the dunes of western Denmark.

Ringkøbing is a Danish town near Hvide Sande with history back to the 13th century.

Skovshoved is a fishing town just north of Copenhagen.

Kalundsborg is a Danish town with a natural harbor, also on the western coast.

Kleven is a port in southern Norway, southwest of Oslo.   Monrovia is the 1822-settled capital of Liberia, about 5000 miles southwest of Copenhagen.  A drive there would be quite the odyssey through a dozen or so countries.  Of course, it’s also the name attached to a US-operated vessel registry established in 1948.  It’s the world’s second largest registry, after Panama.

Singapore ranks 5th.

And then there’s the US-flagged Maersk vessels.   For its first five years, this 2008-built vessel was called Safmarine Kariba.

For a lengthy but clear discussion on FoCs, including how the choice of flag relates to “end of [ship’s] life” issues, click here, but only if you’ve a half hour or so to devote.

Of course, Maersk is not the only company that flags foreign.  In fact, most do.  Here’s a CMA CGM ULCV named for a US president and flagged in Malta.

Another US president, and another port of registry.  T. Roosevelt is also a London-registered CMA CGM ULCV.

Marseille is what you’d expect, since they are headquartered there.  The US headquarters are in the great port of  . . . Atlanta.  I’d love to see CMA CGM ships on the Chattahoochee.

Madeira is a tiny archipelago where this ship will never call.

Jeju sounds like a lovely island, although this RORO will never be seen there.

Oleander is THE supply vessel for Bermuda.  It surprises me greatly that this vessel would be named for a Pacific atoll.

I’m wondering if the Hong Kong registry will be shedding vessels, given the changes in the special administrative region of the larger country.

A Turkish ship with a Turkish registry . . . now that I’d expect.

All photos, comments, and misunderstanding . . . all credited and/or blamed on WVD.

Speaking of ships, do you recognize the name Rhosus, a 1986 Moldova-flagged general cargo ship?  You should . . . you’ve certainly heard what happened to its cargo this past week . . . .  Moldova-flagged . . .  I’ll bet that falls under the category of grey flags or worse.