The Coalition of the Swilling

Crewman farted?

Looks like a bulk dry goods carrier to me as well, for grain, rice, etc. Cocoa, even. Can't say why the holds are opened, although someone farting is a good a reason as any!

So tell them what really goes on when they come in from the Ivory Coast...

Ok, here's my Ivory Coast story:

Several years ago one of our competitors was bringing in a bulk cocoa ship like this one, a vessel they chartered for this voyage. They were bringing in several thousand tons of cocoa in break-bulk (which means the cocoa was packaged in 60kg bags that were basically just piled in the hold). They were a large, well-financed company affiliated with a brokerage house, the smart money boys, so they self-insured the vessel but didn't insure the cargo. Like I said, the smart money boys. Standard practice on these shipments was to dump all the cocoa in the hold, steam a day or so out of Abidjan, seal up the hatches and then pump the hold full of methyl bromide to kill all the critters, bugs and moths so the FDA allows your clean product into the States.

Anyhow, times back then were especially unpleasant in the Ivory Coast, not that they have ever been particularly frabjous, mind you, and a few of the fellows who were loading the cargo decided to seek a better life over here. So they stowed away. In the hold. They made what comfy beds they could out of 4000 tons of cocoa (and made some into a bathroom, naturally).

The vessel arrives off of NY, the FDA folks zip out on the boat to meet her. They pop the hatches for the standard quick look-see and find the bodies, quarantine the entire cargo, and force the 'smart money' boys to dump the entire thing. Every last uninsured cocoa bean.

Ouch.

Owitch! Reminds me of those criminals who attempt to burglarize houses while the termite tents are up.

Ouch indeed. Not so smart, it seems.