Ship’s agency demands extend from paperwork to shopping for the crew

DELIVERING SPARES, locating missing luggage, attending to very personal needs and helping sailors shop for clothing and underwear are all in a day’s work for Walvis Bay-based Ocean Liner Services. “The business has changed, which is why we often refer more to the ‘husbandry’ part when we say we provide ship's agency and husbandry services,” says general manager Katja Glöditzsch. Paper work such as bills of lading and customs documentation – while vital – is just a small part of the personalised service now expected by the vessel owners, representatives and the crew. Based in Walvis Bay, Ocean Liner Services has developed the capacity to support a wide range of vessels – from cargo vessels to oil rigs. The company was the agent for the first oil rig to berth at Walvis Bay – the Sedneth 701, which docked in April 2006 for repairs and maintenance. The port since appears to have established itself as a support centre for the rigs working off the Angolan coast. Repairs, inspections and maintenance make a significant contribution to business in the city, and Ocean Liner Services provides support for vessels using the synchrolift and the floating dock as well as the main port. “We have recently had days when we were responsible for up to 16 vessels in Walvis Bay at the same time. In April we even had two passenger vessels on the same day – and that is when our capacity is stretched,” she says. The present staff of 12 is to be increased to cater for the growth. Ocean Liner Services is a division of Manica Group Namibia. “We are purely a ship’s agency company, and use the group’s resources to provide the full scope of services needed. No one can do it on their own,” she says. Ship’s agency services can also not be provided at a distance. “You have to be on site to secure a berth, a slot on the synchrolift and to ensure that the crew is met at the airport,” she says. Not to mention looking after visiting ship's representatives while they are in Walvis Bay. The port itself is growing, as is the repair industry, she adds. As for the shopping trips. “We are seeing a lot of missing luggage with our crew change clients – particularly those via Johannesburg. On one vessel, we had eight pieces of luggage missing.” Vessels cannot wait for the luggage to be found, so the crew are taken shopping for essentials, while OLS forwards their bags once found to the next port of call. Ship's agency – what a wonderful business to be in.