Railway Sleepers for your garden

We have a range of treated and untreated railway sleepers available for sale at our facility in Cowdenbeath, Fife which can be collected or delivered all over Scotland. If you’re looking for a few ideas for your garden, come springtime, how about this?

Railway Sleepers are really popular in garden landscaping, and they can be used for anything from raised beds for flowers and to steps or garden furniture.

To build a raised bed using railway sleepers…

Firstly lay the sleepers on a level, firm surface. If you are stacking them horizontally on their broadest side, just overlap the joints of the railway sleepers, from layer to layer, then fasten each layer to the layer below with timberlok screws or similar.

If you are stacking the railway sleepers horizontally on their narrowest side, and two or more railway sleepers high, then you will need to support the construction with vertical posts, or else you might find they fall over! Just dig a hole and fix vertical retaining posts (or sleepers) in with concrete. Once you’ve done that, just stack the railway sleepers against the post, and secure them with Timberlok sleeper screws.

Treated Sleepers

Treated railway sleepers are treated with creosote and so they shouldn’t be used inside buildings or playgrounds, to make garden furniture, picnic tables or anything that will be in regular contact with skin.

At T Ward we have sleepers suitable for any purpose - general garden use, cattle courts, fencing, silage clamps, golf courses and road markings/tracks.
We deliver throughout the UK so contact T Ward to discuss placing an order or for more information.

An Energy Park on the old Cockenzie site?

The iconic Cockenzie Power Station in East Lothian closed down for the last time in March 2013.

There are plans to redevelop the site into a marine energy park. Scottish Enterprise published a Prior Information Notice (PIN) in February indicating that they were ‘exploring options’ for the potential redevelopment for an energy park which would neatly fit into the wider Forth/Tay renewable energy cluster and could operate alongside other N-RIP (National Renewables Infrastructure Plan) locations to help support the needs of the emerging offshore wind turbine, tidal and wave renewables market, in addition to the oil and gas Industries.

Watch the demolition of the old power station here:

Badly packed and stowed cargo causes most insurance claims

The packing of Cargo Transport Units (CTUs) is high on the agenda for the shipping industry, and correctly stowing your freight is absolutely imperative – you might have thought that was obvious, perhaps, but according to The TT Club, a leading provider of insurance for the international transport and logistics industry, a staggering 65 per cent of damage to freight is simply down to bad loading, packaging and stowing. That’s an awful lot of expense and damage which could be avoided with the correct training or expert assistance.

The Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS) backs up the statistics, showing that more than 30 per cent of cases investigated through the system were caused by bad stowage and poor packaging.
In an attempt to reduce the amount of claims, the TT Club has developed a brand new online e-learning course which aims to focus attention on the many problems that bad packing can cause, and provide up to date guidance.

The course, which launched in January, is a useful online training tool for anyone who is involved with packing and unpacking cargo transport units (CTU) and the first release of the foundation course has just been launched.

There are modules looking at cargo, transport, packing and arrival and the course also covers relevant issues such as the forces and stresses encountered during transport, and the careful consideration that needs to be taken when packing and securing cargo.

• Cargo – covers the types and physical characteristics of cargo and looks at the problems that badly packed cargo can cause.
• Transport - the main modes of transport, different types of equipment, and the forces and stresses encountered during transport. Also looks at choosing CTU and route considerations.
• Packing - covers preparation for packing, the basic principles and rules which apply to packing and securing, manual and mechanical handling, cargo securing materials, closing the CTU and securing it, in addition to correct documentation.
• Arrival – what precautions to take when opening the CTU at arrival.

T Ward Shipping has a variety of services available to ensure that your cargo loading takes place smoothly, and avoiding unnecessary damage during transit. We can provide clients with a range of equipment,  mobile cranes, fork lifts, special heavy lift equipment, low loaders, MAFI’s, Stevedoring and any other equipment necessary to get the job done professionally and as quickly as possible.

If you think you may need help with cargo lashing and securing, we can organise that on your behalf too, making sure that you have complete peace of mind at all times.

This video gives you an idea about why packing is so important!

The Forth Estuary – perfect for anchorage!

If you need to know why the ports on the Forth Estuary are so popular, it’s hard to pin point just one factor – but their perfect fit for vessels needing laying-up and anchorage are high up on the list of many desirable qualities.

The Forth Estuary ports are ideally located, enjoying a perfect position on Scotland’s east coast, and their easy accessibility to vessels from all over the world along with a spot-on geographical location central to the North Sea and the UK oil fields makes them popular with the 3500 ships that visit every single year.

When it comes to anchorage, there are few ports which offer such favourable conditions for laying-up. Being part of an estuary means that they all benefit from natural shelter, keeping vessels away from harsh prevailing winds.

The Forth Estuary is the perfect location for both long term and short term anchorage, a service that we’re happy to be able to organise for our clients. The ports are all easy to reach, with direct connections to all major UK, European and East Coast US cities and cater for all types of vessel with users ranging from small coasters to project cargoes, naval and very large crude carriers (VLCCs).

All services are laid on to ensure that whether you’re laying up your vessel for a long or short term, you’ll have peace of mind. Deep water ports benefit from full Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) and harbour master surveillance, and for larger ships there are twenty-four designated anchorages beyond the main pilotage area, perfect for rigs or semi-submersible vessels. There are more anchorages inside the pilotage area which provide excellent shelter, minimal sea conditions and deep water.

For semi-submersible vessels there are excellent facilities too, you can ballast down in deep water ports to float off and on large rigs and structures. If you need quayside berthing, Dundee is the ideal choice as there’s also room for jack-up rigs, barges and semi sub rigs to berth alongside.

If you’re an owner or operator of a ship that needs to be laid up for whatever reason, contact T Ward Shipping to discuss our peace of mind laying up services. No matter where you decide to lay up your vessel, if you need anchorage, we’ll be able to help you with all aspects of the process, from documentation, to maintenance and inspections.

Ship and Cargo Surveying

Marine vessels are often subject to surveys, for many reasons. A potential owner will usually want a detailed survey of the ship before a decision is made, or an insurance company might need to assess a claim following an accident. Sometimes, surveys of cargo are even carried out if there’s a suspicion of fraud among the ship’s personnel.

A survey of the ship’s cargo may need to be carried out in order to address safety and liability concerns. There are cargo surveying services in many ports around the world, ready to help customers, owners and anyone else with an interest with their concerns. In some cases, insurance companies and government agencies may also want to have a cargo survey carried out. Cargo surveyors can be independent or employed on behalf of a company.

Marine or Ship Surveyors have a wider remit, which sometimes includes a cargo survey too. A surveyor will board a vessel to assess, monitor and report on its condition, including the cargo if requested. Marine surveyors can also inspect brand new ships’ equipment to make sure that it’s safe for use on a vessel.

A marine survey usually involves a detailed inspection of a ship’s structure, machinery and equipment, along with an assessment of its general condition. Marine Surveyors are highly qualified professionals and have to pass several evaluations before they are qualified to approve vessels to go to sea.

Surveyors are often called in on behalf of insurance companies, because of the specialised area they deal with. Most insurers wouldn’t have the level of skill or training to be able to assess a vessel’s condition, and so independent surveyors are often hired to provide a professional and completely unbiased view.

If cargo is being surveyed, the surveyor will usually take a careful look at all of the ship’s cargo areas, in addition to asking for selected cargo to be opened. They may also want to talk to the ship’s personnel to discuss how it was loaded or is to be unloaded. If the cargo isn’t yet loaded up onto the ship, the surveyor can ask for it to be moved to a suitable place, such as a warehouse, while the loading plan is assessed. You can expect a cargo surveyor to bring a camera and take photographs and notes while they move around the cargo area and ship.

Some of the issues that might arise during a cargo inspection include:

• Correct documentation

• Illegal or questionable items

• The ship’s destination imposes restrictions on incoming cargo

• Safety issues and hazards

Cargo surveyors also want to check that any cargo is properly stowed, securely fastened and evenly distributed. They can ask for cargo to be moved if they have safety concerns.After reviewing a planned cargo a report will be prepared, and any documents that are needed for moving the loads between ports are drawn up. A review of the contents can also be drafted for insurance purposes or in cases where a ship owner suspects fraudulent activity.

What is the Baltic Dry Index?

The Baltic Dry Index, also known as the ‘Dry Bulk Index’ is a way of measuring the cost of transporting raw materials such as metals, grains and fossil fuels by sea. The Baltic Exchange looks at twenty different worldwide shipping routes for various materials every working day and averages them into one index. This Index is made up from three separate sub-indexes which apply to different sized merchant ships, or ‘dry bulk containers’, Capesize, Panamax and Supramax. 

The Baltic Exchange is the official London-based shipping global marketplace used for brokering shipping contracts which was created back in 1744. The Exchange contacts shipping brokers on a daily basis in order to assess the cost of transportation for any specified route, product to transport and the time (speed) to delivery. The index is quoted every working day at 1300 London time. 

These indexes are useful to traders, who use them to settle forward freight agreements, and they are used by investors and economists to find out about the current demand for shipping services contrasted with total shipping capacity.

When the BDI increases, the increase directly increases their margins and revenues, but when it decreases, producers see increased margins, and consumers get lower prices for their goods.The Baltic Dry Index is generally thought to be a good indicator of global trends in supply and demand, and a trustworthy indicator of future economic growth and contraction, because it looks at the value of the type of cargo that isn’t usually speculated on; raw, pre-production materials.Although the BDI has been a reliable way of predicting performance for centuries, the supply of large carriers tends to remain very tight and sometimes long lead times and high production costs can lead to volatility when the global demand for a particular route or cargo increases – or even unexpectedly drops. An example of this was back in 2008, when on June 5th(Capesize) bulk carrier was fixed at a record daily hire rate of $280,000 per day, but within the space of five months, the value of the same ship had plummeted to just $2,800 per day.

Overall, the BDI is considered to be one of the most useful indicators of global raw material and infrastructure demand, as it’s unaffected by consumer spending trends, or speculative players. The trading activity on the BDI is limited to member companies, so it only applies to parties who actually have ships or cargo.

Sailing Destinations from Felixstowe

The world seems like a smaller place these days, and we play some part in that with our regular sailings from one of the UK’s busiest container ports, Felixstowe.
We’re always pleased to be able to extend the services we provide from Felixstowe it’s a great choice for our customers as it’s Britain’s biggest and busiest container port, and also one of the largest in Europe.Including our regular services, The Port of Felixstowe handles over 4000 ships every year, and is vital to shipping, and to trade because of its excellent road and rail links around the UK and some of the deepest water close to the open sea of any European port.
We can offer our clients weekly sailings from this excellent port, to many of the world’s most popular destinations, so whether you want to transport your coal across to the Far East, or you’re relocating your home and starting a brand new life with your family in Australia, we can help you with whatever you need to move.
We travel to the Far East via either Singapore or Hong Kong, a very useful route which has proved to be very popular with our clients. There is a great range of destinations available including ports in Thailand, Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia.
In Australia we can deliver your shipments to useful ports around the country, including Fremantle in Western Australia, the Brit-centric state capital which was named after Captain Charles Howe Fremantle, the English naval officer who pronounced possession of Western Australia. We also ship regularly to the major cities; Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart.We carry on along Australasia with a variety of convenient ports in New Zealand, another favourite destination place for people from the UK to settle.
America is a really popular destination for many of our ships, which is why we have weekly sailings from the Port of Felixstowe, opening up the entire North American continent for business, trade and emigration. Whether you’re changing your life and need all of your worldly goods transported to New York, or you’re interested in sending a shipment across to New Orleans, we have it covered,  and our services from Felixstowe stretch as far as Jacksonville in the east and Seattle on the west coast. We can even make a North Pacific stop and drop your freight off in Honolulu, Hawaii. Felixstowe handles all of our shipments headed for India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka too, with ports in Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and many more all covered on a regular basis. For more information on all of our destination ports, sailing times and more, go to our website and download our handy sailing schedule.