First, let's figure out what cabotage is. This word, which means the process of sailing a vessel from port to port, without leaving the borders of one country. The concept is known to everyone who works in the marine industry. As for beginners, many marine terms are completely unfamiliar to them and raise many questions. In order to familiarize such people with the basic concepts of this type of transportation, we prepared this article.
General concept
All marine terms have their own interpretation and come from some basic reference word. Cabotage is no exception. This expression came from the Spanish “cape”, which in translation into Russian means “cape”. The fact is that such a swimming was called coastal in ancient times. Sailing from one cape to another, the ships did not cross the borders of other states, thus reinforcing such a thing as domestic transportation by sea. Moreover, in those days, this meant that the ship makes a voyage without going to sea. So the Vikings, and the Greeks, and the Egyptians sailed. The word itself and its meaning have survived to our times. In the modern world, such a transportation is carried out by the merchant fleet, the concept of “cabotage” has become an official term. True, it does not imply that the ship does not go into the open sea, but only means crossing the state border. For example, in the Soviet Union, this term was used to refer to transportation carried out within the water area:
- Black and Azov Seas.
- White Sea and the Arctic Ocean.
- Japanese, Okhotsk and Bering Seas.
Typically, certain vessels were intended for such a voyage.
Shipping Benefits
Shipping in the modern world is gaining more and more positive reviews and gaining popularity. Due to the fact that our planet is covered with water veins and arteries connecting with each other, getting from one place to another by sea does not cause any difficulties. This
type of transportation is quite reliable and uninterrupted. And its most important advantage is that the cost of such transportation is much cheaper than, for example, by air. Moreover, the nature of some goods does not allow them to be transported by air or on the freeway in cars, while by sea it can be done easily and simply.
Types of cabotage
There are several options for this type of transportation. To begin, consider this from the point of view of the territory where this process takes place:
- Continental cabotage is the sailing of one ship along the mainland, while it does not go to any port located on the islands of this state.
- Island cabotage - in this case, the ship can make voyages both from the mainland to the island and back, and between the islands, but at the same time without leaving the borders of her country.
If we consider cabotage from the point of view of waterways, then there are also distinctions:
- Sea cabotage - is the commission of the transport of any cargo or people with or without access to the open sea.
- River cabotage - does not provide for swimming in the sea, but only movement along the river internal routes. Recently, this type of transportation is practically not used, since a large number of artificially created structures do not allow the freedom to move along rivers.
Considering the first type of swimming, we can distinguish such types of it:
- Small cabotage, meaning movement within the same water body, mainly along the coast, without going into open waters.
- Large when the ship moves from one sea to another or leaves the ocean.
According to experts, Greece owns the largest coastal fleet, and such transportation plays a very important role in the economy of this country.
Types of ships
A coaster is nothing more than a ship that transports cargo within one country without going beyond its borders. There are several types of such ships, and each has its own characteristics. For the successful transportation of goods, you need to carefully consider what type of vessel you will transport it to avoid problems during navigation. The minimum weight that any such ship can carry is ten thousand tons, which makes such transportation even more attractive, despite the long delivery time due to the low speed. We list the most common types:
- Dry cargo ship - used to transport solid, bulk and bulk substances or cargo that is packed in a special container;
- container ship - designed to transport goods packaged in special containers of a certain size;
- Roller - equipped with equipment designed to transport various vehicles;
- tanker - used to transport liquid goods that are poured into special tanks, and at the end of the voyage they are pumped into special tanks;
- refrigerator - equipped with special refrigerators designed for products that quickly deteriorate;
- lighter carrier - a specially invented ship for transporting lighters; in the event that there are problems with loading some goods due to lack of space, the products are loaded on small lighters, which are then placed on a large vessel equipped with special platforms for fastening.
Legal aspect
As you can see, cabotage is a multifaceted concept that has many features. But the main thing at the same time is to comply with all legal aspects. It is very important for both the sender and the recipient of the goods to get everything safe and sound. Therefore, before loading the goods, the parties must necessarily conclude an agreement. Under the agreement, one party represented by the carrier undertakes to deliver the goods without damage and transfer directly to the other party represented by the recipient. For this, the carrier receives a pre-agreed fee.
It is worth noting that the history of legal relationships in this area began in ancient times. Even then, shipowners stipulated norms that governed different transportation options. The main thing at the same time was always to deliver the goods intact or to pay compensation in case of loss or damage to the goods.
Documentation
In addition to the contract, there are other documents that regulate shipping. Among them:
- bill of lading - the main document on the orders of goods;
- sea waybill;
- dock receipt;
- delivery order;
- receipt of the navigator;
- warehouse receipt.
Different documentation is used during transportation, and its type depends on both the established order in the transportation company and the sender's desire.