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FossInternationalDelivery

into

North

Korea

TheStrongMarinerisshownabovedepartingNampo,NorthKoreaaftersafelydeliveringsuppliestorecoverthebodiesofAmericankilledintheKoreanWar

FossInternationalandAmericanPresidentialLines(APL)havesuccessfullypartneredforthefirst

deliveryUSflagcargointoNorthKoreainoverfiveyears.TheshipmentprocessstartedinDecember

2011andneededapprovalsfromvariousGovernmentAgenciesincludingUSStateDepartment,

Commerce,Treasury,USTransportationCommand,andMarad,beforeaUSFlagVesselwouldbe

allowedtoenterNorthKoreawaters.TheUSmilitarycargowasinitiallyliftedbyanAPLvesselinmid

FebruaryinBusan,SouthKoreafortransshipmentinQingdao,ChinaduetoSouthKoreancabotagelaws.

FromQingdao,FosssIntegratedTugandBarge,StrongMariner,CaptainedbyArvidAnderson,loaded

the85

containers

for

delivery

into

Nampo,

North

Korea.

Director

of

Operations,

Rob

Wagoner

and

WilliamRoy,SuperCargo,wereflowntoChinatoassistinoperationsthroughoutthevoyage.Wewere

fortunatetohaveCaptainArvidandWilliamRoyonthevoyageasbothpreviouslyhavebeentoNampo

priortothesaleofACTItoFoss.Thecargoconsistedofsuppliesusedtoultimatelyrecoverthebodiesof

AmericansoldierskilledintheKoreanWar.ThisfirstvoyagebytheStrongMarineradditionallyservesas

aproofofprincipletotheUSgovernmentofFosssabilitytosafelydelivercargoesintoNorthKorea.

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RelyingonthepastsuccessesofACTIs

humanitariandeliveriestotheDPRKin

20022003,theFossOperationsteam

understoodtherequirementtobe

completelyselfsustainingforthe

dischargeofthecargoesintoNampo.In

addition,weneededtovettheLock

System,iceconditionsandthedraftatthe

piernotknowingfullywherethe

dischargewouldoccur.AsFosswasa

subcontractortoAPL,itwasincumbenton

theteamofAPLtotakeaprimaryrole

withtheNorthKoreaStateOwnedAgency

(KOSA).Fosscoordinatedcloselywith

APL'sOpsteamandAPL'scontainer

terminalproviderQQCTUAinQingdaoto

loadthecontainerswithtwopossible

dischargescenarios

in

mind;

one

that

focusedonaselfsustainingdischargeata

Breakbulkberth,andtheotherusing

Nampo'sonlygantrycraneattheDPRK

StateContainerTerminaljustafewyears

old.Inbothcases,Fosswaspreparedto

providecompletecontaineryardservices

thatincludedunloadingthecargoesfrom

thecontainersandreloadingtheempties.

Havingone40MTcrane,one30ton

forklift,one15tonforklift,ayardtruckand40'trailersalongwith8,000poundforkliftsforcontainer

stripping

provided

the

needed

assets

for

a

complete

turnkey

operation

without

any

assistance

from

the

DPRKstevedoresorthecontaineryard.Itwasn'tuntilthevesselarrivedatNampoPortthatthedecision

tousetheDPRKStateContainerTerminalwasconfirmed.Dischargeoperationswerequickonlytaking

fourhourstooffloadthe85containers.

CommunicationwithTheKoreanOceanShippingAgencyoftheDPRKprovedtobeachallengeasit

couldinitiallyonlybeaccomplishedthroughathirdpartyagencyinChinacoordinatedbyAPL.Direct

communicationswithKOSAwasn'testablisheduntilthevesselhadreachedtheNampoPilotstation;

thosecommunicationsweremadestrictlybyVHFradioCHL.16.UponreachingthePilotStationthe

vesselwasjoinedby:twoDPRKPilots,twoImmigrationOfficersandoneQuarantineOfficerforthe

remainderofthevoyagetoNampoPort.OnlyoncetheDPRKOfficialscheckedthepassportsand

vaccinationcardsofthetwoFossSupercargoesandtencrewmembers,collectedandsealedall

cameras,cell

phones,

binoculars,

and

disabled

the

ships

SATNAV

was

the

vessel

allowed

to

proceed

to

theLock/GateforpassageintoTaedongGang(Nampo).TransitthroughtheLock/Gatewasseamlessand

wellcoordinated;thevesselencounterediceimmediatelyvaryingfrom10"15"thickandwithdarkness

approachingmadethe12miletransittoNampoPortanchoragesteadywithattentionpaidtosafetyby

theCaptainandPilots.

FossrepresentativesworkedtodevelopamutualworkingrelationshipwithKOSAduringthevessel's3

dayPortstay,focusingonimproveddirectcommunications,availablePortinfrastructure/logisticsand

T he crew o f t he S t rong Mar i ne r , l e f t - r i gh t , Bosun

Jon B la i r Pe terson , AB John Car lson , AB Scot t Mat i s ,

D i r . Cargo Ops. Rober t W agoner , Capt . Arv id

Anderson , Cook R ichard Frak es, and Asst . Eng.

Dus t i n Van Du i n a re p i ct u r ed i n f r on t o f t he Grea t

Leade r , K i m I l -Sung i n Nampo

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futurebusinessopportunities.TheKOSAagentsandallDPRK

Officialswereprofessionalandrespectfulthroughoutthevessel's

Nampovisit.Themissionwascompletedthrutheeffortsofthe

MTTeam,JimDaley,DougPearson,MaryBeedle,ReedClark,

RobWagoner,WilliamRoyandtheStrongMarinercrewledby

CaptainArvidAndersonincoordinationwithAPL.

DayspriortoKimJongIlsdeath,theUnitedStatesAgencyfor

InternationalDevelopment(USAID)representativeswereinChina

negotiatingwiththeDPRK(NorthKorea)toreopentheflowof

foodaidtothebeleagueredcountry.SinceFossdeliveredthe

suppliesintoNorthKorea,representativesfromUSAIDhave

returnedtoChina,thefirstweekofMarch,resumingnegotiations

withNorthKoreaonthesocalledfoodfornukesprogram. The

currentprojectionisforover125,000metrictonsoffoodaidto

bedeliveredin2012.Thisvolumehasthepotentialtodevelopa

yearsworthofworkforeitherofFossROROsinpartnership

withaUS

Flag

based

carrier

to

participate

in

aPriority

1service

(U.S.flag).Foss,asasubcontractor,needstopartnerwitha

carrierlikeAPLwhohasregularUSFlagServicetotheFarEast

wherecargocanberelayedtoNampowithFossInternational,

StrongMariner.ThiscargoiffinallyapprovedwouldbeletthruthenormalUSAIDmonthlybidding

process.

St rong Mar i ne r en rou t e t o Namp o

l oaded w i t h APL ' s con t a i ne rs