The Dutch government wants to promote coastal shipping. There are various navigational routes found within Europe which are very good, so that half of the cargo transportation now taking place over land can be transferred to sea. It concerns around 11 million tons of freight. From the Netherlands, Russia and the Baltic region, Scandinavia, Northwest Spain and Portugal, southern Italy and the eastern Mediterranean Sea region are the areas with the greatest possibilities for further growth. Presently, around 200 destinations in Europe are served from the harbour of Rotterdam via the so-called short-sea service.
The term coastal shipping has been replaced in recent years by the more encompassing name: short sea shipping. The distinction in tonnage with deep sea shipping has practically disappeared with this modern form. Short sea ships with a capacity of thousands of containers are no longer exceptional. The difference between both forms of cargo transportation is now in the sailing qualities of the ships and the chosen sailing regions.
There are some problems with the harbour facilities in southern and Eastern Europe. In addition, a few improvements need to be made with the administrative dispatches in the harbours. They could be strongly simplified and harmonised.The existing working agreements between harbour services and companies, for example in Rotterdam and the Spanish Bilbao are beginning to show profit.
The ‘crawl-line coaster’ is specially developed to sail at sea as well as far inland. In that way, the smaller sea harbours can be passed by and the cargo transported directly from the loading to the unloading dock. The name ‘crawl-line’ refers to the possibility to lower the ship as much as possible so that it can sail under bridges.
