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In a post-modern age of counting carbon footprints, freighter-travel is about as eco-friendly as it gets, short of a rowing boat. Cargo ships are the life-line of the global economy, transporting containers of goods all over the world. Although they do carry passengers, freighters don't advertise themselves. To book a passage you must be prepared to do plenty of research and be dedicated to the idea of a cryptic adventure into the unknown.
Of all the trade routes, the Trans-atlantic crossing is perhaps the most romantic, harking back to the belle époque, era of the ocean liner. The prospect of crossing the bleak immensity of the Atlantic without any organized on-board entertainment may seem a challenging one, but if you are self-reliant yet congenial then a freighter is the ideal way to travel. There is enormous pleasure to be had in wandering between decks, mucking in with the crew, or just sitting outside your cabin reading Moby Dick.
On the voyage to New York from Tilburg, London's container port, there comes a point, after the ship has weighed anchor at Rotterdam and Le Havre and there is only ocean ahead, when you may fleetingly feel stir-crazy; until the mesmerizing effect of the sea suddenly makes you aware of your own insignificance in comparison to the immensity of nature and you start to experience a joyful sense of liberation from mundane responsabilities.
After days of nothing but sea and sky, the sight of the Statue of Liberty is both elevating and humbling. As you step down the gangplank into the Land of the Free, you cannot help sparing a thought for the countless numbers who made this crossing before you, at the same time as wondering how anyone could possibly be so foolhardy as to attempt it in a rowing boat.
YOU SHOULD KNOW
Freighters carry a maximum of 12 paying passengers and sail to virtually every destination in the world at less than half cost of a passenger liner. A certain amount of serendipity is involved in planning your trip since there aren't regular scheduled crossings as there are with passenger ships. Sailing dates as well as ports of embarkation and debarkation may suddenly change without notice. It is important to keep in mind that you are on a working ship and it is not part of the crew's job to entertain or serve you.
