# Freight ship travel from US to Africa?



## ninja007

I live in Canada near the US border. I cannot fly due to an old closed head injury. I plan on going to South Africa asap to live with the lions for a month or two. (seriously). Has anyone travelled by ship, specifically freighter ship from US or Canada to Africa? thx.


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## ninja007

anyone?


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## Vikrant

A while back I wanted to travel from the US to India on a ship. I inquired but got discouraged to find out only way to do that was on a freight ship. Some people say it is fun. 

---



> It is possible and in recent years Mr. Michael Phalen of Monty Paython fame has done it wonderfully and for free.
> 
> It will take some convincing of a Boat Captain, by boat I mean freighter, they allow private citizens aboard for a nominal fee, and you will have to work of the Captain's command like cleaning cabins and ship. If you have a special skill it will help.
> 
> I traveled to Senda, Japan from Tacoma, WA it took 12 days but it was all worth it.
> 
> From Mumbai you can take Maersk, CMA CGM or Hapag Llyod Vessel, you will have to spend some time convincing the captain and you must have valid documents with Visas.
> 
> All three liners stop in Europe and first stop in US on the East Coast is New York / New Jersey Port.
> 
> From the West CMA/CGM or Maersk with a ship change in Singapore will bring you to, Tacoma, WA, or Long Beach/Los Angeles, CA.
> 
> Good Luck.



I want to travel from India to US bu Ship Is it too quaint Possible even


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## TheOldSchool

ninja007 said:


> I live in Canada near the US border. I cannot fly due to an old closed head injury. I plan on going to South Africa asap to live with the lions for a month or two. (seriously). Has anyone travelled by ship, specifically freighter ship from US or Canada to Africa? thx.



FUCK YEAH MAN!!!

Now THAT is an adventure!  I can't help you out unfortunately because I've never done it but GODSPEED! 

You are the fucking man


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## Vikrant

It sounds exciting actually. I wanted to do that when I was a bit younger. I should have for it would have been a cool experience. 

Here is another website with some information on international travel aboard a freight ship:

How to Travel by Cargo Ship Around the World


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## Rikurzhen

Have you ever been to sea, Billy? Argh. No, seriously. I was on a research ship for 3 weeks and we were out in the deep ocean. When we hit the big waves, oh mother of god, I wanted to die so badly. I had nothing left to puke up. Then I got my sea legs. Then the project ended.


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## TheOldSchool

Rikurzhen said:


> Have you ever been to sea, Billy? Argh. No, seriously. I was on a research ship for 3 weeks and we were out in the deep ocean. When we hit the big waves, oh mother of god, I wanted to die so badly. I had nothing left to puke up. Then I got my sea legs. Then the project ended.



Well first of all that's pretty freaking awesome man.

Second I don't think that would be a problem on a freighter.  I think Billy will have the time of his life.  I'd do it if I could.


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## Vikrant

It is more common than I thought. 

How to Travel by cargo ship - Matador Network


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## Rikurzhen

TheOldSchool said:


> Rikurzhen said:
> 
> 
> 
> Have you ever been to sea, Billy? Argh. No, seriously. I was on a research ship for 3 weeks and we were out in the deep ocean. When we hit the big waves, oh mother of god, I wanted to die so badly. I had nothing left to puke up. Then I got my sea legs. Then the project ended.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well first of all that's pretty freaking awesome man.
> 
> Second I don't think that would be a problem on a freighter.  I think Billy will have the time of his life.  I'd do it if I could.
Click to expand...

It would be a problem on a freighter. Here's what I faced - imagine a bowl, any kind of bowl. Take a dinky little toy ship and put it at the bottom of the bowl. Pretend you're on that ship. Now look out and all you see is a wall of water everywhere, then look up and you see yourself surrounded by huge Bering Sea waves.

I'm sure Navy guys can relate.

A freighter is larger than the ship I was on but the open Pacific in a storm can produce big waves. Cruise ships, the ocean liners, try to avoid the miserable weather but freighters have a schedule to keep so they keep on trucking.

I don't know if there are good seasons to cross the Pacific or not, I'm not a sailor. Navy guys should know more.


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## Vikrant

I think this website is quite comprehensive. 

Maris Freighter Cruise Travel Club Passenger Firsthand Cruise Stories

Apparently, there is a club dedicated to this.  I think I will have to do this before I get too old.


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## TheOldSchool

Rikurzhen said:


> TheOldSchool said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Rikurzhen said:
> 
> 
> 
> Have you ever been to sea, Billy? Argh. No, seriously. I was on a research ship for 3 weeks and we were out in the deep ocean. When we hit the big waves, oh mother of god, I wanted to die so badly. I had nothing left to puke up. Then I got my sea legs. Then the project ended.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well first of all that's pretty freaking awesome man.
> 
> Second I don't think that would be a problem on a freighter.  I think Billy will have the time of his life.  I'd do it if I could.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> It would be a problem on a freighter. Here's what I faced - imagine a bowl, any kind of bowl. Take a dinky little toy ship and put it at the bottom of the bowl. Pretend you're on that ship. Now look out and all you see is a wall of water everywhere, then look up and you see yourself surrounded by huge Bering Sea waves.
> 
> I'm sure Navy guys can relate.
> 
> A freighter is larger than the ship I was on but the open Pacific in a storm can produce big waves. Cruise ships, the ocean liners, try to avoid the miserable weather but freighters have a schedule to keep so they keep on trucking.
> 
> I don't know if there are good seasons to cross the Pacific or not, I'm not a sailor. Navy guys should know more.
Click to expand...


I've been a sailor since I was 12 and have several certifications.  So trust me I've been seasick out of my mind before.

But  I looked at the links from @Vikrant and travelling by freighter is now on my bucketlist!

The pacific seems pretty daunting to me but crossing the Atlantic has been a dream of mine as long as I can remember.

@ninja007 DO IT!  AND REGRET NOTHING!


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## TheOldSchool

Also my sister's fiance spent years on an aircraft carrier in the Navy.  I'll ask him about this next time I see him.


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## Rikurzhen

TheOldSchool said:


> Rikurzhen said:
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> TheOldSchool said:
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> Rikurzhen said:
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> 
> 
> Have you ever been to sea, Billy? Argh. No, seriously. I was on a research ship for 3 weeks and we were out in the deep ocean. When we hit the big waves, oh mother of god, I wanted to die so badly. I had nothing left to puke up. Then I got my sea legs. Then the project ended.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well first of all that's pretty freaking awesome man.
> 
> Second I don't think that would be a problem on a freighter.  I think Billy will have the time of his life.  I'd do it if I could.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> It would be a problem on a freighter. Here's what I faced - imagine a bowl, any kind of bowl. Take a dinky little toy ship and put it at the bottom of the bowl. Pretend you're on that ship. Now look out and all you see is a wall of water everywhere, then look up and you see yourself surrounded by huge Bering Sea waves.
> 
> I'm sure Navy guys can relate.
> 
> A freighter is larger than the ship I was on but the open Pacific in a storm can produce big waves. Cruise ships, the ocean liners, try to avoid the miserable weather but freighters have a schedule to keep so they keep on trucking.
> 
> I don't know if there are good seasons to cross the Pacific or not, I'm not a sailor. Navy guys should know more.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I've been a sailor since I was 12 and have several certifications.  So trust me I've been seasick out of my mind before.
> 
> But  I looked at the links from @Vikrant and travelling by freighter is now on my bucketlist!
> 
> The pacific seems pretty daunting to me but crossing the Atlantic has been a dream of mine as long as I can remember.
> 
> @ninja007 DO IT!  AND REGRET NOTHING!
Click to expand...


So you can relate to the dry heaves. That was awful. Then I got my sea-legs. And I had to work through all that. We still had stormy weather but I weathered it much, much better.

I can't see how they can stabilize a freighter in big waves. I'd be very surprised if you get a cruise ship experience in rough weather. Nice weather, sure, but big stuff, no.


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## Vikrant

TheOldSchool said:


> I've been a sailor since I was 12 and have several certifications.  So trust me I've been seasick out of my mind before.
> 
> But  I looked at the links from @Vikrant and travelling by freighter is now on my bucketlist!
> 
> The pacific seems pretty daunting to me but crossing the Atlantic has been a dream of mine as long as I can remember.
> 
> @ninja007 DO IT!  AND REGRET NOTHING!



Yep, that link is pretty helpful. I am going to bookmark that one as I am now seriously thinking about freight travel.


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## TheOldSchool

Rikurzhen said:


> TheOldSchool said:
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> Rikurzhen said:
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> 
> 
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> 
> TheOldSchool said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Rikurzhen said:
> 
> 
> 
> Have you ever been to sea, Billy? Argh. No, seriously. I was on a research ship for 3 weeks and we were out in the deep ocean. When we hit the big waves, oh mother of god, I wanted to die so badly. I had nothing left to puke up. Then I got my sea legs. Then the project ended.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well first of all that's pretty freaking awesome man.
> 
> Second I don't think that would be a problem on a freighter.  I think Billy will have the time of his life.  I'd do it if I could.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> It would be a problem on a freighter. Here's what I faced - imagine a bowl, any kind of bowl. Take a dinky little toy ship and put it at the bottom of the bowl. Pretend you're on that ship. Now look out and all you see is a wall of water everywhere, then look up and you see yourself surrounded by huge Bering Sea waves.
> 
> I'm sure Navy guys can relate.
> 
> A freighter is larger than the ship I was on but the open Pacific in a storm can produce big waves. Cruise ships, the ocean liners, try to avoid the miserable weather but freighters have a schedule to keep so they keep on trucking.
> 
> I don't know if there are good seasons to cross the Pacific or not, I'm not a sailor. Navy guys should know more.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I've been a sailor since I was 12 and have several certifications.  So trust me I've been seasick out of my mind before.
> 
> But  I looked at the links from @Vikrant and travelling by freighter is now on my bucketlist!
> 
> The pacific seems pretty daunting to me but crossing the Atlantic has been a dream of mine as long as I can remember.
> 
> @ninja007 DO IT!  AND REGRET NOTHING!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> So you can relate to the dry heaves. That was awful. Then I got my sea-legs. And I had to work through all that. We still had stormy weather but I weathered it much, much better.
> 
> I can't see how they can stabilize a freighter in big waves. I'd be very surprised if you get a cruise ship experience in rough weather. Nice weather, sure, but big stuff, no.
Click to expand...


Man at least about once a year I get seasick as hell.  But only on boats less than 30'.  I don't know what it's like to be on a freighter during rough seas but then again I would only book a trip if the forecasts were perfect


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## ninja007

thanks guys.. I have seen most of those websites. Trying to find something from Quebec or East coast Canada to South Africa (Johannasburg)? Anybody? I plan on volunteering at Kevin Richardson's Kingdom first (the Lion Whisperer), than going to the Masai Mara with Jackson Looseyia and Johnathan Scott and Simon King (Big Cat Diary) fame. Jackson is right now offering a tour with Jon and Simon in Oct.


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## ninja007

for anyone interested in helping the lions, please visit Kevin's website. Also here is Kevin's movie from, I think 2009ish. Please watch!


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## ninja007

Kevin's website.....

Home


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## ninja007

Kevin's youtube Channel. EVERY view helps to save the lions!


The Lion Whisperer - YouTube


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## ninja007




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## ninja007

awesome short clip from the movie "eternal enemies"......



btw, Kevin has many hyenas too.. even one of his hyenas is actually a member of one of his LION PRIDES.


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## ninja007

bump.


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## Saigon

I know South Africa and East Africa well, if tou need any tips or advice.

Both areas are fantastic, and it's a thrill to be around big animals. It sounds like a fantastic adventure.

Quebec to Capetown sounds epic....how long does it take? 

I thought my overnight flight to Jo'burg was bad enough!


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## ninja007

Saigon said:


> I know South Africa and East Africa well, if tou need any tips or advice.
> 
> Both areas are fantastic, and it's a thrill to be around big animals. It sounds like a fantastic adventure.



ever been to Kevin's Kingdom in Johan.?


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## ninja007

I'm almost sure? you have been to Kruger Park? If so, how was it?


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## Saigon

Kruger is wonderful....one of the best parks in the world, without question. It is quite developed, with very good services. I was on a safari for a few days, camping out, but with access to nice toilets, showers and kitchens. 

I don't know Kevin's Kingdom, but I know a few people who have done these kind of volunteer projects, and most seem to have been very happy with what they experienced. 

There is a lot to explore in the region - both Namibia and Botswana offer a lot of diverse landscapes and wildlife experiences. Even little Swaziland has great horseback safaris. Mozambique is quite dodgy...enter at your own risk. Crime is a major issue in Jo'burg, but it is usually manageable.


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## Skull Pilot

I cannot imagine being trapped on a boat for weeks on end.


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## Saigon

Skull Pilot said:


> I cannot imagine being trapped on a boat for weeks on end.



I'm trying to imagine if it was just you and me as passengers.....imagine all the time we'd have to discuss gun control!!


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## Skull Pilot

Saigon said:


> Skull Pilot said:
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> 
> 
> I cannot imagine being trapped on a boat for weeks on end.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm trying to imagine if it was just you and me as passengers.....imagine all the time we'd have to discuss gun control!!
Click to expand...

kill me now


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