A local shipping agency is thriving as larger vessels have started calling on at the Vizhinjam International Seaport. City-based Waterline Shipping and Logistics Private Limited has become a key player in the sector by facilitating big vessels during trial runs, offering competitive services using employees trained from the fishermen community.
The company successfully coordinated the mooring activities for all 30 ships that arrived at the port and acted as a ship agency to facilitate the arrival of a feeder vessel for container handling.
Waterline managed Asterios, a feeder vessel from Singapore, which picked up nearly 800 containers that had been off-loaded by a mothership at Vizhinjam Port for delivery to Oman. This accomplishment is significant as similar operations had previously been undertaken only by global firms like Maersk, MSC, and Express.
The company secured service orders in competition with 43 major ship agencies registered at Vizhinjam. Notably, all 15 of its employees come from the local coastal community and have been trained for skilled tasks. Waterline began its operations as a shipping agency by playing a crucial role in mooring the ‘Zhen Hua 15,’ the first ship to dock at the port in October 2023. Mooring involves securing a vessel to the dock with the assistance of tugboats, and the company also ensures compliance with authorities and manages all related paperwork, including crew changes.
“Mooring is a critical task that requires precision and efficiency. The ocean currents and weather can pose challenges, and our average mooring time is 30-45 minutes,” said Manoj Nair, MD and CEO of Waterline Shipping and Logistics Private Limited. A former Coast Guard and Navy officer, Nair took voluntary retirement to start the company with two partners in 2021.
The company has received commendations from Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd and Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd for successfully mooring San Fernando, the first mothership to arrive at the port for the trial run in July, and for handling Asterios, as praised by the ship’s captain. Waterline is also engaged in ‘ship chandling’, supplying provisions and services to two large MSC vessels.