Amateur Radio Operators Provide Eager Audience

I was fortunate enough to be asked to address the annual meeting of the Puerto Rico Amateur Radio League in Salinas. I am an amateur radio operator (WP4NPV) but traditionally, the speaker chooses a subject that has little or nothing to do with Amateur Radio. I chose to speak about the Port of San Juan and the challenges it faces.

This was not an easy crowd. The people in that room came from all possible backgrounds and professional ad nonprofessional backgrounds, from all over the island. Most are not from the San Juan metropolitan area. My task was to bring up the subject and inform about what the problem is, according to us, the effect it will have, not just on San Juan but on all of the island's residents and commerce, and what was it that the City of San Juan is doing about it, preparing to operate the Port of San Juan and firming up our proposed course of action.

I spoke without notes, for about fifty minutes. No one moved from their seats. In that time, I explained what the San Juan Waterfront project proposed to do (develop all the area from the Old San Juan Pier 1-6 and around the corner Piers 7-10 and through Pier 14) as a pedestrian walkway, shops, etc. All non maritime uses, including a marina for large exotic yachts.

One of the first key points I made was that no one has any objections to the massive development proposed. However, I pointed out that such development would have immediate consequences The first one was that any cargo operations in those piers would have to be moved elsewhere, as the nonmaritime use was completely and utterly incompatible with the original intended cargo transfer use.

Immediately, people understood that the Waterfront project required a relocation of the cargo activities that are now carried out there.

That was a good time to explain what kind of cargo we were talking about, breakbulk cargo.

The audience then had a basic primer on how cargo is transported by ship: containers (which were perfected a few decades ago for traffic between Puerto Rico and the mainland), liquids (molasses, petroleum products--fuel and lubricants) bulk cargo (iron ore, concrete, grain), neobulk (vehicles) and breakbulk. It was easy for them to understand why some things cannot be put in containers. Some things do not fit in containers, some are so heavy that would exceed the weight capacity for a container, and some are too bulky that too few would fit in a container. Yet others are not containerized for other reasons (not economical to send empty containers back to where the wood originates).

At any event, people were pretty clear as to what breakbulk cargo was ("carga suelta"). They also learned that it was being unloaded where there would soon be pedestrian walkways. It was time to explain the next ingredient, the proposal from the Puerto Rico Ports Authority to have the breakbulk cargo operations relocate to the Port of Ponce, almost seventy miles away.

One of the audience members later commented "there was no need to be a expert to understand how a relocation of these operations to Ponce would immediately result in a significant price increase on the cost of such goods."

And he was right. I explained how it was determined that there would be an increase in transportation costs of 67% on year 1, and a further 19% on year 2. You could hear a pin drop at that point.

To drive the point home, I used an example of a very ordinary item, which actually comes in as breakbulk: a 4' by 8' by 1/2 inch sheet of plywood. Suddenly, people understood the issue of the Port operation was not merely an issue "over there" in San Juan, but one that would have immediate effects all over the island.

To cap off further devastating effects, I mentioned the loss of skilled jobs in San Juan, the indirect effect on the local economy, the increase in prices for the remaining port services in San Juan, and the fact the Port of Ponce officials have stated they are not very interested in handling breakbulk, as their core business will be container transshipment.

Finally, I explained what San Juan proposes, a transfer of Piers 15 and 16 to let the City handle breakbulk, as the Ports Authority has declared itself unable to do. The solid industry support behind this proposal was underscored at the talk by narrating how we responded when the industry came to the City, in a seeming effort of last resort.

Lastly, Hangar 21---a 50 cuerda parcel of land recently acquired by PRPA from the the federal government was mentioned as our proposed site to develop and construct a new pier to minimize the impact of the elimination of pier space from piers 7-14.

Additionally, the two bills before the Puerto Rico House of Representatives were discussed,
RCC2174 (moratorium on San Juan Waterfront land conveyances) and PC3926 (transfer to City control of Piers 15, 16 and the area around former Hangar 21 in Isla Grnde).

I am glad I went there and I am even more glad the audience went home understanding the importance the Port of San Juan plays on their daily lives, even if they did not know it.