The Container Comedy Show

Shipping containers are moved around the globe 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They are transported by freighter, train and truck. Yes, trucks are a common mode of transportation for them, however, that can take on a whole new meaning when you have moved to the jungle in the Caribbean, up a twisting hill and on a dirt road.

I mentioned in Monday's post that our shipping container had arrived. We were ecstatic as we learned that it had finally cleared customs with our belonging and the much contested toy; the now infamous four-wheeler.

The shipping company from Tegucigalpa had made arrangements for the 20'container that had survived the journey down the Pacific Ocean, through the Panama Canal and through the Caribbean to the awaiting "officials" in Puerto Cortes. Unfortunately when it arrived there, the team assigned to inspect our container were half-way through the pilfering, oops, I mean inspection, when they were all fired and replaced with new "officials" who had not received any training for their new found positions of authority. Since they did not know where their predecessors had left off, they started from the start again; hence our long wait for it to arrive. This was the government's attempt to curb the serious corruption in the port. Good call putting people into jobs without any training and into roles of authority.

We were walking on air when we learned that the container had finally arrived on the island and that it was going to be delivered the following day. The local delivery company called and asked if we had a large enough yard for them to bring a crane as one was needed to lift the container off the truck and set it on the pedestals we had installed in its much anticipated arrival. The shipper came out to view our entrance way and determined that everything should work according to plan.

The next morning, as promised, the crane truck arrived and made it easily into the yard. Through our broken Spanish and his little English we showed the crane operator where the final resting spot for the container would be. No problem. He was all set up and then about 15 minutes later, he received a call and dismantled his carefully selected work area and left. A few minutes later we discovered what the problem was.

Mic and I made our way down the hill and discovered our next challenge. The truck which had been dispatched to haul our container was quite small for the heavy load and was in a precarious position at the bottom of the hill. Where do I even start with the new situation which had our container so close, but yet so far from our new home.

In the first place, as I just mentioned, the truck was far to small for the container as almost 1/3 of its length overhung the back of the flat deck. Secondly. they looped chains through the links of the container but did not fastened it to the flat deck. And finally, the driver had miscalculated the sharp turn to come up the hill and neglected to avoid the overhead trees. Once he reached the bottom of the hill he seemed to think he was driving a car and did not allow a wider turn for the truck to make the sharp angle and avoid the overhead trees. The trees struck the top of the container, and given that it was not tied down

almost completely dislodged the container from the flat deck. I swear I herd our belongings breaking as we watched our container clinging to the flat deck.

The activity that ensued was something like a skit from the Keystone Cops. You also need to understand this is the ONLY road in and out of our neighbourhood where there are quite a few homes, vacation rentals and a couple of small resorts.

The crane operator was setting up on the top of the hill while battling a barrage of tree limbs and branches were flogging the operator and the crane. The company had called a backhoe to help stabilize the container yet was unsure how to help. While this was going on, the driver was walking about looking as if he was in shock that all of this had happened.  What resulted from this incident, was probably one of Roatan's worst traffic jams as our container and the incapacitated truck were blocking the full road for almost 2.5 hours.

Looking at the positive side, we got to meet a lot of our neighbours. Perhaps not the best first impression of the Burich clan but oh well, they all smiled and were very understanding. They all seemed to be as concerned for our belongings as we were, and shared in the comedy act going on in front of us. At that point, with what we had been through with getting the container to the island, there really was not anything else to do but laugh. We really do have some great neighbours down here.

Finally after a few adrenaline filled moments, the Keystone Truckers were able to right the container and the craned pulled the truck and the container up the hill. Did I mention that the truck was much too small to be transporting the cantankerous container?


Once delivered, the entertainment did not stop. To properly strap the container so that the crane could place it on its foundation, they harnessed  a young teenager into a home made swing and lifted him perilously above the container into the air. I had to stop watching at that point. I think Workman's Compensation boards across North America would have something to say about this.



Thank goodness, the container was placed onto the foundation without any further incident. pphheewww, crisis averted.

What we learned from this was to make sure your shipping company hires appropriate and reliable transport for any shipments whether they may be delivering a palett or a full container. Again, as I had mentioned yesterday, ask as many questions that you think will get you the results you need.

Have a good evening and we'll be back tomorrow with more stories of our move to Roatan. Enjoy!