Is there one? I remember in the 60's while at sea sailing on deepsea tankers with BP, I saw, either on the west African coast or in a NW European port a 12-16.000 grt cargo liner, flying and sailing under the Swiss national Flag. The Trading company name escapes me but it has 5-8 ships of similar size registered in Bern or Genieva? I just wonder if this trading company or its successor still trades under the Swiss Flag.
Later on in life in the 80 I remember visiting for professional reasons a Ugandan registered ship, sailing under either its own or another african state flag she was a different story. The point of the story is that landlocked states, trade on the high seas, and while a member of the UN, and do not have a natural sea port, still register their vessels.
I seem to remember that there is/was a naval patrol vessel on Lake Constance which was brought to the lake in parts and rebuilt there....there may be more than one there and on Lake Leman ( Geneva)...
I sailed with a Swiss 2nd Mate in Palm Line. He had served his time on Swiss ships and was either married or engaged to a girl who lived up the road from me in Glasgow. I don't think the Swiss had Marine Certificates of Competence and he had taken his tickets in Glasgow, thereby meeting his loved one.
Jim
There used to be a few Swiss ships knocking about, maybe Zurich was their gnome port. I also remember seeing an Austrian ship and a Czech ship somewhere.
I sailed with a Swiss bosun who used his Swiss Dicharge Book when lining up for a shore pass in the US. Nice try but not good enough, the Immigration bloke found his name in the rolladex file - banned from shoreleave in the USA.
Swiss ships have been calling here as long as I remember. I think I've seen all flags of Europe on ships except Andorra, Liechtenstein, Moldova, and the Vatican.
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