Marseille Essay

Introduction

Marseille is the oldest city in France. Its current architecture and its people reflect 2600 years of history closely linked with its port. In the 1st century BC, Marseille lays the foundation for its port, a pool of 2 ha and 4 m deep is dug in the North East of its current well known “Vieux Port” (Old Port). The Edge of this port is an extensive basin for navigation. The city quickly builds an important fighting fleet and will colonize territories in Spain, in the Languedoc, Antibes and Corsica.

Since its foundation, Marseille prospered and became powerful. Its wealth was visible in the coins it produced at the time. Located at crossroads between east and west, Marseille is in a struggle to become a key anchor in the Mediterranean. The people fought for their city acquiring and retaining a place of prestige in trades between the West and the East, in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The early eighteenth century was hard on the city. The plague of 1720 caused between 30 000 and 35 000 deaths in Marseille which only had 90 000 inhabitants at the time. More than one third of the population was decimated by the disease. After this sad episode, the city is transformed and rebuilt on a solid foundation. The “Canebière” street, a major artery, becomes the business center of the city, and leads down directly to the “Vieux Port”.

The city also has the oldest Chamber of Commerce in France, founded in 1599. The chamber of commerce gave the city its reputation of a world port. It is a port of trade in luxury with Peruvian coast and develops the trade in the Indian Ocean. This openness to the world is the engine of progress of Marseille and the starting point of a constant evolution. It is through the expansion of trade that the c...

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...n with the control tower of the port. The stations have 14 fast pilot boats, including 10 with a length of 12 meters, and 4 to measuring 17 meters. A new concept of pilot boat measuring 13.5 meters is currently being developed, and will be fully operational by year's end. Their maximum speeds between 25 and 27 knots but their operations will be carried out at around 21 knots. They are equipped with radar, AIS, and all the latest electronic navigation aids. They will also be equipped with an original recovery system developed by the Pilots of Marseille-Fos.

Two years ago, I got the opportunity to visit the pilotage station. That day, traffic was rather calm, but I still got the opportunity to follow one of the pilots on board a Greek tanker, which was heading for the refinery. This experience enabled me to take a closer look to the pilotage operations in Marseille.