Joachim von der Heydt’s shipping career began with an apprenticeship in Hamburg in 1960 with Axel Dahlstroem, a leading liner agency house representing the South American, US and West African trades.
On completing his shipping certificate, he subsequently obtained a posting to Spain’s Modesto Pineiro y Cia in Santander, where he became fluent in Spanish, thus opening his next career path back in Germany with the Richard Wolff Agency, which represented Peruvian and Cuban state-owned lines calling in Hamburg.
“That was an interesting time. We had to get permission from the German government to handle the Cuban ships because of sanctions. In those days, the flight to Cuba was an adventure. We had to go via Mexico, with CIA scrutiny part of the experience,” von der Heydt recalled.
Back in Hamburg, his ability to attend vessels at all hours and motivate stevedore gangs by bringing rewarding German sausage and beer on board were legendary, and he quickly realised his ability and desire to establish his own business.
He founded Transnaval Schiffahrts in 1974 with two colleagues, whom he later bought out. Initially, it concentrated on forwarding and project business to Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Transnaval became the commercial representative for Kaki Cola, the original Saudi Arabian cola drinks company, and was responsible for shipping three complete refilling factories to Saudi Arabia over two years.
“We were also the purchasing agents in Europe for the Kaki family. They would ring us up and say things like they wanted two Bentleys, but they had to be shipped the next day. I bought them, shipped them, and they later remitted the cash. Those were the good old days, when business was done by handshake and people could be relied on.”
Transnaval also represented Jeco Shipping on the Europe to Nigeria trade.
Subsequently in 1982, von der Heydt’s new Passat Schiffahrtsgesellschaft became the proud owner of two 500-teu shallow-draught vessels that he designed specifically for Port Harcourt in Nigeria, allowing them to avoid the notorious congestion at Lagos.
He operated them under a new venture that traded as America Africa Line for the US to Nigeria trade and as Hamburg West Africa Line for services out of Europe.
“It was a joint venture with Flensburger Schiffbau. They provided the funding and I managed it. We shipped entire breweries to Nigeria and did really well. We even became a conference member. It was the best time of my life,” he said.
“Later they brought in a former Deutsche Ost-Afrika line guy to be the joint managing director. He gave me a tough time, criticising everything I did.
“I said to him that as he knew everything better than me, it was better he ran things. I quit. By 1986, I sold my shares and took back my ships.”
