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3. Torben Abd-el Dayem: op. cit., Esbjerg 2006, p. 49.
4. Kilder til følgende afsnit er Lars Bjørn Madsen: En tur
tilbage til Sundtoldtidens Helsingør, Helsingør 1996 samt
Julius F. Schierbecks Eftf.: Skibsproviantering gennem 100
år, København 1958.
5. Julius F. Schierbecks Eftf.: Skibsproviantering gennem
100 år, København 1958.
6. Oplysninger fra Esbjerg Vejviser 1950-1980.
7. Harald Lodberg, „En beskrivelse af familien og forretnin-
gen J. P. Jensen”. Fiskeri- og Søfartsmuseets arkiv (OP 580).
8. Love for Indkøbsforeningen „Godthåb”. Fiskeri- og Sø-
fartsmuseets arkiv (3000A8).
9. Johannes Bredmose Simonsen: Fiskerne og byen, Es-
bjerg 1997, p. 143.
10. Harald Lodberg, „En beskrivelse af familien og forretnin-
gen J. P. Jensen”. Fiskeri- og Søfartsmuseets arkiv (OP 580).
11. Interview med Kaj H. Holm, november 2008.
Summary
This article reviews the role and function of ships’ chand-
lery in the period 1950-2000, when the trade and the num-
ber of businesses engaged in it were at their peak. In the last
few decades there has been a major change and a marked
downturn in the number of ship’s chandlers, many of them
having gone out of business or been taken over by multi-
national conglomerates. With their many and varied func-
tions, the original ships’ chandlery which existed in most
Danish harbours to service maritime activities has been
indispensable for shipping, the provisioning and outfitting
of ships being the most important function, as the chand-
lers were always available and they procured what the ships
required and asked for. Deliveries to ships could be made
at almost all times of the day, often at short notice. Apart
from food and other staples, the ships’ chandlers provided
everything from clothing to special parts and equipment
used on board, and they helped the sailors to find tradesmen
and other services in the town when this became necessary.
The ships’ chandlers also looked after all the paperwork
and the accounts associated with payment of customs du-
ties and value added tax. Some fishermen had accounts with
the chandlers, who kept a record of all goods which were
ordered. It was not uncommon for the chandlers to provide
credit, especially to loyal customers, when the fishing was
going badly or the waters were frozen in winter and the
ships were confined to harbour.
The ships’ chandlers were characterised by their high
level of service and personal relationships with their clients.
A chandler was accustomed to being able to do the impossi-
ble, and apart from the maritime clients, there were also cli-
ents in the town because a chandler could arrange anything.
If it couldn’t be provided, it wasn’t available anywhere. The
chandlers’ businesses became natural gathering places for
the sailors when they were on land, where they met over a
„morning beer”, exchanged yarns and discussed things in
the world at large. This gave a spirit of solidarity and close
relationships both among the sailors and with the chandler.
In many towns, sailors and especially fishermen were divi-
ded into different groups which worked together and traded
with a particular chandler.
The gradual decline in the number of ships’ chandlers
and their presence at Danish harbours is explicable on the
basis of a number of social factors. Firstly, the number of
vessels, especially fishing boats, has been reduced signifi-
cantly, and increases in efficiency and large-scale operati-
ons have also been felt in the chandlery sector, which has
now been gathered into big conglomerates. Developments
in infrastructure and communication equipment have made
it easier for big companies to service shipping. Orders are
faxed or e-mailed from the ship, and the goods are delive-
red to the desired harbour in refrigerated or freezer lorries.
Refrigeration and freezer facilities on board the ships have
also made it possible to take much greater quantities of
provisions on board than was previously the case. Another
thing which ships’ chandlers previously assisted with, na-
mely procuring special parts or arranging various repairs,
is now done by external experts. Provisioning the ships
remains an important activity for shipping, but it has lost
some of its service-oriented functions and the social func-
tion which helped to maintain the spirit of solidarity and life
at Danish harbours.