Container Feeders

As container ships get larger all the time, the ships calling in Halifax keep getting bigger too. However "small" container ships are also important and operate where cargo volumes do not warrant large ships. The smaller ships also work as feeders to gather up cargo and deliver it to hub ports for larger ships to load. They often have cargo cranes since some small ports do not have container cranes.

ZIM operates a feeder service between Halifax and its hub port of Kingston, Jamaica. The ships also call in New York, so provide a "short sea" service also for cargo from Halifax. Called the Canada Feeder Express (CFX) it currently works with two ships, Contship Leo and Taipei Trader. Both are familiar calllers by now  - the latter ship arrived today, November 20,  lightly loaded, from Kingston.

 

The ship has a capacity of 1102 TEU and that is considered "small" by today's standards. When container services started in Halifax fifty years ago, a 1,000 TEU ships was considered to be a giant! [See tomorrow's post for more on that.]

Meanwhile, anchored in Bedford Basin there is another "smaller" container ship - this one with a capacity of 2345 TEU (or 2339 depending on the source) including 500 reefers. Molly Schulte arrived from Hamburg, and although unscheduled, appears to be working for HAPAG-Lloyd exclusively. The green containers are marked for UASC - United Arab Shipping Co - the majority owner of HAPAG-Lloyd. HAPAG-Lloyd ships usually call in Halifax as part of THE Alliance.

 [Notice the free fall lifeboat partially deployed over the stern.]

Built by Yangfan Group, Zhoushan, China, it is a 27,279 gt, 30,263  dwt vessel equipped with three 45 tonne cranes. It is a most unusual size of ship for Halifax - midway between the 1,000TEU or less feeders and the more usual "liner" types which start at about 4,500 TEU, and do not carry cranes

The ship will remain at anchor until Monday, when it will move in to Fairview Cove.

.