The Ocean Alliance / Columbus JAX service brought in another Ultra size ship to PSA Halifax's Atlantic Gateway today, March 25. This time it is the CMA CGM Lapérouse, a 13,880 TEU ship, with reefer plugs for 800 TEU.
Built in 2010 by Daewoo SB + ME, Okpo, it is a 151,446 gt, 165,442 dwt ship, and as usual with ships of that size has the split superstructure with bridge and accommodation forward of midships.
The ship is named for the French naval officer and explorer Jean-François de Galaup, Comte de Lapérouse (1741-1788?). In his early naval career he was on re-supply ships to Louisbourg in 1757 and 1758 and in 1782 he captured Fort York and Fort Prince of Wales in Hudson Bay.
However he was better known for his expedition to the Pacific in which he was never seen again after sailing from Australia in early 1788. His disappearance was the mystery of the century and it was not until 1826 that some wreckage of his ships was found on the Vanikoro Islands in the Solomon Islands. More was learned in expeditions of 1964, 2005 and 2008. It is believed that some members of the expedition survived for an extended time, but probably died in conflict with the local population.
The Lapérouse mystery was on many minds, including that of King Louis XVI who, on the day of his execution, January 21, 1793, is reported to have asked "Any news of Lapérouse?"
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