Still the Biggest

The Biggest

The ship that holds the record as the largest container ship to call in Halifax arrived again today on the Columbus JAX service of the Ocean Alliance.  CMA CGM Marco Polo is one of several ships of the Explorer class that call here regularly, but this one edges out the other members by millimeters in measurements.

 Due to its overall length of 396 meters, it is required to use two escort tugs tethered astern. A third tug is also needed to berth at PSA Halifax Atlantic Gateway. The ship used the deepwater western channel on its way into port. The stern tugs assist the ship in braking and steering as it makes its way through the channels.

Built in 2012 by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering in Okpo, the 176,546 gt, 187,625 dwt ship has a capacity of 16,020 TEU.

As the ship made the crossover from the western channel to the main channel as it approached the pier an other Ultra size container shipc could be seen waiting in the outer anchorages. The ONE Swan a 14,026 TEU ship is due to come in tomorrow. 

 

The extension to the southend terminal and the addition of two more cranes was supposed to allow two Ultra size ships (more than 10,000 TEU) to berth at the same time. 

The CMA CGM Marco Polo deviated from its normal route on this voyage. After sailing from Singapore and the Malacca Strait (January 28) it skipped its usual call in Colombo and sailed directly to the Cape of Good Hope, reporting off Cape Town February 11. It then made for Tanger Med, passing the Canary Islands February 21, and arriving in the Moroccan port February 24. It cleared the same day and headed directly for Halifax. 

Due to the long diversion in order to avoid the Red Sea, the ship was probably given priorty for berthing, although I suspect that PSA Halifax would be hard pressed to work two Ultras at the same time.

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