Bigger ships on the way for H-L

Think this is big?  Wait 'til next month.

 1. Los Angeles Express squeezes through the Narrows, March 29.

There will be bigger ships arriving on the Hapag-Lloyd - OOCL Atlantic Express service starting next month. Transferred from the Pacific Northwest services, where even bigger ships are now being introduced, these ships will be significantly larger than the current post-Panamax ships we see now.
The new ships, Dalian Express and Yantian Express will be 20 meters longer and carry up to 2750 more TEUS.
Here are the numbers:
Los Angeles Express 75,590 gross tons, 85,930 deadweight tonnes, 6750 TEU, 300m long x 40 m wide.
Yantian Express 88,493 gross tons, 100,006 deadweight tonnes, 7506 TEU, 320m long x 42m wide.

With the Narrows now even narrower, due to the pier 9C extension work (about 30 meters narrower I reckon) will we soon be reaching the limit?

Los Angeles Express-waits at anchor before docking

1. Los Angeles Express at number one anchorage.

The post-Panamax container ship Los Angeles Express arrived this morning and anchored in the harbour. She weighed anchor about 1130 and berthed at Fairview Cove for 1300. I do not think this was an airdraft issue. Although she did transit the Narrows at low tide, she had over 5 meters of airdraft clearance under the bridges (the Halifax tidal range is only 3 meters).

2. Transiting the Narrows - the stern tug is on a slack line on the starboard quarter. The ship has very low signal masts to decrease air draft. One radar is on a lowered mast, which would be raised when at sea.

3. The ship has plugs for 550 reefer containers. The white boxes on her after deck are all reefers.

It was more likely an issue of work start time for longshoremen. Since she arrived at the pilot station at about 0730hrs, she would not have tied up at Fairview Cove until 0900. Since the longshoremen's work day starts at 0730, they would have been paid for sitting around. There is certainly a cost to having a big ship sitting an anchor, paying fees, taking another pilot, etc., but these must still be less than paying several gangs of longshoremen for no work, and possibly incurring other overtime charges.
The ship is due to sail at 2230 hrs- meaning exactly 1 1/2 days of work.
Los Angeles Express is among the largest class of container ships to call in Halifax, measuring 75,590 gross tons, 85,930 deadweight tons and rated at 6,750 TEUs. She is owned by Northern Magnum Schiffs of Germany.

Los Angeles Express - LAX in Halifax

Not Los Angeles International airport (LAX) but L.A. Express, this afternoon as another big Hapag-Lloyd post-Panamax container ship arrived.

1. Los Angeles Express transits the lower harbour on its way inbound this afternoon. Escort tug Atlantic Oak is making up its tow line astern.

Los Angeles Express, built in 2003 by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering of Koje, South Korea as Northern Magnum, was placed immediately on long term charter to Hapag-Lloyd, by its owners Norddeutsche Reederei H.Schuldt. These charters allow shipping lines to lock in a daily charter rate without carrying the cost of building the ship on their books. At the end of the charter the ship's owner is responsible for the ship, but has already benefited from depreciation and other accounting allowances.The arrangement may be particularly advantageous for certain German investors, where laws favour owner syndicates.
Los Angeles Express is another of the biggest class of ships to call in Halifax, at 6750 TEU, on a ship of 75,790 gross tons and 85,810 deadweight tonnes. Previously on Hapag's Asia-Europe Express route, it is now running transatlantic.

2. Tug Atlantic Willow has joined the procession as the ship lines up for the Narrows.