CMA CGM "Big Box Boat"

 There are Big Box stores and there are Big Box Boats. One of the latter arrived in Halifax early this morning September 1, and tied up at the PSA Halifax Atlantic Gateway. CMA CGM Corte Real at 151,446 gt, 165,182 dwt, with a capacity of 13,880TEU, including 800 reefers, is not the biggest Big Box Boat to call in Halifax, (that would be CMA CGM Marco Polo at 16,022 TEU) but it is one of the "Ultra" class (larger than 10,000 TEU) which can be accommodated at the southend terminal.

The ship requires "Super Post-Pananax" cranes which are very high and have a broad reach. The terminal has such cranes and is reported to be acquiring two more early next year. The new cranes will have a reach of 24 containers, and will be added to the five existing cranes - not all of which can work the largest ships. (The ship's accommodation block and bridge structure is just to the left of the forward crane, and the ship's funnels are to the right of the aft crane).

CMA CGM Corte Real was built in 2010 by Daewoo Shipbuilding + Marine Engineering Co Ltd in Okpo. A sister ship, CMA CGM Amerigo Vespucci (same particulars) was due this coming weekend (Labour Day weekend) but may be bypassing Halifax for Norfolk according to satellite info. There is usually one ship per week on this service from Asia via Suez operated by the Ocean Alliance of CMA CGM, COSCO (including OOCL) and Evergreen.

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CMA CGM Amerigo Vespucci at PSA

 CMA CGM brought in another large ship on its Columbus JAX service, and as usual the ship's name commemorates a discredited explorer.

The ship was built in 2010 by Daewoo, Okpo and is a 152,991 gt, 156,887 dwt vessel with a capacity of 13,880 TEU (including 800 reefers). It features the isolated "island" superstructure and engines aft design of the larger container ships.

Tugs Spitfire III, Atlantic Fir and Atlantic Oak turn the ship into an offshore breeze to come alongside PSA Halifax.

The ship's namesake (b.1454-d.1512) was actually Italian (unlike Columbus who was born in Cuba, Portugal, southeast of Lisbon)  but lived in Spain and may have made two to six visits to the New World. His letters describing the voyages led to the continents of the Western Hemisphere being named for him (not to mention their current occupants). While much is unknown about the man, and much of the contents of the letters is in doubt, it is a fact that he took slaves from Hispaniola and had violent encounters with indigenous peoples. He is credited with determining from his exploration of the Brazilian coast that South America was not part of Asia, but a separate continent.

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