RCL charters out six redundant ships to offload surplus capacity

RCL charters out six redundant ships to offload surplus capacity UNABLE to find employment for ships within its own container shipping network, Regional Container Lines (RCL) has chartered out six vessels to soak up surplus capacity.

Two 2,378-TEU sister ships, the Xutra Bhum and the Wana Bhum, have been chartered to MSC for deployment on the intra-Asia tradelane, reports Alphaliner.

The two ships have been fixed for eight to 10 month periods at US$6,500 per day. RCL had operated the vessels on its South East Asia-Australia service but they were put out of service following the launch of a new service, dubbed the Australia-South East Asia Loop, in April that deploys larger 4,200 TEU ships. 

At the end of June the Xutra Bhum entered MSC's weekly Singapore-South China service that uses three other vessels of 2,100 TEU.

 The Wana Bhum has joined in the last week of July MSC's Indo Express 2 service that serves ports in Singapore and Indonesia, replacing the 2,811 TEU MSC Gianna.

 In addition, it has chartered out four other vessels, the 2,732-TEU Racha Bhum and Sattha Bhum and the 2,588-TEU Uru Bhum and Vira Bhum.