MAERSK Line has added a fourth vessel to its trans-Tasman Polaris service, in conjunction with changes to its OC1 East Coast North America product.
The 2,824 TEU Archer, which has been 'freelancing' on various maersk duties, was scheduled to arrive at Port Botany from Tanjung Pelepas on Wednesday evening (January 31) to take up Polaris service, according to Australia's Daily Cargo News.
The addition of the fourth ship enables Maersk to increase the frequency of Tauranga calls to weekly, such that Polaris' weekly rotation now becomes Port Botany, Auckland, Nelson, Timaru, Port Chalmers, Tauranga, Port Botany.
The Archer joins the 2,230 Nicolai Maersk and the 1,732 TEU sisters AS Simone and AS Sabine, although the latter is due to be replaced in Port Chamers on February 8 by the 1,800 TEU Nordmaas.
On January 11 Maersk announced that OC1 would be split into two loops, Atlantic and Pacific, with ships no longer transiting the problematic Panama Canal and cargo moved between the two loops by Panama rail/landbridge. As part of this revamp OC1's Port Botany call has been dropped and a Brisbane direct call added.
Maersk advised last week that due to the DP World industrial action the first ship on the Pacific loop of AC1, Maersk Bali 352S/405N will perform a port swap between Brisbane and Melbourne, with Melbourne (30 January) now being called prior to Brisbane (February 3) to mitigate any further impact to forward scheduling.
Maersk Bali will also undertake a terminal change at Melbourne, to now call Patricks terminal for discharge and loading operations.
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The 2,824 TEU Archer, which has been 'freelancing' on various maersk duties, was scheduled to arrive at Port Botany from Tanjung Pelepas on Wednesday evening (January 31) to take up Polaris service, according to Australia's Daily Cargo News.
The addition of the fourth ship enables Maersk to increase the frequency of Tauranga calls to weekly, such that Polaris' weekly rotation now becomes Port Botany, Auckland, Nelson, Timaru, Port Chalmers, Tauranga, Port Botany.
The Archer joins the 2,230 Nicolai Maersk and the 1,732 TEU sisters AS Simone and AS Sabine, although the latter is due to be replaced in Port Chamers on February 8 by the 1,800 TEU Nordmaas.
On January 11 Maersk announced that OC1 would be split into two loops, Atlantic and Pacific, with ships no longer transiting the problematic Panama Canal and cargo moved between the two loops by Panama rail/landbridge. As part of this revamp OC1's Port Botany call has been dropped and a Brisbane direct call added.
Maersk advised last week that due to the DP World industrial action the first ship on the Pacific loop of AC1, Maersk Bali 352S/405N will perform a port swap between Brisbane and Melbourne, with Melbourne (30 January) now being called prior to Brisbane (February 3) to mitigate any further impact to forward scheduling.
Maersk Bali will also undertake a terminal change at Melbourne, to now call Patricks terminal for discharge and loading operations.
SeaNews Turkey