Shipping vessels join line

Two new vessels built for Maersk Sealand's New Zealand container shipping service were launched in Taiwan yesterday.

They should be available to local importers and exporters within a few months.

Built by the China Shipbuilding Corporation, the Nicolai Maersk and Nora Maersk are sister ships to the Nele Maerske, which made its maiden voyage to New Zealand last week, and a fourth vessel, which is scheduled to be completed in August.

The ships are each 198.6m in length and 30.2m in breadth.

They have a deadweight tonnage of 30,420 and are powered by a 38,500bhp engine.

Each can carry the equivalent of 2000 6.5m containers and can serve many of those with electricity.

The ships launched yesterday were named by the wives of the chief executives of New Zealand's biggest fishing companies, Sanford and Sealord, who are also two of Maersk Sealand's biggest customers.