2800 series vessel due at Port Chalmers

In port for the first time today is chartered container ship Maersk Jackson.

The vessel is another successful standard design that has been built since 2002 by the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Company Ltd at Ulsan. Known as the 2800 series, they each carry 2824teu, have a length of 222m and were designed to operate with a service speed of 23 knots. To date, 12 of this type have made 92 visits to Port Chalmers. The first to call was Ariake on January 8, 2007.

This Cypriot-flag vessel was later joined by Patricia Schulte and Tatiana Schulte, also sailing under the same flag.

These three vessels are German-owned. Likewise, seven of the other sisters seen here, Cap's Beatrice, Beaufort, Bianco, Byron, Capricorn, Cleveland and Maersk Jackson, are also German-owned but are registered in Liberia.

The other two vessels are the Swiss-flag Maersk Jaun and Maersk Jenaz. The 28,616gt Maersk Jackson was built in 2006.

It was laid down less than four years ago on May 26, launched on August 9, and delivered on September 26. It was one of five "Santa B" class vessels ordered by Reederei Claus-Peter Offen, of Hamburg.

The ship's build name, Santa Balbina, is included in the title of the one-ship company that owns it, ms"Santa Balbina": Offen Reederei GmbH&Co.

Three other Offen sisters have been calling here in Hamburg-Sud colours since July 2008.

With build names in parentheses they are Cap Beaufort (Santa Brunella), Cap Bianco (Santa Bianca) and Cap Byron (Santa Bettina).

The fifth ship is Maersk Jamestown (Santa Belina). The Offen name never surfaced here until the first of their seven 4112teu "Albatross" class vessels P&O Nedlloyd Remuera berthed at Port Chalmers on its maiden voyage on February 13, 2002. These ships operated on the round-the-world service which was discontinued after Maersk took over P&O Nedlloyd in 2005. Four of these vessels are now employed on the weekly hub service from Tanjung Pelepas. As for the lead ship of the class, P&O Nedlloyd Remuera became Maersk Denia in 2006.

In May 2007, it was renamed Southampton Express for service with Hapag-Lloyd.

But since last November the ship has been trading under its build name Santa Rafaela. The ship is one of 18 Offen-owned container ships that have made 357 calls here in the past eight years.

Although the owner's identity is hidden away behind charterer's markings and names, the Offen houseflag is displayed on the sides of each vessel's superstructure. The full Offen livery was seen here on five Santa-named vessels that called here between October 2002 and March 2006 while on charter voyages to P&O Nedlloyd. The 16,764gt Hong Kong-registered Baltic ID, a visitor to Ravensbourne late last month, called there in February 2006 as Pacific Basin's Castle Peak.

Still on charter to them, the ship built in 1997 as Atlantic Island, has been owned by K/S Danskib 61 since August 2007.

And newcomer IVS Kwaito, here recently for logs, is the second vessel to appear here in the colours of Durban-based Island View Shipping.

Panama-flagged and owned by Great Actor S.

A, the 19,885gt, 32,573dwt vessel was delivered in September 2004 from the Kanda shipyard at Kawajiri.