Rickmers Charter Out Two Panamax Container Ships

Rickmers Maritime, inform it has chartered out to Maersk Line the container ships 'Henry Rickmers' (formerly 'Ital Fastosa') and 'Richard Rickmers' (formerly 'Ital Festosa'), each of them 3,450 TEU panamax-size container ships.

Henry Rickmers will be delivered to Maersk Line this week and Richard Rickmers two weeks later; they have each been chartered for an initial minimum period of 12 months, up to a maximum of 24 months.

The two vessels will be chartered at a floating rate based on an index agreed upon by both Maersk Line and RTM. The charters are expected to generate revenue for the Trust amounting to an estimated US$5 million over the initial 12 months.

Mr Thomas Preben Hansen, the Chief Executive Officer of RTM, commented, “We are proud to reintroduce Maersk Line to our portfolio of premier liner companies. Whilst the charter market continues to be under tremendous pressure, it gives us confidence knowing that our modern and well-maintained ships remain competitive to the extent that the world’s leading liner company has chosen to charter our ships ahead of the many competing candidates.”

With the addition of Maersk Line, Rickmers Maritime says that its portfolio of counter-parties will comprise six of the world’s ten largest container shipping companies – Maersk Line, Mediterranean Shipping Company, CMA CGM, Evergreen Group (through Italia Marittima), Hanjin Shipping, and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.