Rickmers-Linie to Charter Additional Heavy Lift MPV

Rickmers-Linie will charter into its fleet the 19,100dwt Pacific Winter, a sister ship of Baltic Winter, originally chartered in by Rickmers in December 2011. Rickmers will also extend the existing charter on Baltic Winter.

With her 800-ton lift capacity, the 2011-built Baltic Winter has been a successful addition to the Rickmers-Linie fleet, the company said, and both she and her 2012-built sister will now be given Rickmers names. They will also feature the Rickmers-Linie logo on their hulls and Rickmers funnel colours. Pacific Winter will become Rickmers Chennai while Baltic Winter will be renamed Rickmers Dubai.

Compared to the 30,000dwt vessels used on the Round-The-World Pearl String Service, these two ships are smaller, giving them considerable flexibility because they can call at ports where depth of water, turning circles and berth lengths may be more restricted. Furthermore they have the greatest lift capability of any ship in the Rickmers fleet. Two 400-ton cranes that can be twinned to lift 800 tons are complemented by a 120-ton crane further forward.

Ulrich Ulrichs, Rickmers-Linie’s Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director, said, “With heavy out-of-gauge cargo, you need to get the cargo as close as possible to the ultimate destination as overland transportation is expensive and complicated. These vessels enable us to offer an increased choice in ports to our customers.”

Rickmers Chennai will begin her maiden voyage for Rickmers in Singapore in mid-April when she commences a voyage to Europe via India and the Middle East.

www.rickmers-linie.com