Samskip has acquired the container vessels Arnarfell and Helgafell, both of which have been employed by the company on the route between Iceland and Europe since early 2005.
Samskip has been chartering the vessels since they were delivered as newbuilds seven years ago. From the beginning they have proved to be very reliable and highly suitable for the route they serve. Both vessels have Icelandic crews, who enjoy first class accommodation.
The two 909TEU sister vessels were built by J J Sietas in Hamburg and each vessel has a deadweight of 11,143 tonnes. They measure 138m in length, 21m in beam and have a maximum service speed of 18.4 knots. They maintain a weekly schedule between Iceland and Europe, departing from Reykjavík on a Thursday night with a stop-over in the Westman Islands on the way to Immingham. From there they call Rotterdam, Cuxhaven, Varberg, Aarhus, and the Faroese Islands, returning to Reykjavík on a Wednesday morning.
The world market price for container vessels is favourable at the moment, says Ásbjörn Gíslason, CEO of Samskip hf in Iceland:
“Consequently, when an interesting opportunity to buy presented itself, we were on board. This investment we feel is a good one especially since the ships were specifically designed for our needs. We also managed to secure favourable financing, a recognition of the company’s good and strong position and a reflection of the trust we enjoy. The financing was arranged by German banks.”
In 2011, Samskip also invested in two new 800TEU container vessels, also specifically designed for the company, in this case by the Dutch shipbuilder Damen. They serve on routes between the Netherlands and the UK and Ireland. That purchase was Samskip’s first investment in container vessels for some time.
Samskip has been chartering the vessels since they were delivered as newbuilds seven years ago. From the beginning they have proved to be very reliable and highly suitable for the route they serve. Both vessels have Icelandic crews, who enjoy first class accommodation.
The two 909TEU sister vessels were built by J J Sietas in Hamburg and each vessel has a deadweight of 11,143 tonnes. They measure 138m in length, 21m in beam and have a maximum service speed of 18.4 knots. They maintain a weekly schedule between Iceland and Europe, departing from Reykjavík on a Thursday night with a stop-over in the Westman Islands on the way to Immingham. From there they call Rotterdam, Cuxhaven, Varberg, Aarhus, and the Faroese Islands, returning to Reykjavík on a Wednesday morning.
The world market price for container vessels is favourable at the moment, says Ásbjörn Gíslason, CEO of Samskip hf in Iceland:
“Consequently, when an interesting opportunity to buy presented itself, we were on board. This investment we feel is a good one especially since the ships were specifically designed for our needs. We also managed to secure favourable financing, a recognition of the company’s good and strong position and a reflection of the trust we enjoy. The financing was arranged by German banks.”
In 2011, Samskip also invested in two new 800TEU container vessels, also specifically designed for the company, in this case by the Dutch shipbuilder Damen. They serve on routes between the Netherlands and the UK and Ireland. That purchase was Samskip’s first investment in container vessels for some time.