French-owned MSC and Greek-owned Conbulk have bought three upgraded 2,680-TEU ships from Maersk Line (USA), according to AXSLiner News.
MSC has taken the Sea-Land Independence and the Sea-Land Defender, while Conbulk took the Sea-Land Explorer, which had been under long-term charter to MSC.
They belong to a series of 12 vessels ordered in Japan in 1978 by Sea-Land Service as 1,667-TEU vessels but then enlarged in 1985 to take on 2,472 TEU. Further capacity was raised so the deck could take on another 200 TEU.
Most of these ships are owned by US banks and Maersk Line (USA), or its parent AP Moller, which bought Sea-Land Service in 1999. The old Sea-Land ships were most recently deployed on regional relay services in East Africa, before which they were on intercontinental services.
MSC has taken the Sea-Land Independence and the Sea-Land Defender, while Conbulk took the Sea-Land Explorer, which had been under long-term charter to MSC.
They belong to a series of 12 vessels ordered in Japan in 1978 by Sea-Land Service as 1,667-TEU vessels but then enlarged in 1985 to take on 2,472 TEU. Further capacity was raised so the deck could take on another 200 TEU.
Most of these ships are owned by US banks and Maersk Line (USA), or its parent AP Moller, which bought Sea-Land Service in 1999. The old Sea-Land ships were most recently deployed on regional relay services in East Africa, before which they were on intercontinental services.