Large container vessels back to work again

The French ships broker Barry Rolgliano (BRS) takes into account that at the end of 2011 non of the 6.000 tue vessels will be unemployed. It might be possible that all + 4.000 teu vessels will be sailing again next year.
According BRS’ annual report the carriers have succeeded in restricting the fleet increase by demoliting old vessels, inserting more vessels per loop (super slow steaming) and postponing orders.
Coming weeks a lot of 6.000 teu vessels will be reactivated for new loops. For example 5 vessels of 6.350 teu of APL. There is a reasonable request for + 4.000 teus in the charter market. The 5 6.142 teu vessels, which NYK recently sold to Zodiac Maritime, were rapidly chartered by MSC. CSAV chartered a lot of panamax vessels for the new Mare Nostrum Service between Asia and the Mediterrean.
BRS warns for premature optimism. There is still a ‘painfull’ amount of tonnage ready in the Far East and there is still over capacity in the middle sized container vessels. The overcapacity ghost will not disappear the coming years. (source NT)

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