TERRY HUTSON THE NEW SEAS container service between the Far East, South Africa and the East Coast of South America, which is operated by the French company CMA CGM, Argentine’s Maruba Shipping and China Shipping Container Line (CSCL), was inaugurated last week (7 June) with the arrival in Durban of the first vessel on its weekly operation, CMA CGM L’Astrolabe (an astrolabe is an instrument used to determine altitude of the sun and stars at sea before the introduction of quadrants and sextants). Ten vessels each averaging 2 500 TEUs – five from CMA CGM, three from CSCL and two from Maruba - have been deployed and will call at Durban on each westbound route. Combined with the WAX service connecting Asia with West Africa, SEAS now gives CMA CGM two weekly departures from Asia to South Africa.
