MARITIME CARRIER Shipping last week celebrated the 10th anniversary of the first agency sailings between South Africa and the US at a glittering event in Gauteng. Singapore-operated Galborg – jointly owned by Germany’s MACS and Denmark’s Nordana Line – operates a 19-day multipurpose service between Cape Town, Maputo, Richards Bay and Durban, onwards to Mexico, Houston, New Orleans and Jacksonville, with Nordana contributing one vessel while also acting as US marketing and port agents. LOOKING BACK at MACS’ first sailings to the US in 1998, the vessel deployment was then three charter vessels, destined for New Orleans, Houston and Savannah. It however soon became apparent a demand existed for regular multi-purpose vessels, which made it possible to replace the charter vessels with five owned ships, starting with the well-known M/V Blue Master. “The line has, since then, achieved good progress with container imports and exports and has, at the same time, always been very well supported by shippers of project and conventional cargo,” according to MACS. “The 10th anniversary in the US trade, with MACS’ 27-year experience in the South African market, translates into a dedicated team with experienced captains looking after port business, supported by agents King & Sons, which recently celebrated its 125th anniversary in shipping."
