... and aims for weekly frequency THE TAIWAN carrier, Fuhai Line, is increasing its fleet size on the SA-Far East-Mauritius sea circuit - and aiming for a weekly frequency from about August. According to Cees Bosman, g.m. of Hanpore Shipping - SA agents for the line - the cargo volume growth in the first year since the service was launched last May has been good enough to warrant extra ships on the trade. On its port rotation of Durban-Kaohsiung-Hong Kong-Singapore-Port Louis-Durban the line is shipping a wide variety of cargo, with the import leg the busier of the two. But that's no worry, said Bosman. With this being lighter than outgoing SA cargo, it allows the vessels to carry more within their capacity restraints. And, according to Bosman, the busiest stretches of the circuit are to-and-from Taiwan and mainland China (via Hong Kong). The main southbound leg, he added, is from mainland China and Hong Kong to SA. "We intend bringing the fourth vessel into service in July," Bosman told FTW, "with the fifth due to come on-stream about August. "With that five vessel fleet, a weekly service will become possible." The largest of the five ships will be 973 TEU (twenty foot equivalent unit) capacity, and the smallest 715 TEU - but with an overall average capacity in excess of 900 TEUs.
