Largest ever container ship docks in CT

Hoots and hollers were in evidence to mark another snippet of South African maritime history when MSC Lisbon, largestever containership to visit these shores, docked in the port of Cape Town this week. At 9 178teu (700 reefer plug points), the huge vessel in her distinctive black and white colours is much bigger than the regular MSC, Maersk Line, Safmarine and other regular callers. She was on a once-off, 50-hour visit to this southernmost African port to take on empty containers for the Far East. (She is deployed on MSC’s Lion service between Asia and Europe). Built in 2007 by Samsung Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries, MSC Lisbon, with an average speed of 21.4 knots, is 337 metres long, 46 metres wide and has a crane reach across 18 containers, thus bettering the terminal’s current reach of 13 and 16 by the ageing Demags and Noels.