Ship-watchers had a rare treat last week when the largest ever Maersk Line vessel, the 11 000 teu Elly Maersk, sailed past Duikerpunt in Cape Town en route from Europe to Asia. Maersk has chosen to sail eastbound via the Cape of Good Hope to Asia for six weeks to save costs and ensure its services are sustainable in the present trade environment. Despite the longer voyage – seven to 10 days longer than the Suez route – the savings on the Suez Canal crossing fee are substantial, a Maersk spokesman told FTW. And while the longer journey will result in additional bunker consumption compared to the route through the Mediterranean, this will be limited because the vessel will slow steam from Algeciras as far as the Asian ports, he said.
Maersk’s biggest routed via Cape
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