Maersk three-year charters on five 13,000-TEU megaships

LONDON's Zodiac Maritime's five 13,092-TEU megaships are to be chartered for a three-year period at a fixed and "relatively cheap" rate with Danish giant Maersk.

The megaship delivery date by Hyundai-Samho is due first half of 2011 and adds to Maersk orders made in 2007 of eight vessels of similar capacity. These are to be charted from Rickmers Reederei/Rickmers Maritime for delivery from mid-2010 and mid-2011 by at Hyundai Heavy Industries.

This is the first charter for a vessel of this size since the financial crisis and adds to the Danish line's fleet of sixty-three aged ships between one and 13 years old according to Alphaliner.

(Source: www.schednet.com)