Seaboard adds capacity to Miami/Panama/Costa Rica markets

Seaboard adds capacity to Miami/Panama/Costa Rica markets Seaboard Marine has added a second weekly sailing from the Port of Miami to and from Panama and Costa Rica by phasing in a third vessel.
   The load-on/load-off 660-TEU Seaboard Pride has joined the Seaboard Costa Rica and Seaboard Victory — each with 792-TEU capacity as well as roll-on/roll-off capabilities — so that the Miami-based carrier now operates two intertwined 14-day round-voyage loops.
   The full itinerary of the service is Miami (Friday), Puerto Limon (Tuesday), Cristobal (Wednesday), Puerto Limon (Thursday), Santo Tomas (Sunday a.m.), Puerto Cortes (Sunday p.m.), Miami (Wednesday), Cristobal (Sunday), Puerto Limon (Monday), and back to Miami (Thursday).
   Seaboard said that by operating the vessels in this way it would provide eight sailings a month, with five to six of the sailings having ro/ro capacity.
   “The Panama and Costa Rica markets have shown steady growth for the last three years,” Seaboard said in a statement. “Since the fall of 2006, we have been chartering additional tonnage to relieve the over booked situation we have been encountering.
   “The growth has been in the exports from the United States to Panama and Costa Rica, and the imports from Costa Rica of refrigerated cargoes. The roll on/roll off cargoes to Panama and Costa Rica has also shown growth, exceeding our current vessel capacity.”