Safmarine names third new ship for Europe/West Africa trade

Safmarine names third new ship for Europe/West Africa trade    Antwerp-based Safmarine has named the “Safmarine Kuramo,” the third of three 2,100-TEU containerships purpose-built for the Europe/West Africa container trade.
   As with its two sister ships, the new ship is geared and specially designed to accommodate the length and draft restrictions of a several West African ports. They have a draft of 11 meters (36 feet) and a length of 195.5 meters (641 feet).
   “The vessels are relatively wide, short and shallow and specially designed for the river port conditions found in Africa,” Safmarine said.
   The “Safmarine Kuramo” will undergo sea trials before entering the Europe/West Africa service of Safmarine later this month.
   The ship was built by the German shipyard Volkswerft Stralsund, a sister company of Safmarine within the A.P. Moller-Maersk conglomerate.