Rickmers-Linie to add Middle East/India tonnage with Samudera charters

Rickmers-Linie to add Middle East/India tonnage with Samudera charters    Hamburg, Germany-based breakbulk, heavy-lift and project cargo shipping line Rickmers-Linie has signed a two-year chartering agreement with Samudera Indonesia for two multipurpose vessels to add to its North Europe to the Middle East and India service.
   The two vessels are the 8,900-deadweight “Sinar Kudus” and 9,100 deadweight “Ardhianto,” both equipped with box-shaped holds and ‘tweendecks. Shipboard cranes enable “Sinar Kudus” to lift individual pieces of cargo weighing up to 60 tons while “Ardhianto” can lift items of up to 50 tons.
   Under terms of the two-year agreement, due to start at the end of this month, Samudera will deliver each vessel to Rickmers in North Europe after the end of its westbound voyage from Asia. Rickmers will then load the vessels for eastbound voyages to the Middle East and India, and then redeliver the ships to Samudera after discharging at ports in India. They will then reload for Samudera in South-East Asia for Europe to complete the round voyage.
   Rickmers has a similar arrangement with Japan’s Eastern Car Liner in the westbound Asia/U.S. East Coast trade for four multipurpose vessels.