Maersk moving two ships from container to bulk trade

Maersk moving two ships from container to bulk trade The U.S.-flag arm of A.P. Moller-Maersk is taking advantage of strong demand for dry bulk ships by transferring two vessels from the container to the grain business.
   Maersk Line Ltd. said it is “reallocating two of our U.S.-flag vessels, Maersk Nevada and Maersk Nebraska, from the container market to the dry bulk market.”
   The ships, which can carry about 2,000 TEUs, will be able to carry about 34,000 metric tons of dry bulk cargo each. The two ships were formerly known as the Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay and were built by First American Bulk Carrier Corp. in 1985.
   Spokesman B.J. Talley said making the switch does not require modification of the ships, but they are in a port in Montenegro where they are having their holds cleaned and work is being done to ensure their cargo hatch covers are fully watertight.
   “Montenegro was chosen as the location for this work due to it being the closest port to the vessels’ location at which the work could be undertaken,” he said.
   The ships will continue to sail under the U.S. flag with U.S. crews, and Maersk will seek to carry cargo where U.S.-flag ships are given preference such as food aid, though Talley said that would not preclude Maersk from competing in the general dry bulk market for charters if rates are attractive.
   While Maersk will not have to physically convert its ships in order to carry dry bulk cargo, some owners of very large crude carriers are doing just that.
   Maersk Line Ltd. exited the bulk business about 18 months ago when it sold the Maersk Alaska and Maersk Arizona due to age.
   About 30 supertankers are expected to be modified into very large ore carriers, both because of strong demand for dry bulk ships and an IMO regulation requiring phase out of single-hull ship by 2010.
   The Baltic Dry Index is now about 10,000, more than double what it was a year ago. ' Chris Dupin