Largest ever container ship docks in CT

Hoots and hollers were in
evidence to mark another snippet
of South African maritime history
when MSC Lisbon, largestever
containership to visit these
shores, docked in the port of
Cape Town this week.
At 9 178teu (700 reefer plug
points), the huge vessel in her
distinctive black and white
colours is much bigger than
the regular MSC, Maersk Line,
Safmarine and other regular
callers. She was on a once-off,
50-hour visit to this southernmost
African port to take on empty
containers for the Far East.
(She is deployed on MSC’s
Lion service between Asia and
Europe).
Built in 2007 by Samsung
Shipbuilding and Heavy
Industries, MSC Lisbon, with an
average speed of 21.4 knots, is
337 metres long, 46 metres wide
and has a crane reach across 18
containers, thus bettering the
terminal’s current reach of 13
and 16 by the ageing Demags
and Noels.