Different vessels brought in to
better suit the cargo mix on the route
AFTER A buy-out during the Malbak unbundling, the Ahrenkiel Group is now whole-owner of Ahrenkiel Liner Service - the multi-purpose line serving the SA-Far East trade.
Passing-on this information to FTW was ALS m.d. Peter Nash. He also added that the line's fleet has been changed - with what he sees as a positive effect on its service.
We have now brought in two Vroon (Dutch-managed) ships, he said. Our option on the third comes into practice in April.
In the meantime, the line is chartering to cover the berth in February.
Then, said Nash, it's three ships, and a 72-day round-voyage service.
They are also smaller vessels, which, according to Nash, are better suited to the cargo mix that the line is carrying.
We don't need the container space we had on the bigger ships, he told FTW. We're into 20-foot (6-metre) containers, but the big move now is to 40-ft (12-m). That's even less share for us.
