Redundant container ships to be moored in west of Scotland
"FIVE LARGE redundant container ships are set to be moored in a sea loch off the west coast of Scotland for the first time since the 1970s, in a sign of the severe effect on freight from the global recession.
Three Maersk Line ships, which can carry 13,000 tonnes between them, are currently stationed in the Firth of Clyde near Largs awaiting a final decision from Maersk bosses in Copenhagen as to whether to sail up to Loch Striven, north of Bute, to moor for at least six months.
Two further ships owned by an unnamed company have also notified the Clydeport harbourmaster at Greenock, who oversees moorings in the area, of an intention to use the loch, and there are rumours that other ships could be lining up to use the facility. It is not known how much it will cost the freight companies to use the loch, but it is likely to run to millions of pounds.
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A spokesman for the harbourmaster at Clydeport said that the three Maersk ships in the Firth of Clyde, which are named Bentonville, Beaumont and Performance, are currently in a state of "hot lay-up", which means that they have been reduced to a skeleton crew while they await instructions. Assuming they go into "cold lay-up", they will still require a residual crew of about 10 sailors to maintain the three of them."
Read on...
Three Maersk Line ships, which can carry 13,000 tonnes between them, are currently stationed in the Firth of Clyde near Largs awaiting a final decision from Maersk bosses in Copenhagen as to whether to sail up to Loch Striven, north of Bute, to moor for at least six months.
Two further ships owned by an unnamed company have also notified the Clydeport harbourmaster at Greenock, who oversees moorings in the area, of an intention to use the loch, and there are rumours that other ships could be lining up to use the facility. It is not known how much it will cost the freight companies to use the loch, but it is likely to run to millions of pounds.
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A spokesman for the harbourmaster at Clydeport said that the three Maersk ships in the Firth of Clyde, which are named Bentonville, Beaumont and Performance, are currently in a state of "hot lay-up", which means that they have been reduced to a skeleton crew while they await instructions. Assuming they go into "cold lay-up", they will still require a residual crew of about 10 sailors to maintain the three of them."
Read on...