.gif)
The Port of Melbourne welcomes Maersk Skarstind
The Port of Melbourne proudly welcomed the Maersk Skarstind, one of the largest container ships to visit Australia.
Measuring close to 300m in length with a beam of 48.2m, the Maersk Skarstind was an impressive sight on the Yarra River as it passed under the West Gate Bridge and berthed at Patrick Terminals - Melbourne. This large container vessel operates on the ‘Boomerang’ service from South East Asia and is calling at Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Fremantle ports on its maiden Australian voyage. The Maersk Skarstind is also the first ‘twin island’ container vessel to arrive in Australia. This uniquely design vessel has separated wheelhouse and engine room to increase navigation visibility and cargo loading capacity.
“Maersk are pleased to bring the Maersk Skarstind into Melbourne and we thank Port of Melbourne Operations Pty Ltd, Victorian Ports Corporation Melbourne, Patrick Terminals – Melbourne and all the other stakeholders involved, for their great efforts in making this first call a reality. The ability to call Australian main ports with vessels of this size is a very positive development for the future of shipping in Australia for years to come.
As part of Maersk’s continuous focus to meet client requirements and drive network efficiencies, port calls such as this for the Maersk Skarstind allow us to test network and infrastructure aspects for potential future considerations,” said Henrik Jensen, Maersk Oceania Managing Director.
Port of Melbourne CEO, Brendan Bourke, welcomed the arrival of the Maersk Skarstind to Melbourne and highlighted the port’s willingness to continue to work with key stakeholders to enhance the use of port infrastructure. “The arrival of the Maersk Skarstind sends a clear message to industry that the Port of Melbourne stands ready to accommodate the largest vessels servicing Australian trade, “Mr Bourke said CEO, Patrick Terminals, Michael Jovicic said,
“The Patrick Terminals team would like to recognise the work of the entire team who made this arrival possible into our Melbourne Terminal. Everyone including the Harbour Master, Port Operations, Pilots, Svitzer and the Maersk Singapore Operations Centre should be commended on this achievement. Patrick Terminals are delighted to have serviced the Maersk Skarstind during its maiden visit to Australia.”