January 9, 1982 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News

Plans For Five Ships Finalized In ACL Vessel Replacement Program

Atlantic Container Line's British s h a r e h o l d e r , the Cunard Steam-Ship Company, reached agreement recently with British Shipbuilders to build a new ship at Swan Hunter Shipyard of Newcastle for delivery in the first half of 1984. The signing finalized plans for the fourth vessel in ACL's five-ship vessel replacement program.

Compagnie Generale Maritime, the French-flag participant in Atlantic Container Line, has reached an agreement with France- Dunkerque Shipyards in Dunkirk, France, in which the yard will build a new vessel for the French carrier, it was announced by ACL.

The new vessel, to be delivered in July 1984 and operated by CGM, concludes the arrangements for the fifth of five ACL third generation "Leaderships." ACL's Swedish shareholders recently signed a contract with Kockums shipyard of Malmo, Sweden, for the construction of three vessels. The Swedish con- tract amounted to $160 million.

Financial details of the British and French contracts were not announced.

The ACL "Leaderships" will have a total capacity of about 2,300 TEUs each. They have been designed by ACL for maximum flexibility of operations and will be able to use a variety of cargo configurations. A t y p i c a l load could be 1,410 TEUs of containers, 205 forty-foot trailers or the equivalent in ro/ro cargo and 900 medium-sized cars. The vessels will have economical diesel engines giving a service speed of 17>2 knots.

Major features of the new ships include a large quarter ramp, and permanent cell guides on the weatherdeck to allow safe and easy stacking of containers fourhigh.

The vessels have a capacity of 600 cars in the stern superstructure, 1,410 TEUs of containers on the weatherdeck and in cellular holds, and three decks for normal, heavy or outsized ro/ ro cargo or for block stowage of containers. In addition, two of the ro/ro decks will incorporate hoistable cardecks. There will also be 150 reefer points—double the existing capacity on current ACL ships.

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