Maersk Boston is the first of the Maersk B-class of fast container ships. She was then called the "MV Boston", to reflect her charter to MSC in September 2010.

Mærsk Boston before sea trials
History
Denmark
NameMaersk Boston
OperatorMaersk Line
Port of registryKøbenhavn
BuilderVolkswerft, Stralsund, Germany[1]
Yard number459
Launched20 February 2006
CompletedMay 2006
Notes
General characteristics
Class and typecontainer ship
Tonnage
Length294 m (965 ft)
Beam32 m (105 ft)
Draft13 m (43 ft)
Speed
  • 37 knots (69 km/h) (maximum)
  • 29 knots (54 km/h) (cruising)
Capacity4,196 TEU[2]
Crew20

She has the capacity for approximately 4,000 containers and was designed for rapid transportation between China and the USA. Along with four of her sister ships, she was laid up in Loch Striven in Scotland.

Design edit

Designed for high speed transportation between China and USA,[3] Boston is 294 m (965 ft) long, with a beam of 32 m (105 ft) and a draft of 13 m (43 ft). She is designed to operate at 29 knots.

Operated by a crew of 20, the vessel has a gymnasium and hospital.[3]

History edit

Mærsk Boston was the first of a series of seven fast container ships built by Volkswerft in Germany for Maersk. Launched in 2006, MV Boston is registered in København. A downturn in world economy means that the B-class vessels have never operated their intended route. Designed for a service speed of 29 kn, their fuel consumption (300 tonnes per day) makes them uneconomic.[3] Reducing the operating speed to 12 kn, reduced fuel consumption to 50 tonnes per day. However the reduction in cargo being moved favours more economical vessels, such as Edith Mærsk.

Boston was rafted up in Loch Striven on the Clyde in Scotland,[3] together with Mærsk Beaumont, Mærsk Bentonville and Mærsk Baltimore. After ten months, Boston left Loch Striven on 11 June 2010.[4] Their older fleetmate, Sealand Performance left the raft on 21 May 2010. During the lay up, the raft was used to film a BBC children's TV show, Mission:2110, which premiered in May 2010.

Sister ships edit

  • 2006 Mærsk Baltimore 9313917
  • 2007 Mærsk Beaumont 9313967
  • 2006 Mærsk Bentonville 9313929
  • 2007 Mærsk Brooklyn 9313931
  • 2007 Mærsk Brownsville 9313955
  • 2007 Mærsk Buffalo 9313943

References edit

  1. ^ "9313905". Miramar Ship Index.
  2. ^ "Vessels". Maersk Line. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d "Bute locals get glimpse of a life in lay-up". Buteman. 4 December 2009. p. 12. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  4. ^ "Maersk Boston leaves Loch Striven". Clydesights. Retrieved 26 June 2010.