Container ship entering the Kiel Canal

Article: Wired on the world’s (briefly) largest container ship

A Wired.com article recently spotlighted the CMA CGM Marco Polo, which was christened in November 2012 and which for a few months will be the largest container ship in existence. The vessel is 396 metres long (think about that for a moment) and capable of carrying just over 16,000 TEU (containers, or Twenty foot Equivalent Units).

Currently under construction, however, is the Maersk Triple E class of ships, which will be slightly larger than the CMA CGM Marco Polo. The first vessel of this type is due to be delivered in July 2013. Construction is currently under way in South Korea. The Maersk ships have been hailed as being particularly energy efficient, reducing carbon emissions by more than 50% per container moved. Plus, they’re going to be absolutely enormous.

Seeing ships this size makes me wonder what it would be like to pilot such a vessel, and what it would feel like to come alongside one in a smaller boat. Dizzying, I imagine!

You can read the Wired article here, and check out the website for the Maersk Triple E ships here.

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Clare

Lapsed mathematician, creator of order, formulator of hypotheses. Lover of the ocean, being outdoors, the bush, reading, photography, travelling (especially in Africa) and road trips.

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