DRYDOCKING requirements will see Neptune Pacific Direct Line shuffle ships on three services in coming months.
NPDL has chartered Nauru Shipping Line’s 628 TEU Skyline to operate the MICROPAC service covering Fiji, Tuvalu and Kiribati while Capitaine Kupe is drydocked in China.
The Capitaine Kupe Voyage 045 will be its last sailing in this trade and then it will proceed to drydock from Tarawa at the end of November. The Skyline 046 will not call Funafuti on its first voyage; instead the Capitaine Wallis 416 will provide coverage for Funafuti. Skyline will then resume normal rotation of Fiji, Tuvalu and Kiribati on subsequent voyages.
Upon Capitaine Kupe’s return it will be temporarily deployed to the AUSPAC service while NPDL Tahiti takes its turn in drydock.
Separately, NPDL has advised that due to congestion in Papeete that will likely delay Southern Pearl V1531 by as much as six days, the ‘Christmas’ voyage 1533 will now not arrive in Tahiti until 28 December. “We are having ongoing discussions with ports to see if we can advance the berthing date and will advise if there is any change.
Meanwhile, Swire Shipping has mildly re-worked its East Timor Service (ETS) to improve transits from Surabaya to Dili (now four days) and Darwin (now 11 days) by reversing the order of Singapore and Surabaya calls. Rotation is thus now Singapore, Surabaya, Dili, Darwin, Singapore.
The service is operated, with 10-day frequency, in conjunction with Mariana Express Line/PIL and employs the 981 TEU Kokopo Chief and the 995 TEU Kota Hidayah.
