Grand new era in Guadeloupe
Having the right infrastructure in place to handle large containerships is the key to increasing throughput in maritime gateways today. The Guadeloupe Port Caraïbes hub has provided this option since July. The Marfret shipping line already makes use of it.
The Skiathos 1 took the lead when the vessel, operated by the Marfret shipping line, moored in the port of Jarry / Baie-Mahault in mid-July. This marked the beginning of a new era in the region, as the 270 m long vessel with a capacity to carry approximately 6,900 teu is the largest containership ever to call at the Guadeloupe Port Caraïbes hub to date.
The landing represented the final stage of the French port’s long-standing project to cope with the new generations of container vessels. Thus Guadeloupe has further improved its position in the Caribbean region’s freight markets, and is additionally banking on shipping lines continuing to improve their services and provide faster connections and lower costs for goods transport from Europe to Guadeloupe. Naturally the port’s management team also constantly strives to attract additional cross trades.
Greater capacities, smaller prices
The plans of the shipping line Marseille-Fret (Marfret), which describes itself as a ‘small global carrier,’ certainly represent good news for Guadeloupe. The line renewed its fleet with the addition of the Skiathos 1 in 2013, making the latter the harbinger of its extended services.
The Medcar Line, operated by Marfret, has also been increasing its capacities since July, with eight new 6,900 teu containerships replacing 2,500 teu units. The Medcar Line connects the Mediterranean region with France’s Caribbean and Central American départements et régions d’outre-mer, serving Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe) from Valencia (Spain) in nine days. The link includes 15 stopovers; seven Mediterranean port calls include Malta, Livorno, Genoa, Barcelona and Valencia, and eight new world calls include Cartagena, Houston, Veracruz, Manzanillo and Panama.
