By Dale Crisp
Maersk Line is to relax the schedule of its multi-legged Boomerang service by adding a thirteenth vessel from mid-April.
Boomerang operates from North & East Asia to Brisbane, Port Botany, Melbourne, Port Adelaide and Fremantle, and then on to South East Asia and return. At the moment Maersk provides nine vessels in the 5466 TEU-6641 TEU range, while service partner Mitsui OSK Lines supplies three 5605 TEU ships. Slot charterers/swappers on various legs include new Maersk subsidiary Hamburg Süd, MSC, K Line and APL.
Maersk has expanded Boomerang in recent years, adding Laem Chabang and including Port Adelaide both east/northbound and south/westbound.
In the last quarter of 2017 the service integrity suffered from congestion in Singapore and weather, congestion and industrial relations-related delays in N&E Asia and Australia. In December Maersk brought in an extra-loader from Singapore, the 4738 TEU Grace Bridge, in an effort to meet Christmas delivery dates.
The new, 13-ship schedule is due to take effect in Asia from V803W of Cap Arnauti on 9 February, with the additional ship due to join on 12 April. Maersk says that while Boomerang will remain fixed-day weekly and with the current rotation "the schedule changes will naturally mean some adjustments to the timing of our port calls and transit times, though we have done our utmost to minimise changes to our current offering".
Separately, bad weather in the Tasman has forced Maersk to change the rotation of this week's Tasman Star service vessel, Seajade. V1801 is omitting Bell Bay and calling Melbourne (22 January) before Port Botany. Tasmanian cargo will be rolled to next week's Tasman Star voyage while Sydney imports will be five days late.