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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Grand Bahama
Freeport, Grand Bahama - One of the largest container ships ever made its maiden voyage to the Bahamas on Wednesday when the mega ship MSC Tomoko docked at Freeport Harbour. The MSC Tomoko, operated by Mediterranean Shipping Co., arrived from a stop in Norfolk, Virginia before continuing on its trek to Asia through the Suez Canal. Gary Gilbert, CEO of Freeport Harbour Company, Freeport Container Port and Grand Bahama Airport Company described the vessel as being as big as an aircraft carrier, but with a wider hull. MSC Tomoko docked with 8,800 containers, and, “Augers well for expansion plans for the container port involving the addition of 10 more cranes and six berths - to make 2,000 metres of quay berthing space,” said Gilbert. Another large MSC vessel is expected next week and Gilbert noted that the harbour in Grand Bahama, the deepest and largest in the Caribbean, provides the foundation for the most diversified port in the Western Hemisphere. “Freeport Container Port has a very bright future and continues to grow larger daily; it is the deepest harbour in the region and hemisphere and is one of the proud jewels of Hutchison Whampoa's investments in Grand Bahama,” said Mr. Gilbert. Grand Bahama's shipping facilities consist of a newly-refurbished $20 million cruise ship terminal, an expanding Container Port, a world-class ship care facility, and mega yacht repair facility.
MSC Tomoko was piloted into the harbour by Freeport Harbour Company’s Director, Orlando Forbes along with her Captain, Master Mariner Captain Tihomir Djura Andric, who has visited Freeport on a few occasions dating back to 2000. MSC Tomoko draws 45 to 46 feet of water. Manuel Ruiz, Managing Director of MSC said the Tomoko is visiting as part of a relatively new service operated by MSC dubbed the Golden Gate Service, which features several ships -- most of them smaller in size than MSC Tomoko. Its circuit includes: New York; Baltimore; Norfolk; Freeport, Bahamas; the Suez Canal, Jedha, Saudi Arabia; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Singapore; Chiwan, China; Hong Kong; Shanghai; Ningbo, China; Chiwan, China; Yiantian, China; Singapore; Salalah, Oman.
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