Feeders ? the vital link in the container transport system.

German ship owners like Schiffko?s CV1100 PLUS feeder design.

With all the hype about post-Panamax and ultra-large containerships, it is easy to overlook the vital role played by the smaller boxships up to 3,000TEU. These work horses of the container transport system, know as feeder ships, will become even more essential with the introduction into service of ever larger container ships of 9,000TEU+ which will only be able to berth in a limited number of large hub ports.

Standard feeders

The Hamburg-based ship design and engineering company Schiffko has achieved great success with its standard geared feeder boxship design designated CV 1100 Plus. Since 1997, the company has contracted 42 ships of this proven design mainly for German ship owners like Cyprus Ship Management, Bockstiegel, Carsten Rehder, Vega Reederei, Schoeller and Peter Doehle.

This design, which is classed by GL, owes its popularity to its flexibility. Five cargo holds are arranged in the hull to carry up to 1,102TEU with an option for 220 reefer containers while one of the cargo holds has the ability to load dangerous goods. Cargo handling gear comprises of two 45 tonne cranes.

The standard propulsion plant is a four-stroke 9,730kW MAN B&W 7L58/64 diesel engine driving a 5.4 metre diameter CP propeller to give a service speed of 20.5 knots. Auxiliary engines comprise of three 500kW diesel gensets while there is also a shaft driven 1500kVA alternator. Each vessel is equipped with an 18.5m2 Becker flap rudder and a 700kW bow thruster which provides excellent manoeuvrability making tug assistance almost unnecessary.

To date, most of the CV1100 feeders have been built or are under construction at various shipyards in China or Romania. The number of ships on order is still increasing making this design the most popular conceived by Schiffko. Recently, German ship owners signed contracts with Chinese shipbuilders for the Schiffko feeders with Jiangdong Shipyard building two units for Bockstiegel, while at Jinling Shipyard four vessels will be constructed for Döhle Schiffahrt. The design is flexible in that the customer can specify different main engines, auxiliary engines, machinery equipment, deck cranes and container supports. At Jingjiang Sumec Shipyard, a series of six vessels is under contruction based on a slightly modified version CV 1000 TS Plus which will be powered by two-stroke engines.

Also, Aker Tulcea Shipyard in Romania will built three units for ship owners Interorient Navigation, Cyprus, and Carsten Rehder, Germany.

Earlier examples were constructed at the German shipyard Mützelfeldt which built a series of four 1,100 feeders for trade house FERROSTAAL during 1998/9. These are being operated by Hamburg shipowners Thien & Heyenga. In this instance, the steel hulls were constructed in Romania by Santierul Naval, Constanza, with the first two being towed for outfitting and completion at Cuxhaven while the last pair were built and completed in Constantza under guidance of Mützelfeldt with material packages from Germany.