An almost complete profile of cargo carried regularly by Rickmers-Linie vessels was photographed onboard Rickmers Tokyo shortly after she departed the Port of Genoa, Italy, in late October. Almost every square meter of deck space was utilized on this fortnightly departure from Europe to Asia.
In addition to a row of yachts, the vessel had loaded a number of tanks for a brewery project in Thailand. The tanks, booked by Z'st & Bachmeier Project GmbH, D'sseldorf, had been loaded on the vessel in Antwerp ' four below deck and the remainder above.
Rickmers Tokyo is the second of nine identical Superflex Heavy Multipurpose Container (MPC) vessels built for Rickmers in China between 2002 and 2004. The vessels serve the company's Round-The-World Pearl String Service, which connects the industrial centres of the US, Europe and Asia with fortnightly eastbound sailings.
The Superflex MPC vessels are designed for the carriage of breakbulk, heavylifts and project cargo and can lift up to 640 tons with their onboard cranes. In addition to over-dimensional and heavy units for the construction of industrial plants, the transportation of yachts of all types and sizes has grown, representing an increasingly important market sector for Rickmers-Linie.
