CP Ships slates two ships for U.S./India routing

CP Ships slates two ships for U.S./India routing

   CP Ships, a provider of global container shipping services, said the first two of nine 4,250-TEU ships ordered two years ago will be deployed in its U.S. East Coast/Indian Sub-Continent service.

   The 'CP Kanha' will be delivered in mid-October, with the 'CP Corbett' following in early January. The ships will be owned by Canada-based charter owner Seaspan and chartered under long-term charter contracts to CP Ships at fixed daily rates.

   'The new ships will replace smaller, slower and more costly short-term chartered vessels,' CP Ships said in a statement.

   The company has 11 similarly sized vessels. The newbuildings will bring the total to 21 by April 2007.

   CP Ships operates the U.S. East Coast-India Sub-Continent service as part of a vessel sharing agreement. The frequency is weekly, and port rotation is New York, Norfolk, Charleston, Port Said, Suez Canal, Colombo, Nhava Sheva, Suez Canal, New York.

   The service, marketing under the Contship Containerlines and Lykes Lines brands, will be offered under the CP Ships name when CP Ships completes its adoption of a single brand.