MacAndrews changes container ship on UK-Spain routes

MacAndrews changes container ship on UK-Spain routes
MERIWA replaces DOERTE on MacAndrews Spanish services

Last week MacAndrews introduced a vessel upgrade on its weekly service to and from Spain.

The 'new' faster ship, MERIWA has a nominal capacity of 357 teu and entered the service in Bilbao.

Together with the VELAZQUEZ, MacAndrews offers two weekly sailings from Bilbao into Liverpool and a weekly service into Dublin and Greenock. The increased speed of the vessel will ensure schedule integrity is maintained, particularly throughout the winter period, when sailing through the Bay of Biscay.

MacAndrews said they have been instrumental in changing the industry’s perceptions with regards to the movement of fresh produce from road to sea. With the increased reefer capacity and speed of the MERIWA, the company say they are also offering customers a more environmentally friendly solution for the movement of their temperature-controlled cargoes, from Southern Spain to the UK and Ireland.

The vessel is already familiar to many around the UK, she was in fact the ARKLOW CASTLE until the beginning of 2005. One of her last voyages before being disposed off by Arklow was on 14th December 2004 when she left Greenock. She was built in 1996 by Peterswerft Wewelsfleth GmbH.

Top photo by Gerry Deegan (copyright) showing MERIWA arriving at Greenock on 30th March 2007 whilst picture below by Brenda Caldwell (copyright) shows DOERTE which has been replaced.