Maersk /PO-NL renamings.

[David Duggan]

Having read recent postings, confusion still reigns!!! Where are they(H.O.execs)? ge
tting these names from?? Tomorrow morning we have the Maersk Duncan arriving BNE  then AKL. Excuse me!!
DUNCAN !! What next?? Wayne, Bruce, Jadyn??
Maybe I am old fashioned, but the traditional Danish derivatives sure sounded pretty OK to me.
My name is David, but Maersk David does not seem to have the same ring to it as (say) Anna, Olga,Helene, etc and (of course) McKinney.
Am I just an old fart or does anybody agree, should be an interesting discussion.

[Hawkeye]

Hi David

With the number of ships Maersk have, finding them new  names can be a headache, especialy having taken over another large company recently, (3rd largest).
They started calling their ships after members of the family, (I don't think there was a David in the family). When the fleet grew, they had to find other names. One way was to change the way the name was presented (i.e. old way was ***** Maersk, new method Maersk ****. Don't worry i'am not swearing).
As you say Maersk David doesn't seem to have that ring to it, but the names with christian names in are usually name first, then Maersk, (i.e. David Maersk, Anna Maersk, Olga Maersk etc). Why this one is different I don't know, perhaps there is a place called Duncan somewhere.
Imagine how big this headache will become if Maersk take over MSC, the 2nd largest shipping company. They must have a similar problem with their ships.
The Royal Navy had this problem in the 2nd World War, with so many ships coming under their control, (eg: the flower class corvettes). Also with the minesweeping program in the early 50's. They were going to call the ships after insects, preceded by a colour, (eg: Green Aphid, Red Aphid, etc). They ended up using villages ending in the word Ton (Coastal Minesweepers) or Ham (Inshore Minesweepers)

Regards

Karl
 :-)

[Tony des Landes]

My understanding was that Maersk owned ships were usually named after people and end with Maersk e.g. Nele Maersk.

Vessels chartered by Maersk were the ones which begin with Maersk e.g. Maersk Napier

From observing the Maersk fleet, that would certainly seem to be the case.

That is probably why Maersk owned ships ending in Maersk that are sold and chartered back to Maersk are renamed e.g. Arthur Maersk was sold to MC Shipping in 1998 and chartered back and at the same time renamed Maersk Belawan.

Tonyd

[Mike Cornwall]

Hi there Mr. Dicky,

I did have a laugh when I read your comments.

You have echoed my sentiments entirely.
Tony has explained the differance between Maersk owned and charterd vessels, which was exactly as I understood it also.

But like you, I despair of the names they have chosen.
I had hoped that they would keep something of the PNO history and renamed them Maersk Encounter, Maersk Botany etc.
But obviously they want to expunge the PNO influence completely.
Just this morning I see we have the Maersk Dexter arriving tomoro, the former CP Aurora.
Heaven forbid, how NAF is that, remember the old radio program "Life with Dexter". I'm an old fart also!!!.

If I could see some patern in their names it would be something, but there is none, other than "D".

At least down here we are spared the Maersk Needsville. I wonder when the Maersk Nowheresville will appear.

Dicky, I agree their names are just s--t, they're truly appalling.

Rgds/Mike

[Hawkeye]

Hi Tony

Looking at the understanding about Maersk 'people' names, I can see the connection, also that the ships tend to belong to the Danish flag, (or its second register).
But what about the other Maersk ships. They have a British side as well. Didn't these names start with Maersk, and are still Maersk owned, but British flag? Also the offshore supply vessels start with Maersk. Are these vessels Maersk owned?

Regards

Karl
 :-)

[Phil English]

Maersk tend to group similar classes and sizes of ships with common naming systems. For example, many of the panamax size container ships are Maersk Dxxx. In fact, most of the Ds are places and I suspect, as suggested earlier, Duncan is a place too.

With regard to the owned fleet, yes, some of the owned ships do end with Maersk and it does seem to be the foreign flagged vessels and specialist types such as offshore.

Cheers
Phil

[Per Sondergaard]

Hi Tony

Let me start by explaining the names for Danish flagged Maersk vessels.
The very first was "Svendborg" in 1904 named after the city
where the company was founded.
With few exceptions they were hereafter named after family members (given name) followed by MAERSK spelled in Danish (only 5 letters as AE is one letter in Danish).
This system is still followed (except off-shore vessels and drilling rigs), however, today it also includes geographic locations to which the family or company have connections:
Danish cities: Svendborg Maersk, Skagen Maersk, Soro Maersk, Dragor Maersk etc.
Danish Islands: Romo Maersk, Taasinge Maersk, Thuro Maersk.
Few other exceptions are:
A.P. Moller named after the founder.
Regina Maersk named by the old Queen (Regina = Queen)
Sovereign Maersk named by our present Queen.
Off-shore vessels and rigs all have prefix Maersk, however, again spelled in Danish.
I may have forgotten something for which I apologise.
Regards
Per

[Stephen Chester]

The names of Maersk ships visiting New Zealand seem to be getting stranger by the day. On Ports of Auckland shipping arrivals we have a vessel arriving called "Maersk Asia Decimo"
Has anyone ever heard of this one? :-?

[portagent]

hi Stevie,

see her details and previous names under IMO 9085596

[Stephen Chester]

Thanks for that.
Have found a photo of her in Singapore from another site.
According to the Maersk website she is coming down from Asia to New Zealand to start a service from Auckland to Noumea, Lautoka and Suva. This may be to replace the chartered Baltimar Boreas that is on an island feeder service at present. :-)

[Hawkeye]

Hi Steve

I have heard of these ships which start 'Maersk Asia ****'. There were a few of them. There was also a class which started 'Maersk Euro ****'. I think Maersk Euro Decimo was one. (I'll need to check). These ships were usually small feeder ships, used to take containers from large ports to the smaller ones, which couldn't take larger ships. As the name implies, Maersk Euro **** were seen in the european ports & Maersk Asia **** in Asian ports.

Regards

Karl
 :-)

[Mike Cornwall]

We have just had call Auckland the Maersk Decatur. You may remember her as the Maersk Dacartur last time she was here.
Appears someone can't spell.
On this note I recall many years ago when living in Melbourne, Ansett Airlines rolling a freshly repainted DC9 out of the paint shop with the titles of ANNSETT  !!!.
It wasn't on view for very long b4 it was quickly rolled back inside for a "spellcheck".

Rgds/Mike

PS, I have the photo to prove it too.