Pacifica Shipping has confirmed the launch date of its second New Zealand coastal freight service beginning this month.
The 1300 TEU container vessel MV Takutai Chief will begin operations on September 19 on a fixed-day weekly service calling Auckland, Lyttelton, Tauranga, and Timaru or Marsden Point on alternating weeks.
It complements the existing New Zealand inter-island domestic freight services provided by the company’s MV Moana Chief. With the two vessels deployed in tandem on the coast, Pacifica Shipping will service Auckland, Lyttelton and Tauranga twice a week on a market-leading three and a half day frequency.
Line manager Jan-Hendrik Hintz says Pacifica Shipping is now better equipped to meet the growing demand for coastal services.
They will provide reliable inter-island domestic freight delivery and increased coverage to regional ports, such as the fortnightly fixed-day call to Timaru, Hintz says.
Chief operating officer Ben Pike says aside from the additional capacity offered, “the increased frequency of port calls will help to smooth the flow of cargo volume through the New Zealand domestic supply chain and take pressure off pack and devan sites”.
“In the long run, we believe that this will contribute to a more resilient and sustainable coastal shipping network,” Pike says.
The name behind MV Takutai Chief
In the Māori language, ‘Takutai’ means coast or seashore. With MV Moana Chief (named after ‘moana’, which means sea, ocean, large lake) deployed on the same service, the two ships together make up ‘takutai moana’, which refers to the coast, foreshore and seabed. Pacifica Shipping says this reflects its business focus in New Zealand and its commitment to developing coastal shipping for the community.
