A new look for the Marin

Our “Marin”, a ro-ro vessel dedicated to the Ferrymar service, has docked at the Damen shipyards in Dunkirk for its periodic dry dock.

Aware of the vital link that Ferrymar constitutes for the Caribbean territories, Marfret has decided to ensure the continuity of the service during the technical stop of the “Marin” by deploying its other ro-ro vessel, the Marfret Niolon, which entered the Ferrymar service at the beginning of August.

Ferrymar, a weekly inter-island service developed by Marfret for over 20 years, is a real maritime bridge between Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Barthelemy and Saint-Martin, and a formidable vector for growth in service to the industries of these islands. As a link between four island economies, each with a domestic market that is limited in nature, it allows us to reach one million consumers, the threshold that generates economies of scale.

The horizontal handling mode, using road trailers handled via the axial ramp, is easy to implement and very efficient. This allows our road haulage customers to offer door-to-door services with last minute pick-ups and next day deliveries.

Welcome Marius!

The Marius (ex Nordmaple) has just joined our company fleet today, during its commercial call at Dunkirk. The “closing”, decisive and final stage of the purchase, marked the transfer of ownership to Marfret at 11:00 am.

Marius, a name dear to the people of Marseille [1], means “of the sea“. It is also an abbreviation of ‘’Marfret is useful’’.

This geared vessel can carry up to 2500 teu and features 750 reefer plugs. Its specifications are a perfect match, in terms of capacity and performance, for the needs of our NASP line on which it is deployed. This weekly fixed day service serves Northern Europe, the East Coast of the United States and the Pacific. It is the only direct service in the market between Europe and Papeete and Noumea, as well as between New Zealand and Europe.

The acquisition of the Marius is part of our strategy to constantly improve our CO2 emission ratios per tonne transported. The vessel, built in 2018, is equipped with the latest-generation fuel-injected engine guaranteeing excellent performance in terms of fuel consumption.

[1] Marius, a sailor from Marseille, is a famous character in the works of the French author Marcel Pagnol. Marfret, a French liner shipping company, has been headquartered in Marseille since its creation in 1951.

New 40’HC dry containers within sight!

Marfret is again expanding its fleet of containers with 200 brand new 40’ high-cube dry units. Fresh from the construction factories, the containers have left Asia and are on their way to Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. They will be available for bookings in the very first days of May.
A highly sought-after commodity at the moment, 40’ HCs provide an increased load capacity of between 10 and 15% over standard containers due to their extra 30cm in height.
With this new order, Marfret is reassuring customers that there is availability on the market and demonstrating the company’s ability to accompany its customers in their growth.
For a number of years, Marfret’s logistics department has continued to order containers in order to keep up with demand and provide recent equipment. In 2020, Marfret already increased its fleet of 40’HC dry by 10% and invested in 550 new reefer containers.