Höegh Trapper Joins Ocean Yield’s Fleet, Starts 12-Year Bareboat Charter

Norwegian shipowner Ocean Yield ASA has taken delivery of the Pure Car Truck Carrier (PCTC) Höegh Trapper of 8,500 car capacity from Chinese shipbuilder Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry. 

After being delivered from the shipyard on Monday, the vessel commenced a 12-year “hell and high water” bareboat charter with Höegh Autoliners.

With its deck space of 71,400 square meters and carrying capacity of 8,500 car equivalent units, the vessel is one of the world’s largest PCTCs.

Featuring a length of 199.9 meters and a width of 36.5 meters, the 20,766 dwt vessel has a gross tonnage of 77,000 Mt.

Höegh Trapper will begin its maiden voyage from East Asia to Europe in June, and will thereafter sail from Europe back to East Asia via Africa and Oceania.

Previously in May this year, the vessel was named at a ceremony at Xiamen Shipbuilding Industries in China.

Ocean Yield ASA took delivery in March this year of another PCTC, Höegh Tracer. Including this vessel, Ocean Yield had contracted for two PCTCs with Xiamen that are now chartered to Höegh.

Previously, Höegh ordered four vessels from Xiamen of the same design that were scheduled for delivery in 2015.

So far, the car carrier operator has welcomed four New Horizon class PCTCs into the fleet, with two more to go.

Ocean Yield expects its fleet to grow to 27 vessels until 2017, including 6 delivered PCTCs.