Pacifica Shipping, the leading coastal shipping operator in New Zealand, is pleased to introduce its second coastal vessel, “Takutai Chief”, which will commence operations on the coast in Auckland on 19 September. Built in 2010, MV Takutai Chief is a 1,300TEU container vessel and she will complement the existing New Zealand inter-island domestic freight services provided by MV Moana Chief. This significant investment reflects Pacifica Shipping’s long-term commitment to ensuring New Zealand’s supply chain has reliable access to the most environmentally sustainable transport solution.

From 19 September, MV Takutai Chief will commence a fixed-day weekly service calling Auckland, Lyttelton, Tauranga, and Timaru or Marsden Point on alternating weeks. With two vessels deployed in tandem on the coast, Pacifica Shipping will service Auckland, Lyttelton and Tauranga twice a week on a market-leading 3.5-day frequency. As Jan-Hendrik Hintz, Line Manager for Pacifica Shipping, explains, “with two vessels operating in tandem, Pacifica Shipping is better equipped to meet the growing demand for coastal services by providing reliable inter-island domestic freight delivery and increased coverage to regional ports, such as the fortnightly fixed-day call to Timaru.”

“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,” adds Ben Pike, Chief Operating Officer of Swire Shipping. The name behind MV Takutai Chief For Pacifica Shipping, the ship name is especially meaningful. 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”.

This reflects Pacifica Shipping’s business focus in New Zealand and our commitment to developing coastal shipping for the community.

Marex Media