The Isle of Man Ship Registry has announced that it has registered the ‘Hanjin Blue Ocean’, completing the series of nine 13,000 TEU container vessels to register in the Isle of Man.

At over 360 metres long and 48.2 metres wide, these vessels are the largest to be registered in the Isle of Man and some of the largest vessels currently in operation in the world.

Each ship boasts a gross registered tonnage (GRT) of 141,000, collectively adding a healthy 1.26 million GRT to the Isle of Man’s growing register, which passed the 15 million GRT milestone at the start of this year.

The addition of the Hanjin Blue Ocean to the register marks the culmination of a project which saw the Isle of Man Ship Registry working with Korean Register of Shipping (KRS) for the first time.

Each of the nine container ships is owned by Isle of Man entities but classed with KRS which oversaw the construction and delivery on behalf of the Ship Register. Five ships are directly chartered to Hanjin Shipping and the remaining four are provided to the Dohle Group, which has a substantial office base in the Isle of Man.

Dick Welsh, Director of the Isle of Man Ship Registry, commented:

‘This has been a very important project for the Ship Registry. Registering nine prestigious ships not only adds significant tonnage to the Ship Register, but also enhances the reputation of the Isle of Man as a leading location for ship financing and registration. Increasingly we are being recognised for our personal and proactive client service and this, along with our commitment to the highest standards of international maritime compliance and supportive Government, means we are fortunate to be able to respond quickly to the evolving needs of ship owners and operators and attract vessels from all over the world.’

Dick Welsh continued:

“This really showcases the wealth of talented expertise on the Isle of Man, and it is great to see so many different organisations working together to ensure the successful registration of the ships. I am sure that the Hanjin Blue Ocean will prove to be a valuable addition to the Manx fleet which continues to grow in influence every year.”

Hanjin Shipping is Korea’s largest container operating company and the ninth largest in the world, managing over 3% of the world’s container tonnage, in addition to having a notable presence in the tanker and bulk carrier sectors.