Taiwanese ferry operator Brave Line, a company owned by shipping tycoon James Lan, who is also behind Taiwan’s largest dry bulk shipowner Wisdom Marine, has started a coastal container shipping service between Budai and the Penghu Islands (Pescadores).
Brave Line decided to start a service after merchants in Penghu Islands stated that there was a shortage of container shipping capacity to bring their goods to the mainland. The service is operated using a newly built 1,554 dwt general cargo ship, Pescadores Brave, which was delivered from Japanese ship builder Murakami Hide this month.
Pescadores Brave executed its maiden trip on 9 March, and arrived in Penghu Islands to much fanfare after three hours, as local residents took photos of the ship, loaded with yellow containers. The ship can carry up to 48 containers.
Brave Line said that Lan, a Penghu Islands native, started the container shipping service to give back to his hometown, adding that Pescadores Brave cost US$11 million to build.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
