On Saturday 24 August 2002 Odense Steel Shipyard presented a newbuilding in the series of large post-panamax container vessels built for A.P. Møller. Mrs Inge Sonne Rosendahl, wife of Mr Oscar Rosendahl, Executive Vice President and Manager of Human Resources, A.P. Møller, honoured the owner by naming the newbuilding COLUMBINE MÆRSK.


COLUMBINE MÆRSK adds to the series of large container vessels with a capacity of approx. 6,600 TEU (twenty-foot containers), including a considerable number of reefer containers.


COLUMBINE MÆRSK is equipped with a 12-cylinder HSD-Wärtsilä Sulzer diesel engine manufactured in Korea.


The ceremony gave an opportunity for some of the employees of A.P. Møller to familiarise themselves with the Shipyard and COLUMBINE MÆRSK, which immediately after the namegiving ceremony left for sea trial in the Skagerrak.


COLUMBINE MÆRSK will after delivery early September enter Maersk Sealand’s worldwide liner service, and is like her sister ship CORNELIA MÆRSK equipped with an education centre for up to 10 cadets, enabling COLUMBINE MÆRSK to be used as a training ship.


COLUMBINE MÆRSK is registered in Thyborøn and will be commanded by Captain Henrik Larsen, Hornbæk, with Johnny Hovmann Jensen, Svendborg as Chief Engineer. The vessel will have a crew of 15.