Two well-known general cargo carriers in the Caribbean have joined forces, with Miami-based King Ocean Services acquiring competitor Bernuth Lines, also of Miami. Bernuth, founded in 1974 by E. P. Bernuth, has been operating eight small chartered ships out of its own terminal at the Port of Miami to a number of Caribbean island destinations as well as the countries of Guyana, Suriname and Nicaragua.
King Ocean has been operating a similar number of larger ships from Florida’s ports of Jacksonville and Port Everglades to points in Central and South America, plus the Dutch islands of Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire. The ships involved include Caribbean Jade (1997), Bernuth Calypso (1999), Nera II (1985) and Franklin Strait (2000).
