The Dole Food Company plans to replace its reefer fleet serving the eastern Pacific between South and North America with a series of three larger vessels, which are to be delivered between 2015 and 2016 at a cost of about $165 million. Although a builder has yet to be selected, the highly fuel-efficient ships are expected to have a 770FEU capacity, compared to the existing ships’ 491FEU capacity, and all will be equipped with rail-mounted gantry cranes. JS
