Cape Akritas departs Felixstowe for Singapore. 15.04.17

The Cape Akritas is one of 8 ships on Charter to OOCL. She sails as part of the new Ocean alliance which consists of China Cosco Lines, OOCL, CMA CGM and Evergreen with around 3.5 million TEU.
The 11010TEU Cape Akritas is on charter from Costamare for a cool $18,000 per day.

The pilot requests the services for departure. Svitzer Kent and Svitzer Deben leave the tug pontoon to assist the ship off the berth.
The pilot wants both tugs to take the centre leads fore and aft, the Deben is made fast aft while the Kent is made fast forward.

Once the tugs are fast, the pilot gives the orders to start singling up ready for departure. The tugs get in position to pull the Cape Akritas off the berth. Both tugs pull straight off at 50% then increase to 75%.
With the top deck almost completely filled with empty containers the windage on the starboard side would not help with the departure. The tugs battle with the wind slowly edging the ship into the tide and channel. The pilot gives a kick ahead on the main engine an plume of black smoke poured from the funnel as she came ahead.
The kent eases up and comes in to be released as the pilot comes ahead again on the engine releasing another plume of smoke.

 The pilot keeps the Deben aft just incase he requires a little help by a powered in-direct around the 90deg Beach End turn out of the harbour but she did not require any help and as she come onto an Easterly heading the Deben comes in to be released and head back to the tug pontoon.