First US-Cuba shipping service in 50 years with the 16-TEU Anna Cecilia

A 50-metre ro/ro vessel built in 1972, the 16-TEU Anna Cecilia, recently made history by embarking on a voyage between the US and Cuba, marking the first time a direct link has been offered between the two countries since 1962, the year the US imposed an economic embargo on Communist Cuba which seized US property on the island.

The vessel sailed from Miami on July 13 for Havana, carrying humanitarian aid cargo under a special dispensation from the US Treasury.

Despite the US embargo, Cuba is well connected to the world through regular feeder services using ships of 1,000-3,000 TEU, operated mostly by Maersk Line, MSC, CMA CGM and Hamburg Sud, as well as through direct liner services to Europe (notably offered by Melfi Marine and Nirint Lines) and to Central America (notably by those of Melfi Marine and Crowley), Alphaliner reported.

The 40-year-old Anna Cecilia is typical of the numerous small ro/ro vessels trading in the Caribbean, where they are able to handle cargo in a number of locations scattered across multiple islands in the region.

These ships are characterized by their low draft and forward wheelhouse. Their cargo intake is usually around 500 to 1,000 tonnes accommodated on deck. Their container intake is generally limited to 10 or 20 containers that are rolled on and off.

Some of these ships are even designed for beaching to serve destinations with no port installations. The largest units based on this design are 90-metres long with a cargo intake of 2,500 tonnes and 160 TEU (operated by Tropical Shipping), although a handful of slightly bigger units also exist.