Tropical Shipping set to christen new $14-million Tropic Express

• Anne Dichele

This story is contributed by a member of the Treasure Coast community and is neither endorsed nor affiliated with TCPalm.com

WEST PALM BEACH — RIVIERA BEACH, FLA. — Tropical Shipping, a leader in ocean-freight shipping to the Bahamas and the Caribbean, announced it will celebrate the christening and launch of the new Tropic Express, a 348-foot-long vessel that will be deployed in the company’s Bahamas trade.

“We’re very excited about the christening of our newest vessel,” said Mike Pellicci, president of Tropical Shipping. “Launching the Tropic Express is a proud moment for Tropical. Even in today’s tough economic climate, we continue to move forward and invest in our business, with the goal of finding new and more efficient ways to better serve our customers.”

The new ship will officially launch on August 15th before a gathering of several hundred invited guests and Tropical employees at the Port of Palm Beach. Tropical’s most tenured female employee, Janet Carey , will be the Godmother and have the honor of christening the state-of-the-art vessel, which will become the fifteenth ship in Tropical’s fleet.

According to Pellicci, the Tropic Express is a 368 teu shallow draft container vessel that will transport both dry and refrigerated containers, between Florida and the Bahamas, with a service speed of 12.5 knots. Roughly the size of a football field, the vessel is equipped with two 45 ton cranes and also has a ramp to transport out of gauge, oversized and heavy cargo, typically used in construction projects.

The $14-million Tropic Express was built by CSC Chongqing Dongfeng Shipbuilding Corporation, one of the world’s largest shipbuilders. In December 2008, Tropical Shipping contracted with the shipbuilder to have the vessel built. Launched in the Yangtze River in December 2010, the “Tropic Express” was delivered in June to the Port of Palm Beach for the August christening.

When the ship arrived, it also carried 225 new refrigerated containers, bringing the total number of containers in the Tropical fleet to well over 11,000 units.

“For almost a half century now, Tropical Shipping has kept a steady eye on the needs of our customers,” Pellicci said. “Everything we do, from streamlining operations to expanding capabilities and now launching a new vessel, has been to improve our service levels for the benefit of our customers. Tropical is committed to improving our services through innovation and investments in order to remain a leading and extremely reliable ocean-freight shipping service to the Bahamas and Caribbean.”

About Tropical Shipping

Tropical Shipping has delivered reliable and comprehensive cargo transportation services to the Bahamas and the Caribbean for more than 48 years. Based in Riviera Beach, Florida, in the Port of Palm Beach, the company transports everything imaginable and handles a full range of services, from pick up and secure storage to cargo insurance and documentation. Tropical Shipping services include Dry, Refrigerated, Less-than- Container Load, Consolidation, Cargo transfer, Inland Transportation, Insurance, and Project Cargo services, as well as a National Pickup Service in North America. The company operates convenient cargo receiving locations in Miami, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Canada and Puerto Rico.