BBC Houston Christened in Port of Houston

Photo courtesy of BBC Chartering.

BBC Houston, the second newbuilding of a series of fifteen 13,000DWT “LakerMax”-multipurpose triple deckers, was festively christened in the port of Houston on Sept. 23. 

The champagne bottle broke on the first attempt, after godmother Daniela Pena Kopfensteiner traditionally wished BBC Houston “fair winds and following seas” in a ceremony held at the Manchester Terminal in the port of Houston in the presence of clients, business partners and colleagues of BBC Chartering.

Prior to the naming ceremony, the BBC Houston had concluded her maiden voyage from China to New Orleans, Louisiana, delivering a load of air coolers and accessories. The BBC Houston subsequently called several berths in Houston to pick up cargo before proceeding to the Manchester Terminal for completion cargo and the ceremony. Following the celebrations, the BBC Houston immediately commenced her next voyage, with Kolkata, India being her next destination.

“Naming the BBC Houston in her namesake port after completion of her maiden voyage felt like more than the right thing to do.” said Tim Kopfensteiner, president and CEO of Houston-based BBC Chartering USA LLC. “It was a real pleasure to finally see this ground-breaking vessel for ourselves, and being able to show it to our customer friends and partners made us really proud.”

"It was an honor to be a part of this celebration, and I hope she will serve and protect her crew for many years to come.", said Daniela Pena Kopfensteiner, the godmother of the BBC Houston, who works as a chartering broker at BBC Chartering USA.

The BBC Houston on the Houston Ship Channel on her way to Manchester Terminal, with the Houston skyline in the background. Photo courtesy of BBC Chartering.

Like her sister vessels, the BBC Houston is a multipurpose triple-decker with a lifting capacity of up to 500 mtons. Her optimized deck layout and forward location of bridge and accommodation allow for unobstructed 2,830 sqm of space on the weather deck. With 26,000 cbm and 5,500 sqm covered floor space, the BBC Houston is a true space miracle. In addition, her fuel consumption is less than that of vessels of comparable dimensions. This combination reduces GHG emissions per freight to carried by up to 30%.