Houston Express (ship) explained

Houston Express is a cargo ship owned by the Hapag-Lloyd company of Hamburg, Germany, completed in 2005. The ship is capable of transporting up to 8,400 containers at any one time. The Deadweight Tonnage is 107,000 metric tons and the maximum speed of this ship is 25kn. The ship is 332 meters long and has a beam (or width) of 43.20 meters. The engines are capable of outputting 68,520 kilowatts of power.^[1]

The Houston Express, as well as her sister ships Savannah Express and Mærsk Stralsund, are owned by Norddeutsche Vermögen and managed by Norddeutsche Reederei H. Schuldt. The ships have been built in a series of five vessels. They feature the first twisted leading edge full spade rudder (TLKSR) of Becker Marine Systems. The 67sqm rudder avoids rudder cavitation and saves 2% fuel.^[2]

In April 2015, the Houston Express rescued a 37-year-old man, Louis Jordan, whose capsized boat had left him adrift for 66 days.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Houston Express . Hapag-Lloyd . 2012 . 11 September 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120627164848/http://www.hapag-lloyd.com/en/fleet/vessel_5958.html . 27 June 2012 .
2. Web site: World's Largest Full Spade Rudder Installed . marinelink.com . 26 January 2005 . 13 September 2012.
3. News: Man rescued after 66 days at sea is 'utterly thankful and grateful' . CNN.com . North Carolina, USA . April 3, 2015 . CNN . 3 April 2015.