Star Feeders began operating container feeder vessels in 1991, with one small “Gulf” type vessel, and one chartered vessel.

The first services to be established are still operated, namely a shuttle service to Muscat and a service between Khorfakkan and Bahrain, Dammam and Shuwaikh. These services, and the (owned) fleet, have been complemented over the intervening years, by the purchase of five additional “Gulf” type vessels, and one vessel of 255 teu capacity. A further vessel of 350 teus is to be purchased next month.

We have also chartered many different vessels over the years, always with an eye to economy of scale, and reliability. Today we charter two sister vessels for our Upper Gulf services, each of 1,733 teus nominal capacity.

A few statistics for 2003:

Total teus carried                          306,779

Total port calls at Jebel Ali            610 – Frequency every 14 hours
Total port calls at Port Rashid        396 – Frequency every 22 hours
Total port calls at Khorfakkan        352 – Frequency every 25 hours
Total port calls at Abu Dhabi         340 – Frequency every 26 hours
Total port calls at Sharjah              246 – Frequency every 36 hours
Total port calls at Muscat              200 – Frequency every 44 hours
Total port calls at Ajman               163 – Frequency every 54 hours
Total port calls at Umm Al Quwain   80 – Frequency every 110 hours

And for January – June 2004: (A period of intense port congestion at Jebel Ali)

Total teus carried                          145,840

Total port calls at Jebel Ali            211 – Frequency every 21 hours
Total port calls at Port Rashid        205 – Frequency every 21 hours
Total port calls at Khorfakkan        160 – Frequency every 27 hours
Total port calls at Abu Dhabi         138 – Frequency every 32 hours
Total port calls at Sharjah              110 – Frequency every 40 hours
Total port calls at Muscat              114 – Frequency every 38 hours
Total port calls at Ajman                 95 – Frequency every 46 hours
Total port calls at Umm Al Quwain   52 – Frequency every 84 hours