The Emma Maersk has been moored since February 25 at the Fincantieri yard in Palermo, Sicily, where her engine received an extensive overhaul with repairs to the stern thruster.
A report by Alphaliner said the smaller 9,661 TEU Butterfly, chartered from CMA CGM, took the Emma Maersk`s place on the loop while she was out of service.
Also joining the AE-10 service on July 15 at Busan, South Korea is the 18,270 TEU Maersk McKinney Moller. The newbuilding is the first of 20 `EEE`-Class units to be delivered to the Danish shipping line over the coming three years. The second ship in the series, the Majestic Maersk, is scheduled to join the service on August 12.
In February, divers inspected the ship`s hull and found a 20 centimetre by 30 centimetre hole in the shape of a half circle damage near a forward thruster. The damage was probably caused while the thrusters were maneuvering the vessel towards the Suez Canal. The thruster spaces are accessed via Emma Maersk`s 120-metre main propeller shaft tunnel, which opens to the engine room.
After a bilge alarm sounded, it took only an hour for the engine room to be flooded, covering the main engine. The 13-man crew worked the bilge system, but it was just not enough. There was no significant flooding of the cargo holds and containers aboard were not damaged.