Hello Baby Blue, Goodbye Lipstick Red

Say farewell to the iconic lipstick red on many Maersk Ships. All Maersk ships will have their old livery painted over for a new baby blue.

This is how Maersk ships will look.

Credit Maersk

As part of its ongoing rebranding efforts, Maersk is unifying all its shipping lines into a single brand. This announcement came in January this year, including 152-year-old Hamburg Süd, acquired in 2017, with their famous red ships.

So, going forward, all Maersk ships – including the keenly awaited series of methanol-fuelled newbuilds, will have white hull markings as opposed to the former black, on baby blue hulls.

Credit Jean Hudson

All ships will wear the carrier’s seven-pointed star on the hull, the bow and funnels. We have all seen it and probably never questioned its origin. The seven-pointed star has been part of Maersk’s identity since it appeared on the funnel of the first steamship, the S.S. Laura, in 1886.

Captain Peter Mærsk Møller was on an ocean voyage with his wife Anna. She fell seriously ill and was on death’s door. One night, Captain Peter, stood on deck and looked into the cloudy night sky and prayed for his wife’s wellbeing. A single star appeared which gave him hope.

All ended well, Anna recovered and Captain Peter Mærsk Møller was so inspired by the ‘star of hope’, he incorporated it into the Maersk logo, and you can see it to this day.

Credit Maria Wilson

Keep on eye out for baby blue container ships with a seven-pointed star on the bow.

Maersk Gairloch, a Maersk container ship is a frequent visitor to Fremantle. Here she is currently in port on North Quay Berth 9.

Credit Jean Hudson

* STORY and photographs by Jean Hudson @jeansodyssey. Jean is our Shipping Correspondent and also a regular feature writer and photographer here on the Shipping News. You may like to follow up her informative Places I Love stories, as well as other feature stories and Freo Today photographs, right here.

** And thanks too to Maria Wilson @shutterbugmaria and @flotsamandjetsam6162 for her great Maersk pics

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