Difference between mother vessel and feeder vessel

What is Feeder Vessel? What is the size of a Feeder Vessel? How does Feeder Vessel serve?  How to differentiate Mother Vessel between Feeder Vessel? What is the capacity of a Mother Vessel? How does Mother Vessel serve? 


Feeder vessel and Mother vessels are part of vessel carrying network

Feeder vessel is normally small in size compared to Mother vessel. Feeder vessels serves between smaller ports and major ports. In other words, feeder vessels feeds cargo to mother vessel from smaller ports to large ports for exports and from major main ports to smaller ports for imports. Compared to mother vessel, feeder vessel is slow.

Average capacity of a feeder vessel is 300 to 500 TEUs (20’ containers). Feeder vessel serves short distance, either between  smaller ports, or between smaller ports  and major ports.

Mother vessel is big in size compared to feeder vessel. Mother vessels only serve between major big ports. Mother vessels have the capacity to carry thousands of containers. Mother vessel calls only main ports. The mother vessel covers large distance compared to feeder vessel.

Average capacity of a Mother Vessel is 10000 TEUs (Twenty foot Equipment Units).   In 1960s,  vessel capacity was maximum of  500 – 800 TEUs.  Mother vessel with a capacity of  15000 TEUs are available now. We can expect mother vessels with a capacity of 20000 TEUs by the year 2015.   Read – Difference between Vessel arriving and Vessel berthing