Big container ship due at Port of Charleston on Wednesday

It isn’t the biggest container ship to ever call at the Port of Charleston, but it’s pretty close.

The MSC Maeva is expected to drop anchor at the Wando Welch Terminal by early afternoon Wednesday. Work is scheduled to begin around 1 p.m., according to the State Ports Authority,

The Maeva is operated by Mediterranean Shipping Co. It measures 1,065 feet long and can carry the equivalent of nearly 8,100 20-foot-long shipping containers,

These “mega-ships” are becoming more common sights at U.S ports, which are scrambling to deepen their waterways to accommodate the floating warehouses. In Charleston, the SPA is looking to dredge its shipping channel to 50 feet from 45 feet so it can handle these heavier vessels regardless of the tide.

The Maeva has visited Charleston at least three other times, most recently in November.

The biggest container ship ever to call at Charleston was the MSC Sindy’s visit in August 2011. That vessel is about 1,100 feet long and can hold the equivalent of 9,580 20-foot boxes.

The biggest container ship in the world is said be CMA CGM Marco Polo, which is 1,299 feet long. Fully loaded, it can carry the equivalent of 16,020 boxes.