Constantinos P arrives at Northport to offload containers

Constantinos P carrying 1340 containers getting closer to Northport on a balmy day. Photo / Northport

The biggest container ship to ever berth at Northport has arrived without any issues and the first lot of containers were expected to have come off early evening yesterday.

The 261m long Constantinos P carrying 1340 containers cruised into Whangārei Harbour channel and arrived at Northport on a beautiful Sunday around midday,

alongside a pilot boat.

By 2.30pm, unlashing the containers had started and Northport spokesman Peter Heath said the first lot would be craned off by late afternoon or early evening.

Heavy congestion at Auckland and other busy ports around New Zealand means the massive ship will offload at Northport until it leaves for Lyttelton on Wednesday.

Containers would be off-loaded by two mobile harbour cranes, which are slower than gantry cranes.

Northport workers will work between 6am and midnight each day because of staffing numbers, equipment capability, and to prevent fatigue.

A pilot boat guides the Constantinos P in the Whangārei Harbour. Photo / Marsden Maritime Holdings

Up to 1000 truckloads could be needed to move the cargo between Marsden Pt and Auckland, starting this Thursday.

It's understood most of the trips will be done at night or during off-peak traffic.

The Constantinos P docks into Northport with more than 1000 containers that will be trucked down south later this week. Photo / Northport

Northport is bracing for the challenge and the company is already fielding requests by other shipping lines to see if it can help with similar shipments with its limited resources.

The company will review its work on Constantinos P sometime this week to determine what it can do to help and when.