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Maersk (Danish Shipping Company)

image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 27 Feb 2007

A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S (Dampskibselsskabet af 1912 A/S)

See also:

A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S (Dampskibselsskabet af 1912 A/S)

image by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 18 Dec 2013
image by Jorge Candeias, 1 June 2005

A painting in the Søfart Museum in Troense a town on the island of Tåsinge in south-central Denmark, part of Svendborg Municipality, shows the pennant of Dampskibselsskabet af 1912 A/S, based in København: Blue with white 7 pointed star; heptagram 2 (meaning, "to the second point", I expect.)
Source: Stewart and Styring´s Flags, Funnels and Hull Colours, 1963
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 27 Aug 2001

A longer, 1:2 variant (see left image above) based on image here. A.P. Møller, based in København: blue pennant with white seven-pointed star near the hoist. Also known as Maersk. The Maersk livery colour, sky blue, is well-known.
Jan Mertens, 11 Dec 2003

The blue is a light shade and the star points are long and narrow. The company website in 2000 gives the background of the logo as "History of the logo: The following narrative is found in the book about A.P. Møller "With Constant Care", by Ove Hornby: "When Captain P.M. Møller took command of his first steamer the S.S. "Laura" in 1886, her black funnel was ringed with a blue band with a white seven-pointed star on each side. While accompanying her husband on a voyage years earlier, his wife Anna Møller had suffered a serious illness, which left a lasting impression on the deeply religious captain, who felt himself to be responsible. In a letter to his wife in October 1886, he explained the background for new company emblem: "The little star on the funnel is a reminder of the evening I prayed for you so dejectedly and anxiously, asking for the sign that I might see in the grey, overcast sky, a reminder that the Lord hears our prayers".
According to Loughran (1979) a flag with reversed colours was used by certain vessels under Liberian registry.
Neale Rosanoski, 27 Apr 2004

A.P. Møller acquired part interest of Safmarine, including the houseflag and name for the ex-South African part of their shipping.
Andre Burgers, 15 Nov 2004

I have observed that the containers of Maersk-Sealand, which is the container division of the Maersk multinational (although Danish-based) transport and logistics conglomerate, have the basic design of this emblem expanded to a rectangular shape. This emblem can either be found on the rear doors of the containers or sometimes along the sides. I do not know if Maersk-Sealand operates its own vessels separately from the rest of the Maersk fleet, but if they do their ships may possibly be distinguished by this flag in place of the emblem shown.
Ron Lahav, 2 June 2005

When asked "Why a seven pointed star?", an employee answered "Because we work seven days a week".
Hugh Watkins, 7 Mar 2007

See also: Röda Bolaget (Sweden)
This photo shows a Maersk pennant (from http://www.maritimedanmark.dk - image no longer available there) somewhat longer than the one shown above. Admittedly flag books occasionally shorten pennants such as this one.
Jan Mertens, 15 September 2009

Regarding the rectangle flag of António Martins-Tuválkin based on comments of Ron Lahav, there is no such flag as far as I am aware. Maersk-Sealand was the name change of Sealand-Service Inc. taken over in 1999 and changed to Maersk Line in 2006 and is just another of the many subsidiaries comprising the group. The logo of the star on a blue square [I have never noticed it on a rectangle] appears on all of their containers as well as their website. Unfortunately logo formats do not always equate to flags.
Neale Rosanoski, 30 August 2013

We also have a branch of Maersk Line here in Hamburg, and I am fairly sure, they are using, though having the same pattern, rectangular flags (probably 3:5) and Pennants (Wimpel) of different ratio. But
1) it is always the same pattern and shade
2) I don´t know, whether it is used for the German Branch with a different legal form.
Please also note, that other companies, like Delmas and Hamburg-Süd are using patterns on their containers, which probably do not appear on any flag.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 30 August 2013

The comments of Klaus-Michael Schneider raise a possibility that I had not considered i.e. that a rectangular flag is used by the Group ashore with the triangular version used at sea. Checking further into the Group I find that like most large conglomerates they do have other business areas and a photo of their Head Office with a poor flap could be a rectangle and another which at first glance could be taken as a rectangle but the more I look the less sure I become as the star is towards the hoist [again suggesting a taper]. And it begins to look as though it tapers. Others and this picture look a definite triangle. This page shows a good photo of a triangle though whether ashore or afloat is not clear. Ships flying the flag seem to be rare these days.
Neale Rosanoski, 31 August 2013

The headquarters of Maersk France, located in Boulogne-Billancourt near Paris, fly an elongated triangular flag. The flag is hoisted on the top of a hightower; I hypothesize that the flag has elongated proportions (1:2 or even more) to allow / increase visibility from the street.
Ivan Sache, 7 September 2013

Discovery Channel here in The Netherlands is broadcasting a series about the largest (container) ship built so far. (Those who were at Rotterdam 2013 will recall a huge container ship we passed twice during the harbour cruise. That was not the ship from the series; she did visit the port of Rotterdam one week later, though, and appears to be even larger.)
The series didn´t progress yet to the ceremony where she is baptised "Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller". But when the ship was formally handed over to the new owner, a flag with the Maersk white seven-pointed star was hoisted. This was a triangular flag, in a very light blue similar to the hull of the ship. From the one quick shot I´d say it was in the 1:2 range.
A photograph showing the flag at that ceremony, but at an awkward angle, can be seen at http://www.seanews.com.tr/article/SHIPBUILDING/106011/.
I hope we can agree that this flag is indeed longer than we show in the image derived from Stewart and Styring´s Flags, Funnels and Hull Colours, 1963. Based on that image I´ve created a longer, 1:2 version.
I am also not sure about the blue, but I don´t want to introduce a shade that differs from the one we already identify as Maersk livery colour (unless we can change it for all the flags).
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 18 December 2013

The company´s current logo (http://protokol.dk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Maersk-Line.png,
Source: http://danishlogo.dk/?portfolio=maersk-line&pnt=366) was designed in 1972 by Danish architect and industrial designer Acton Bjørn.
Esteban Rivera, 18 July 2020

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