VESSEL REVIEW | Haru Maru No 5 – High-capacity Ro-Ro for Japanese coastal routes

Japanese shipbuilder Naikai Zosen Corporation recently handed over a new freight-only Ro-Ro vessel to local owner Oshima Shipping.

Designed and built in compliance to ClassNK rules, Haru Maru No 5 has an LOA of 179.9 metres, a beam of 27.4 metres, a draught of 6.4 metres, and a deadweight of 7,070 tonnes. The vessel has capacity for 258 cars of 4.7 metres in length and 162 trailers measuring 13 by 2.5 metres each.

The vessel's cargo of vehicles is distributed across four decks. One deck is for cars only while the other three decks can accommodate a mix of cars and trailers. Loading and unloading of cargo will be accomplished via ramps near the bow and at the stern while interior ramps will allow the vehicles to be easily relocated between decks.

Power is provided by a Hitachi MAN B&W 9S50ME-C8.5 main diesel engine that produces 13,580 kW to deliver a service speed of approximately 21 knots. Bow and stern thrusters assist the vessel when manoeuvring in more restrictive port waters as well as in berthing/unberthing.

The vessel also boasts features that are designed to help improve both fuel efficiency and safety as it transports vehicle cargo along Japan's coastal waters year-round. Notable among these features is a device fitted on the bow above the waterline that reduces wave resistance when the vessels sail through rough seas. Fin stabilisers have been fitted to minimise rolling while underway, thus guaranteeing the comfort of the crew and mitigating the risk of the cargo shifting while in transit.

Haru Maru No 5 was delivered by Naikai Zosen to Oshima Shipping in May of this year. The newbuild has since been operating under charter with local company Shunzan Kaiun on the Ro-Ro route that sails to and from its homeport on Shikoku, the smallest of Japan's five main islands. This route is extensive as it also encompasses the ports of Sakai Semboku, Chiba, Tamano, and Mishima-Kawanoe.

The Ro-Ro sails on this route alongside its two earlier sister ships Haru Maru No 1 and Haru Maru No 3. A fourth sister ship, Haru Maru No 6, is undergoing a final series of sea trials just off Naikai Zosen's facilities on Innoshima island and will be delivered by to Oshima before the end of September. It will begin operating on this same route by the following month and is set to ultimately replace Haru Maru No 1.

The introduction of Haru Maru No 5 and Haru Maru No 6 on this route is in anticipation of an expected increase in vehicle freight volumes.

See all the other news, reviews and features of this month's Marine Engines and Propulsion Systems Week right here.