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Seeing the most recent TARAGO in port last month prompted a search through my collection of representatives of the various classes of Wilhelmsen Line ships that visited Halifax during the 1990s. That was when there was a regular service to North America and Australasia before Wilhelmsen linked with the Swedish Wallenius Line in a joint venture in 1999.
Most of the Ro-Ro ships operating on the Wilhelmsen Line service through Halifax in the early to mid-1990s were Japanese-built : TAPIOLA was one example, seen here in June, 1995. She was built for Rederi AB Transatlantic of Gothenberg as the BOOGABILLA and was bought by Wilhelmsen in 1989 when she assumed the name she still bears to this day. IMO number: 7705934. Flag: Norway (Tonsberg). Gross tonnage: 39,535 (33,702 dwt) - 1,707 TEUs. Completed: 1978 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kobe, Japan. Dimensions: loa: 228.5 m b: 32.3 m draught: 11.2 m. Main engine(s): Sulzer-Mitsubishi 9RND90M. Power: 22,170 kW. Speed: 20.5 kn. At the time she had a limited car-carrying capacity of about 125 units but this was greatly increased to 3,900 cars when she was converted to a vehicles carrier at the Chenhxi Shipyard, China, in 2004. After conversion, similar to that of the TEXAS below, her gross tonnage had increased to 54,680. She is currently managed by Barber Ship Management, Singapore.
The previous ship of the name TARAGO (ex NOSAC CEDAR-94, CGM RABELAIS-93, RABELAIS-89, LILLOOET-88), photographed in November, 1996, was similar to he TAPIOLA but had different origins. IMO number: 7720415. Managed by Antrak Marine Ltd., chartered to Wilhelmsen. Flag: Bahamas. Gross tonnage: 39,441 (23,587 dwt) - 1,768 TEUs. Completed: 1979 by Bremer Vulcan A.G., Vegesack, Germany. Dimensions: loa: 229.9 m b: 32.3 m. Main engine(s): Bremer Vulkan K7SZ 90/160 BL 7-cyl diesel. Power: 19,165 kW. Speed: 21.5 kn. In 1999 she was sold to the US Military Sealift Command and sent to the Atlantic Drydock Co. in Jacksonville FL for conversion to a Ro-Ro Vehicles Carrier. She emerged in 2000 as the 1st LT. HARRY L. MARTIN with the US Navy designation T-AK-3015 and was pre-positioned at Diego Garcia. I assume that she is still in service.
TAIKO (ex BARBER HECTOR-88), photographed in June, 1995, was one of three newer and larger ships on the vessel rotation. IMO number: 8204975. Flag: Norway (Tonsberg). Gross tonnage: 49,326 (43,986 dwt) - 2,455 TEUs; 630 cars. Completed: 1984 by Hyundai at Ulsan, S. Korea. Dimensions: loa: 262.1 m b: 32.3 m. Main engine(s): Hyundai MAN-B&W 8L90GB. Power: 26,938 kW. Speed: 21.0 kn. She was rebuilt by Ocean Ship Engineering, Nantong China in 2002 as a car and truck carrier and tonnage increased to 66,532 gt and car carrying capacity to 4,474. She still belongs to Wilhelmsen and is part of the Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics fleet.
Another of the trio was the TEXAS (ex BARBER TEXAS-89, WELLINGTON MARU (as launched)) seen here working cargo in port during November, 1994. IMO number: 8204963. Specs are as per the TAIKO (above). She was also converted to a vehicles carrier at Nantong in 2002 and remains with the Wallenius Wilhelmsen fleet. A comparatively recent photograph of this ship post-conversion is on this site in the Travels > Panama Canal Transit section.
Of that type of ship generally regarded as the ugly ducklings of the seven seas - the vehicles carrier - perhaps one of the least ugly is Wilhelmsen Line's TAGUS (ex NOSAC EXPRESS-96). Although, as far as I am aware, she was never a vessel on the North America, Australasia service, she does appear from time to time in Halifax for Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics. IMO number: 8309679. Managed by Wilhelmsen Lines Car Carrier Ltd., Southampton. Flag: Norway (Tonsberg). Gross tonnage: 48,357 (21,900 dwt) - 5,409 cars. Completed: 1985 by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Machinery Ltd., Okpo, S. Korea. Dimensions: loa: 195.0 m b: 32.3 m. Main engine(s): B&W 6L80GB. Power: 14,168 kW Speed: 19.0 kn.
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