The RoRo vessel MV Taronga was delivered from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan in December 1996. The vessel is specially suited for high & heavy, project cargo and containers but she has also flexibility to carry trucks and cars with high payload efficiency.
She was converted by replacing container space on deck 4 and adding extra car decks by Cosco Nantong Shipyard China in 2002. MV Taronga has no sistership.
The ship is built to the class of Det Norske Veritas with the following designations + A1 General Cargo/Container Carrier (RoRo), Car Carrier (MCDK), SC, EO.
Deck and Ramp System:
Heavy units are loaded on the strengthened deck 1 with a capacity of 10 tons/m2. Deck no. 2, 3 and 5A can be used for heavy loads up to 3 tons/m2. Deck no. 4 and 5 can be used for units up to 4 tons/m2 and 5 tons/m2 respectively and deck no. 6 and 7 allow loads up to 0.2 tons/m2. Hoistable deck 5B has a carrying capacity of 0.2 tons/m2. Garage deck 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are specially designed for stowing cars
Stern ramp is located on starboard side aft and is arranged with a 38-degree angle of incident from the centre line with entrance on deck 4. This angle together with a ramp with of 12 m assures good flexibility in loading and discharging operations. Weight capacity for the ramp is 320 tons.
Anchoring, Winches and cranes:
The forward deck machinery consists of 3 Aquamaster Rauma mooring winches type MW 200EA with a break holding capacity of 53 tons and 2 Aquamaster Rauma combined mooring and windlass winches with breaking power 53 tons and 252 tons respectably. Amidships there is one winch type MW 120 EA with breaking power 53 tons and aft mooring deck is equipped with 3 mooring winches type MW 200 EA with breaking power 53 tons. This mooring/windlass arrangement provides good flexibility in operational situations for the vessel.
The vessel is also equipped with 2 sets of cast steel, high holding type, anchor with a weight of 9675 tons each. 2 provision cranes of type JIB PEEE 5075 are fitted onboard, one on starboard -and one on port side of the accommodation.
Ventilation
Fans evenly distributed on upper deck throughout the vessel create good ventilation during loading, discharging and voyage. The system consists of both mechanical ventilation and air condition.
Machinery
For propulsion the vessel is equipped with a Mitsubishi UE Engine type 7UEC85LSC with an output of 25000 kW at 95.4 rpm that has remote control from both control room and the bridge. Normal continuos rating are 22500 kW at 92 rpm. The main engine is attached to a fixed five bladed solid, keyless propeller of Nickel Aluminium Bronze.
To ensure good manouvering abilities there are two thrusters' type CT 16H-2P installed, one in the bow and one in the stern with a capacity of 1700 Kw each. Also, the vessel is equipped with a highly effective spade type rudder to assist in controlling the lateral movements of the stern.
For electrical power supply there are 5 MAN B&W Holeby diesel generators installed onboard with a total effect 7380 kW. Of these 5 generators 2 are of type 6L28/32H and 3 of type 8L28/32H. In addition, to ensure sufficient power in emergency situations there is installed one MAN B&W D2866TE generator with an output of 180KW.
Navigation & communication system:
Radar’s & ARPA: : Maker: Atlas Elektronik GmBH
: Type: ATLAS 9600 ARPA / S
: Installed: 14th Nov 1996
Electronic Chart : Atlas Electronic Chart Pilot / C-MAP
DGPS System : Leica MK10 DGPS Receiver x 2 Nos.
Gyro Compass : Tokimec Inc. / TG 6000 x 2 Nos.
Autopilot : Tokimec Inc., / PR 8000
Echo Sounder : Atlas Elektronik / Atlas Echograph 481
Crystal Clock System : Seiko / QC – 6 M3
Weather Facsimile Receiver : JRC / JAX – 90
Course Recorder : Tokimec / DCR 40A
GMDSS : Skanti / Combridge DSC3000, DSC9000
VHF : Skanti / TRP 3012 & TRP 3024 x 2 Nos.
Satcom (Inmarsat B) : Nera Telecommunications / Saturn B
Satcom (Inmarsat C) : Skanti / Scansat – CG
Auto exchange Telephone : Nippon Hakuyo Electronics / OAE-7000
Public Address System : Nippon Hakuyo Electronics / OHE3177D
Satellite EPIRB : McMurdo E3 406 MHz Satellite EPIRB
Search & Rescue Transponders : LOKATA, SART 9 IM x 2 Nos.
VHF (Emergency) : SKANTI, VHF 9110 x 3 Nos. with 3 spare batteries
Interior
All cabins are located on deck 8, 9 and 10 in the accommodation and the vessel is equipped with gym, swimming pool, basket ball court, 2 TV-rooms and a library to provide the crew with the possibility of relaxing activities. Spare cabins and pilot cabin are at deck 8 and 9 for easy access to the bridge.
Security arrangements:
For fire extinguishing, the ship is fitted with both a permanent installed sea water extinguishing system and portable fire extinguisher to cover the cargo area and a fixed low pressure CO2 system for the engine room. A number of portable CO2 and sea water fire extinguishers are also fitted in the accommodation.
The vessel has 1 Norsafe, free fall type life boat with a carrying capacity of 36 persons and one MOB boat type Midjet 5.0 offshore type carrying 3 persons used as a work boat. Also, life rafts and a number of survival suits are available onboard.