RORO and FLOFLO

RORO . .   I don’t know how long ago this acronym entered English.  This one has a particularly interesting name, although

the naming convention for all NYK ROROs uses mythological references and then the “last name” LEADER.  Aphrodite comes from Toyohashi Shipbuilding.

Click here for an informational site on ROROs.  Now I have to admit that –in spite of many references online to this vessel as a RORO–it’s more likely a PCTC . . . pure car and truck carrier.  It arrived in port yesterday, and even now is already back to sea, headed for Europe.

Technically, Blue Marlin is a FLOFLO . ..  as in “float on and float off.”  After the New York loading experience, which still puzzles me in its apparent plethora of problems, Marlin might be dubbed “flofloflofloflo ….”

The next set of fotos show closers-ups of the cargo deck and cradles.  Blue Marlin–see technical info here— was launched in 2000 from CSBC in Kaohsiung, and “remodeled” a few years later in Ulsan.

Note the cradles and

(double click to enlarge) here’s an even closer-up.

Judging by the depth marks on the portside gray bulkhead, I’m guessing that last week about 20′ of water covered the load deck.

Maybe this week, this FLOFLO will SO (sail off), finally SISO.

Some reflections on ROROs can be found on Deep Water Writing and Kennebec Captain,   here and here.  Has anyone seen reflections/reportage from crew aboard a FLOFLO?

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.