ULCVs: A New Take

The new take is this:  “ultra LIGHT container vessel,” which this surely is.  Judging by her draft markings, her draft is less than that of the larger tugboats in the harbor.

When a vessel enters port this empty, or light,there has to be a story.  Did it just come out of the shipyard?  If so, why?  For example, Laura Maersk had to be towed into port almost half a year ago, and left here ultra light, i.e., with nary a container, visible that is.

A short search reveals ALS Juno suffered engine failure less than two years ago near the Sea of Marmara.  It was then towed by Ocean Ergunto be repaired.  She’s arriving in the sixth boro from ports in the eastern end of the Med, i.e., Turkey and Greece, which she departed two weeks and a day ago.  Additional misfortunes are listed in that link.

The 2009 build has also seen a lot of name changes:  Rueitv Schepers, Rudolf Schepers, AP, Arkas Africa, and now ALS Juno. 

It also turns out that she and several fleet mates with names all beginning ALS (ALS Venus, ALS Mars, etc.) are part of the ONE group, best known for its distinctive magenta hulls.

Greetings, Al.

All this is inconclusive, but I wonder what the story is.

I don’t mean to sow confusion:  ULCV does normally mean ultra large container vessel, and even though I tried, I couldn’t come up with a better acronym for such an empty one.  Maybe there’s a technical one.   Maybe a reader will propose both a better acronym and the backstory for the empty vessel.

All photos and info, WVD.