Ships of Kanmon Strait

Ro-Ro vessel LIBERTY PROMISE in the Kanmon Strait passing by Shimonoseki This fine looking Ameican automobile carrier was photographed by Ship Freakazoid as it passed thru the Kanmon Strait between Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki Japan on the afternoon of March 18, 2024. Apparently, the ship makes fairly frequent journeys from Japan and Korea to the west coast of the USA. A small LS series Japan Coast Guard lighthouse tender can be seen in the foreground.   Vessel Name: LIBERTY PROMISE  Length:         200 meters  Width:           32 meters  IMO:             9448425  Flag:             U.S.A.  Home Port:    New York  MMSI:           366102000  Gross Tonnage:               57030 Summer Deadweight (t): 21359  Year Built:                      2010 A.D. Type:                             Ro-Ro Vehicles Carrier  Vehicles Carrier LIBERTY PROMISE sailing thru the Kanmon Strait The trusty old Olympus e520 DSLR was used to photograph Liberty Promise as  it sailed past the phallic tower of Shimonoseki

KEIYU MARU NO5 (aka: #5 Keiyu Maru / Keiyu Maru No. 5 / Keiyu Maru The 5th) 関門海峡を通る第五慶友丸♪　 KEIYU MARU NO5 関門海峡を通る第五慶友丸 Vessel Name: KEIYU MARU NO5 (第五慶友丸)  Length: 78 meters  Width: 14 meters  IMO: 9924821  Flag: Japan (日本)  Home Port: Kitakyushu (北九州)  MMSI: 366102000  Type: General Cargo With so many smaller local ships passing thru the Kanmon Straits everyday, they sometimes are ignored when larger ships are also passing by. Keiyu Maru No.5 happened to be going the opposite direction as the gigantic ro-ro Liberty Promise on the afternoon of March 18, 2024. The Kitakyushu based cargo ship looked good passing by Simonoseki's infamous "Tower That Makes All Men Feel Inferior." 

MSC LILOU III - Lovely container ship sailing thru the Kanmon Straits On a gorgeous spring day (March 13, 2024) the lovely container ship MSC MILOU III sailed thru the Kanmon Straits of Japan, between Garden Paradise Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki. An Olympus e520 DSLR was used to capture this vessel on digital film by Ship Freakazoid. 220 meter long MSC LILOU 3 cargo ship Vessel Name: MSC LILOU III  IMO Number: 9334349  Ship Type: Container Ship  Flag: Cyprus Gross Tonnage: 35824  Summer Deadweight (t): 41850  Length (m): 220  Beam (m): 32 Year Built: 2007 A.D. MSC LILOU III - Comin' at ya! Kitakyushu factories in background! Ever wondered what a 220 meter long 32 meter wide container ship coming right at you looks like? Well, here is the vessel named MSC LILOU III (MSC Lilou 3) doing just that. If I were you, I'd get the hell out of the way. Kitakyushu's lovely haze and factories can be seen in the background as the cargo ship makes her way thru the pristine blue waters of t

RUN LONG - Ship named by a QB? This had to have been named by a quarterback---right? Sounds like something Kenny Stabler would say to Fred Biletnikoff in the huddle before a critical 3rd down..."Double Right Open. Z-Orbit, Scat Left, 787 F-Drag On 2. Fred, you RUN LONG!" Turns out, RUN LONG is a 127 meter long container ship sailing under the Flag of Panama, and apparently sometimes passes thru the Kanmon Straits, stopping in Moji (Garden Paradise Kitakyushu). Bet ya' it is carrying loads of Wilson "The Duke" footballs. Bet ya'! RUN LONG heading towards the End Zone of Kitakyushu And, here goes Run Long heading towards the End Zone of Kitakyushu on its way to score a TD. Go Raiders! Name: RUN LONG Length:     127 meters Width:       20 meters IMO:         9172612 Flag:         Panama IMO:         9172612 MMSI: 370206000 Type: Container Ship Ship Freakazoid used an Olympus e520 DSLR with Zuiko lens to capture this fine looking vessel on digital film

SITC QINZHOU - Another SITC container ship named after an East Asian City SITC Japan Co., LTD. has close to 100 vessels in its fleet and SITC QINZHOU is yet another SITC container ship named after an East Asian City. Their container ships passing thru the Kanmon Straits are a common sight for both Kitakyushites and Shimonosuckers alike, as the straits run between the cities of Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki. SITC QINZHOU Qinzhou is a prefecture-level city lying on the Gulf of Tonkin in S.E. China, and therefore the perfect name for a container ship. The 3.3 million people who live there must be receiving some interesting merchandise from Japan carried by this vessel, perhaps DVDs of Japanese celebrities eating food while other Japanese celebrities watch and comment on the food being eaten, or maybe even secondhand Nissan Skylines. Conversely, the people of Japan must be receiving some pretty dope stuff from China, too, seeing as how trade is generally a two-way street. Name:      SITC QINZ

SITC's container ships are a common site in the Kanmon Straits of Japan. However, seeing the SITC TOKYO being safely navigated by a bird is a first. The vessel safely passed thru the strait running between Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki and was photographed by Ship Freakazoid as it followed the flite of the shite kite (real names: Japanese: tobi or tombi / English: black kite) on its journey. This cargo ship frequently runs between Shanghai China and Osaka Japan, but surely the highlight of the voyage is the wonderful time spent sailing thru the glorious Kanmon Straits. SITC TOKYO - Container Ship sailing thru Kanmon Straits   SITC has a large fleet of container ships, most named after places in Japan or China. Ship Freakazoid will make a point of putting up more photos of SITC vessels as they pass thru the heavenly waters of the Kanmon Strait. Vessel Name: SITC TOKYO Length:  144.83 meters Width:  22.4 meters Flag: Panama IMO: 9258727 MMSI: 355449000 Call Sign: HONH General

UTOPIA a Ro-Ro cargo ship and common sight in the Kanmon Straits UTOPIA is a Ro-Ro cargo ship and common sight in the Kanmon Straits. Frequently docked in Shimonoseki, Utopia often travels to Taicang China. On March 10, 2024, Utopia was photographed as it travelled back to Japan sailing thru the Kanmon Straits between Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki. An Olympus E-520 DSLR was used by Ship Freakazoid to capture this fine looking Nishinihon Kisen vessel on digital film. Vessel Name:    UTOPIA IMO Number: 9832341 Ship Type:         Ro-Ro Cargo Ship Flag:            Panama Gross Tonnage: 16408 Summer Deadweight (t): 4265 Length:         145 meters Width:          27 meters Year Built:         2019 UTOPIA (IMO 9832341) approaching Kitakyushu via the Kanmon Strait Nishinihon Kisen's ro-ro cargo ship Utopia in the Kanmon Straits of Japan

The Chinese container ship Xin Ming Zhou 26 passed thru the Kanmon Strait on the afternoon of March 10, 2024.  Ship Freakazoid captured the vessel on digital film with his trusty Olympus e520 DSLR from the Moji Kitakyushu side of the strait. This ship often makes runs between Japan and China, many times frequenting the ports of Tokyo, Ningbo and Zhapu. Shimonoseki is in the background. Does anyone know what is in the containers?      Vessel Name:  XIN MING ZHOU 26 IMO #:  9736432  Ship Type:  Container Ship  Flag:  China (I prefer to refer to it as WEST TAIWAN)  Gross Tonnage:  9653  Summer Deadweight (t):  12594  Length:  143 meters  Width:  23 meters Year Built:  2015

The oil/chemical tanker STOLT EFFORT was photographed as it passed thru the Kanmon Straits between Shimonoseki and Kitakyushu Japan on March 10, 2024. The Stolt Tankers vessel Stolt Effort sailing in the Kanmon Straits  Vessel Name:  STOLT EFFORT Length:  176.75 meters Width:  31.1 meters Flag:  Cayman Islands IMO:  9178202 MMSI:  319445000 Call Sign:  ZCSP6 General vessel type: Tanker Detailed vessel type: Oil/Chemical Tanker Stolt Effort oil tanker / chemical tanker sailing thru Kanmon Straits This vessel's yellow paint job complements the blue skies and blue seas of Garden Paradise Kitakyushu nicely.

The 148 meter long container ship HARRIER in Kanmon Straits Japan  The 148 meter long container ship HARRIER passed thru the Kanmon Straits of Japan on a lovely spring afternoon March 10, 2024. While one can't see inside the containers without x-ray vision, one would certainly imagine the cargo is Rogaine, Propecia, toupees, hairpieces and wigs, all of which make people "hairier."   Vessel Name: HARRIER Length: 148 meters Width: 23 meters Flag: Bahamas IMO: 9460057 MMSI: 309972000 Call Sign: C6WS6 General Vessel Type: Cargo - Hazard D (Recognizable) Detailed Vessel Type: Container Ship Harrier (Container Ship IMO # 9460057)

On a miserable foggy, misty, cold and rainy day, March 4, 2024, to be exact, Zuiderdam was photographed by Ship Freakazoid. A trusty Olympus e520 DSLR was used to capture this Holland America Line cruise ship as it passed thru the Kanmon Strait between Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki, hopefully on its way to better weather.  ZUIDERDAM - Holland America Line cruise ship Holland America's homepage says: "Classic nautical finishes, modern amenities and a spectacular art collection make Zuiderdam a continued favorite and the new home for our annual Grand World Voyage. Numerous enrichment and entertainment activities keep guests going from the moment they wake on this cruise ship. When it comes to dining, there are options for everyone, from steak at the Pinnacle Grill to burgers and fries at Dive-In to exquisite Italian cuisine at Canaletto. Hear your favorite tunes all evening long at music clubs, such as the Rolling Stone Lounge and Billboard Onboard." Sounds like it would b