One of the most interesting roro’s built in late 70’s was the Linea Messina vessel JOLLY AMARANTO.
Entering Grand Harbour, Malta back to Monday 16th June 2008.
Built at Kawasaki in Kobe, Japan in 1977 as the Swedish TAUBE for the Swedish Shipping Company SCANDINAVIA MOTORSHIP A/S as a Boro (from the English B ulk O il Ro Ro ) freighter that represents a type of ship which can carry dry bulk/oil and roro can be transported. She was primarily intended to sail forest products from Sweden and bring back oil products, but with the greatest possible flexibility for the transport of other goods. In 1981 she was purchased by the Italian Shipping company Ignazio Messina & Cie SpA converting her into a normal RoRo vessel and renamed JOLLY AMARANTO with white hull.
Leaving her berth – stern to Laboratory Wharf South 1, Grand Harbour, Malta back to Sunday 6th November, 2005.
She was homeported at Napoli (ITA Flag). She was 143 metres long with a beam of 32 metres. Summer Deadweight (dwt) was 10,677 tons.
Leaving Grand Harbour, Malta back to Monday 28th July, 2008.
In May 1990 she was spotted with the letters MESSINA-LLOYD on her hull. On Tuesday 14th December, 2010 the ship sent out a distress call while 50 miles off Egypt in a storm while enroute to Alexandria from Genoa with 21 crew (16 Italians and 5 Romanians) and the ship dog ATHOS stating an engine failure and a heavy list of 30/40 degrees requesting evacuation. She had 38 containers containing dangerous goods including toxic paint.
Around midnight while she was being towed safely into Alexandria Port she started taking in water and capsized. The harbour had been closed due to weather conditions and was opened only to let the ship enter. All 21 crew members were rescued with no injuries but there was one fatality – the ship dog ATHOS , the large, black mongrel dog who was the ship’s mascot, jumped into the sea from the tug boat in an effort to re-join the ship on which he had always lived. – https://www.italymagazine.com/italy/environment/mascot-dog-drowned-ship-drama
Both SMIT and Titan were chosen for the salvage operation of which it was agreed that the vessel will demolished in situ.
JOLLY AMARANTO was represented in Malta by SMS Shipping – www.sms.com.mt
Watermarked Photos are by Capt. Lawrence Dalli otherwise stated. NO PHOTOS can be used or manipulated without our permission. © All rights reserved. Malta Ship Photos & Action Photos – www.maltashipphotos.com
Published – Wednesday 17th March, 2021.
