The Safmarine Cunene container ship in port.
The Safmarine Cunene can transport up to 2,490 container units.
The bulbous bow of the Safmarine Cunene.
Three cranes allow loads of up to 45t to be manoeuvred.
The Safmarine Cunene underway.

The Safmarine Cunene container ship was built by the German-based company SSW Fahr-und Spezialschiffbau GmbH. It is the shipbuilder’s first departure into the SSW Super 25 market, a vessel denoted from its nominal 2,500TEU capacity. Originally launched the ER Brememrhaven, it is owned by the Hamburg-based company ER Schiffart but renamed the Safmarine Cunene due to operator contracts with the Safemarine of South Africa.

The vessel has an overall length of 212.2m and length between perpendiculars of 199.95m. It has a moulded breadth of 19.8m and its depth (to main deck) is 16.7m. It is a double hulled vessel – the width of the double skin is 2.23m at the side and 1.49m at the bottom.

The Safmarine Cunene has a design draft of 10.1m and a scantling draft of 11.4m. It registers 27,330gt. It has a design deadweight of 27,900t and a scantling deadweight of 34,500t. The hull shape was developed at the HSVA tank in Hamburg and is designed to obtain a speed slightly higher than the normal size and shape of the vessel.

PROPULSION AND POWER OF THE SAFMARINE CUNENE

The main engine is a single Sulzer-designed 7 RTA7 2U-B unit, manufactured by Wartsila Sulzer. Located aft, the engine has an output of 21,560kW at 99rpm. The output is directly coupled to a Lips propeller. The fixed pitched propeller has a diameter of 7m and when driven at a speed of 99rpm, it gives a service speed of 22 knots when running at 90% MCR and allowing a 15% margin.

The Safmarine Cunene’s power is provided by three diesel-driven alternators. The MaK/8M25 engines are manufactured by Caterpillar. Each has an output of 2,320kW at 720rpm. The alternators are SE710 units provided by AEM. They each have an output of 2,240kW when driven at 720rpm. The vessel has a single compound boiler. Manufactured by Omnical, it has an output of 2,000kg/h.

CONTAINER CRANES

For manoeuvring the containers, the Safmarine Cunene has three McGregor cargo cranes. The GL 4525 unit can lift 45t at 25m, the 4028 crane can lift 40t at 28m and lastly the 36 31-2 crane can lift 36t at 31m. There is also a Davit International C-SFS crane which is used for boat and the stores handling. It can lift 6t at 18m. The vessel has two windlass mooring winches and three winches made by Kocks.

The Safmarine Cunene can carry containers with lengths of 20ft, 40ft, 45ft and 48ft and heights of 8ft to 9ft 6in. It has a total TEU capacity of 2,490 units which breaks down to 1,532 units on deck and 958 units in holds. The containers are loaded in six tiers and 12 rows on deck and six tiers and ten rows in the holds.

The vessel can supply electrical connections to 362 reefer units, 142 of which can be located within the holds. The vessel is registered to transport hazardous cargoes which can also be accommodated on the deck and in the holds.

The hatch covers were designed by Macor Neptun and manufactured by JCS Shipyard. They are of a pontoon type.

NAVIGATION OF THE SAFMARINE CUNENE

The bridge contains a Raytheon one-man control system. Equipment includes two Raytheon Pathfinder radars and two Simrad 6N 30 S/W digital GPS satellite navigation systems. The vessel is run by the complement of eight officers and 19 crew.

The hotel facilities include a waste disposal plant supplied by DVZ and a TeamTec Golar OG120C SW incinerator. The vessel has a number of lifesaving systems including one Ernst Hatecke 32 person freefall lifeboat and a rescue boat.