Heroic Ace

Heroic Ace, Southampton, England, 11 August 2011
History
Name	Heroic Ace
Owner	M.O.L (Mitsui O.S.K. Lines)
Operator	Wilhelmsen ship management
Port of registry	Panama
Builder	Minaminippon shipyard, Seto Inland Sea, Japan
Launched	18 March 2003
Identification	IMO number: 9252216
Status	In Service
General characteristics
Tonnage	56,439 gross tonnage (GT)
Length	198 m (650 ft)
Beam	32.2 m (106 ft)
Speed	21.1 knots (39.1 km/h; 24.3 mph)

M.V. Heroic Ace is a PCTC (Pure car and truck carrier) owned by M.O.L (Mitsui O.S.K. Lines), one of the three largest car carrier companies in the world.^[1] With a capacity of 6,400 RT 43 cars, it belongs to a class of car carriers that include the largest car carriers in the world.^[2]

She was built in 2003 at the Minami Nippon shipyard in the Inland Sea, Japan, as part of a series of 12 large car carriers. Her sister ships include Courageous Ace and Splendid Ace (built at Minami Nippon), Martorell, Progress Ace and Prominent Ace (built at Shin Kurushima yard), and Liberty Ace, Utopia Ace, Paradise Ace and Freedom Ace (built at M.H.I Kobe).^[3]

The vessel's bows and superstructure were specially designed with additional rounding off to enable them to navigate at higher speeds.^[4]

Ship's Particulars

Item	Information
IMO Number	9252216[5]
GT	56,439[6]
Flag	Panama
Call sign	HPFM
Length	198 metres
Breadth	32.2 metres
Deadweight	19,879 MT
Speed	21.1 kts

The vessel is fitted with a large stern ramp, and two side midship ramps. The stern ramp is located on number 7 car deck. The midship ramps are capable of being lifted up to reach number 6 car deck, and hence can service both numbers 6 and 7 car decks.

M.V. (Motor Vessel) Heroic Ace has 13 car decks, including movable decks. The decks are moved using a hydraulic deck lifter which is part of the ship's equipment and operated by the ships officers. The vessel plies on a worldwide route, and has traded in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa.

As of 2011, the ship was managed by Wilhelmsen ship management - earlier called Barber ship management. The ship's officers belonged to India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the ship's crew was Indian.

Gallery

• 
  Heroic Ace docked at Southampton, England, 11 August 2011
• 
  Heroic Ace docked at Southampton, England, 11 August 2011

References

1. "The history of car carriers". mol.co.jp. MOL. Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
2. "MOL's Next-generation Car Carrier FLEXIE Series Wins Accolades". Marine link. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
3. "Ship design - Courageous Ace". Ship technology. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
4. "Features in new car carriers". mol.co.jp. MOL. Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
5. Z, Li; W, Altenhof (2003). "Experimental and numerical testing of a prototype car-carrier structure with suggested design improvements". International Journal of Heavy Vehicle Systems. 10 (4): 257. doi:10.1504/IJHVS.2003.003693.
6. "Ship particulars" (PDF). cargo-vessels-international.at. Retrieved 4 July 2018.