Baco Liner
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BaCo Liner an abbreviation for 'Ba'rge - 'Co'ntainer - Carrier, was a shipping service between Europe and Africa owned by Seerederei Bacoliner GmbH of Duisburg, Germany. It used a fleet of specialized barge carrying LASH vessels which have a very unusual design:[1] they carry both conventional shipping containers, and barges that are loaded through twin doors in the bow, a kind of 'float in-float out' arrangement.[2][3]
A barge being loaded into a Baco Liner ship in 1994 | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Baco-liner |
| Builders | Nordseewerke |
| Operators | Seerederei Bacoliner GmbH |
| Planned | 3 |
| Completed | 3 |
| Retired | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | LASH ship |
| Tonnage | 22345 tonnes |
| Length | 205 m (673 ft) |
| Beam | 28.5 m (94 ft) |
| Draught | 6.65 m (21.8 ft) |
| Ramps | 2 bow doors |
| Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Capacity | 12 barges with 800 tonnes each |
This system of barges inside a larger ship allowed cargo to be discharged while at anchor mid-stream in African ports, avoiding port delays.[4] The barges could be loaded up to 800 tonnes each, 12 could be loaded per ship. Container capacity was 500-650 TEU.[5]
Each vessel was approx. 205 m long, 28.5 m beam, operating on a loaded draught of 6.65 m. Gross tonnage 22345 tonnes, deadweight 21800 tonnes including 12 barges with 800 tonnes each. Service speed was 15 knots.
In 2007, 24 Filipino crew of a Baco Liner vessel were kidnapped by pirates in Chanomi Creek, Nigeria.[6]
Fleet and fate
The fleet comprised the three barge carriers: BACO-LINER 1, BACO-LINER 2 and BACO-LINER 3, all completed between 1979 and 1984 by Thyssen Nordseewerke GmbH at Emden. They sailed under the Liberian flag, serving ports between Nouadhibou, Mauritania, and Port Harcourt, Nigeria.[7]
BACO-LINER 3 was scrapped in Alang Beach, India, in July 2012. BACO-LINER 2 followed there in June 2013 and BACO-LINER 1 in August 2013. Vessel tracking services now list all three Baco-liners as scrapped.