MV Star Osakana

MV Osakana is an open hatch bulk carrier that was built in 2004 by Oshima Shipbuilding as Star Osakana for Masterbulk.

Construction
The ship was launched on 12 February 2004 at Oshima Shipbuilding Co.'s yard in Ōshima, Nagasaki Prefecture as Yard Number 10333. She is 199 m long overall (188 m between perpendiculars) with a beam of 32.26 m and a draught of 12 m. She is propelled by a MAN B&W 6S60MC engine which was manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The engine is rated at 11515 kW. It drives a 6600 mm diameter fixed pitch propeller, giving a speed of 16.1 kn at 97.5rpm. The ship is also equipped with a Rolls-Royce bow thruster of 1500 kW and a stern thruster of 940 kW. Electricity is supplied by three generators; two rated at 1,470 kVA each and one rated at 1,259 kVA. Fuel capacity is 3018 m3 fuel oil and 138 m3 diesel oil. The ship has capacity for 16180 m3 of ballast water.

Cargo capacity is 2,286 TEU container space, or 65338 m3 of grain or 65298 m3 of bale goods. These are carried in eleven holds. Two Munck gantry cranes are fitted, each with a lift capacity of 68 t, and which can travel the length of the ship. Accommodation for her 25 crew is at the aft of the ship.

History
Star Osakana was completed on 23 April 2004 for Masterbulk Pte Ltd, the Singapore subsidiary of Norwegian shipping group Westfal-Larsen, for service with joint venture Star Shipping. The IMO Number 9253870 was allocated. Her initial port of registry was Singapore.

When Masterbulk and their partners Grieg Group demerged the Star Shipping business in 2009, she was renamed Osakana and reflagged to the Isle of Man, with Douglas as her port of registry. The MMSI number 235102349 and callsign 2HBU5 were allocated. In November 2009, she was lengthened by 13.5 m; a 700 t section being fitted midships by Chengxi Shipyard, Jiangyin, China.

In 2014 Masterbulk established a new venture with fellow Norwegian shipowners Saga Ship Holding to operate their fleets of open hatch gantry and jib-craned bulkers in a joint pool, Saga Welco, including Osakana.