M.V. Anatoki was berthed at the Port of Whanganui on August 28, its next destination being Timaru. Operated by Coastal Shipping Ltd., Anatoki was purchased in Japan in December 2007.
She was launched in 1992 named the Kaijin Maru No.18 and was renamed Anatoki before her delivery trip to New Zealand. As a standard Japanese design and build, vessels of her type are common in Japan and trade as far afield as Korea and China.
The Kaijin Maru was built and operated by a ship’s engineer and used to carry steel mainly around the Sea of Japan. She operated for the first 15 years of her life in Japan with a crew of three.
On arrival in New Zealand, work was carried out to make the ship better suited to her intended role as a carrier of bulk products. This included plating some sections of the hold to make her into a “Box Hold” vessel that was easier to clean between cargoes.
This work also added to the structural strength of the ship. The Anatoki operates in New Zealand with a crew of four.
