The Wallenius Wilhelmsen auto carrier Titania is today's (January 20) caller at Autoport, on the North Europe to North America service from Bremerhaven, Zeebrugge and Southampton.
Unlike the subjects of Saturday's post (January 18: Your Roots are Showing) the ship's Wilhelm Wilhelmsen origin is apparent only in the "T" name, the first initial of all Wilhelmsen ships. Its orginal Wilhelmsen red/orange hull colour has long since been replaced with the teal over gray of the combined fleet with Wallenius Lines. That merger occured in 1999 and this ship has always operated for Wallenius Wilhelmsen. It was not until a late 2016 re-organization that the two lines began to integrate their operations under the Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean brand and to adopt a common colour scheme.
The Titania was built in 2011 by Daewoo Shipbuilding + Marine Engineering Co in Okpo. The 74,255 gt, 31,143 dwt ship has a carrying capacity of 7620 RT43 sze cars. It is equipped with a 320 tonne capacity stern ramp and a smaller starboard side ramp.
The Titiania was wearing the traditonal Wilhelmsen hull colour and funnel marking when it called in Halifax June 27, 2016.
The ship will now sail for US ports, starting with Baltimore. One has to wonder how the imposition of substantial duties on auto imports to the US will effect the operations of shipping lines such as Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean.
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