Owners: Partenreederei m.s. "Turakina"
Operators: South Pacific Shipping Ltd., Christchurch 1995 - 1998
IMO 8321682
GRT: 3,780
Net: 1,469
Dwt: 4,110
Length overall: 96.98
Beam: 17.84
Draught: 5.581
Built: 1983
Builders: J.J. Sietas KG Schiffswerft GmbH & Co., Hamburg
Holds: 1 61.1m
Hatches: 2 (steel) each 25.1 x 12.5
Engines: Oil 4SA 8Cy. 370 x 400 sr geared to screw shaft. 2,000bhp by Deutz.
Service speed: 15 knots
Names History
As built: Arnd Becker
1984: Akak Star
1985: WEC Portugal
1994: HMS Portugal
1995: Turakina
1998: Atens
2000: Iberica Express
2000: Casablanca Express
2011: Dudu Express
A sister ship to Takitimu, the Turakina arrived in Newcastle, Australia on 27 March 1995 after a voyage from Hamburg via Sauda where she loaded 3550 tonnes of Ferro-manganese for Newcastle. After engine repairs at Cuxhaven, she came out by way of the Mediterranean, Suez, Arabian Sea, Singapore, Timor Sea and Great Barrier Reef.
She spent all of her SPS service on the Auckland, Tauranga, Sydney run and was arrested at Sydney on 19 February 1998 when SPS was put into liquidation.
Turakina was sold to El Reedy Shipping Agency of Damietta, Egypt and renamed Mero Star effective September 2014.
She is registered in Freetown and flies the Sierra Leone flag.
