Our eagle-eyed ship spotter: Marco Irvine Kinea has embarked on a journey to capture one of the first and exclusive photos of the latest ROPAX Liner Acquisition of 2GO Travel – M/V 2GO MASINAG fresh from Mokpo, South Korea
Originally, she was the former FERRY FUKUOKA II of the Meimon Taiyo Ferry Co. Ltd which is based in Osaka, Japan. She has a length overall of 167 meters, a breadth of 27 meters and has a listed gross tonnage 9,774 GT. The vessel was launched in 2002 and was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Shimonoseki Shipworks and Machine Works in Shimonoseki, Japan. The vessel is powered by 2 Diesel engines ‘Pielstick/NKK‘ 18 Zylinder ( 18PC2-6V ) with a total power of 27.000 HP that is capable of reaching speeds of up to 19-21 knots
In 2022, she was acquired by South Korean operator: Seaworld Express Ferry Co. Ltd. and was renamed as the βQueen Mary 2β. During this time, she received significant updates to her interior.
2GO Travel has been on a “buying-spree” since SM Investments took full control of the company and sometime in 2023, it has already been in the negotiation table to acquire both sisterships (ex-Blue Pearl and ex-Queen Mary 2) as it fits-in the current needs of the company. The first to arrive in the country is the ex-Blue Pearl now 2GO Masikap (together with M/V 2GO Masigla) and next to arrive is the ex-Queen Mary 2 now M/V 2GO Masinag.
After ex-Queen Mary 2 was turned over from her previous operator (around 1st Quarter of 2024), she immediately went to a floating dock in Mokpo, South Korea for drydocking and repainting works before heading to the Philippines. She left Mokpo, South Korea around April 18 2024 to embark on a 3-day journey where she arrived last Sunday, April 21 2024 and she is currently anchored off the coast of Cavite.
The difference between these 2 acquisitions (Masikap and Masinag) is that 2GO Masikap had an existing 2-piece cargo ramp at the portside quarter aft area which was refitted when she was still under the Hanil Car Express Ferry while the acquisition of M/V 2GO Masinag under Queen Mary 2 only utilized the original aft ramp from Japan. The addition and installation of her passenger gangplank and her quarter aft portside ramp will be done here in the Philippines.
Here’s some #ShipFacts that you need to know about the M/V 2GO Masinag!
1.) Did you know she is the actually the sistership of M/V 2GO Masikap? Yes! They have the same vessel design with the length, beam and specification identical to one another back then when they were still fleetmates in Japan.
Photo of Vladimir Tonic of Marinetraffic.com
Photo of Kenro Oshita of Marinetraffic.com
Their fate as sister ships went separate ways when they were both sold overseas, specifically in Korea in 2002 to different ferry operators. The ex-Ferry Kyoto 2 was sold to Hanil Car Ferry Express Co. Ltd as the Blue Pearl while the ex-Ferry Fukuoka 2 went to the South Korean operator: Seaworld Express Ferry Co. Ltd as the Queen Mary 2 (not to be mistaken with the RMS Queen Mary 2). After 2GO Travel acquired the sisterships 2GO Masinag and 2GO Masikap, they have again reunited together but now under the 2GO Travel fleet.
2.) Did you know the M/V 2GO Masinag is the successor of the current 2GO Travel vessel: M/V St. Therese of the Child Jesus (STCJ)? Yes! Back then when they were still under the Meimon Taiyo “City Line” Ferry Co. Ltd days, the ex-Ferry Fukuoka 2 (current 2GO Masinag) was built in order to replace the ex-Ferry Fukuoka (current M/V St. Therese of Child Jesus) which was sold to the WG&A Philippines Inc as the M/V SuperFerry 16 together with ex-Ferry Kyoto (M/V SuperFerry 15) in 2002.
Photo of Kenro Oshita of Marinetraffic.com
Imagine capturing a photo of the two generations of Ferry Fukuoka (1&2) both reunited under 2GO Travel. What a delightful thing to see!
3.) Did you know that she is also the successor of the current M/S St. Michael the Archangel (SMA) from her South Korean operator? She was the ex-Queen Mary back then in 2008 to 2011 before she was acquired by Negros Navigation and was renamed as the M/S St. Michael the Archangel
She is the 5th vessel (together with her sister ship M/V 2GO Masikap) in the M series that was acquired since SM Investments took full control of the company. With the 3 new liner acquisition of 2GO (Masikap, Masigla and Masinag), M/V 2GO Maligaya and M/V 2GO Masagana still remains to be the biggest, and the longest in its fleet which definitely gives them the title “FLAGSHIP” Vessel. With a total of Here’s the list of the current 2GO Travel M Series:
2GO Maligaya *FLAGSHIP* acquired in 2020
2GO Masagana *FLAGSHIP* acquired in 2021
2GO Masigla (arrived in 2023)
2GO Masikap (arrived in 2023)
2GO Masinag (arrived in 2024)
2GO Travel S Series
M/S St Michael the Archangel
M/V St Francis Xavier
M/V St Therese of the Child Jesus
M/V St Ignatius of Loyola
M/V St Antonio de Padua
M/V St. Augustine of Hippo
2GO Cargo Vessel
M/V San Rafael Dos
According to internal sources, 2GO intends to acquire a total number of 7 NEW Vessels (a mix of Liners, Midsized Ferries and Cargo Vessel) until 2027 to complete its vessel modernization program which aims to upgrade and/or replace its ageing fleet replacing older vessels (1980s to early 1990s) with a more up-to-date vessels that can service the company’s current needs.
Are you all excited about the upcoming M/V 2GO Masinag? Let us know in the comments section down below!
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