The Soya Maru No. 10

The Soya Maru series of ships from Higashi Nippon Ferry of Japan is one of the most numerous that came to the Philippines to serve as local ferries. Many of these went to Cokaliong Shipping Lines Inc. (CSLI). Among these are Soya Maru No. 1 which became the Filipinas Dumaguete in 1993. Another is Soya Maru No. 2 which became the Filipinas Dinagat in 1994. Still another is Soya Maru No. 5 which became the Filipinas Dapitan in 1999. Recently, another Soya came for Cokaliong, the Eins Soya, originally a ship too of Higashi Nippon Ferry which  will become the Filipinas Jagna. Mr. Chester Cokaliong, the CSLI owner said in media they were lucky this ship was offered to them. Maybe it was this old connection that made it possible. Anyway, the Japanese might have been impressed with Cokaliong Shipping which has a track record of maintaining and loving well graying ships. All of the Soya Maru ships are still sailing reliably for Cokaliong Shipping.

Not all Soya Maru ships that came here went to Cokaliong Shipping Lines, however. Even earlier than them, Soya Maru No. 8 went to Sweet Lines Incorporated in 1989 as the Sweet Pride. Upon bankruptcy of Sweet Lines this ship went to Viva Shipping Lines in 1994 to become the Viva Penafrancia 5. In 1990, Soya Maru No. 7 went direct to Viva Shipping Lines to become the Viva Sta. Maria. The two ships became workhorses of Viva Shipping Lines until the bankruptcy of that shipping company. The ships then went to local shipbreakers which was a shame and a waste since they were still good ships then.

One of the Soya Marus, the No. 10, first went to the newest branch of Gothong, the Gothong Southern Shipping Lines when she arrived in the country. And this ship is the focus of this article.

The Soya Maru No. 10 was a ship built in 1984 in Japan by the Naikai Zosen Corporation in their Taguma shipyard and she was given the ID IMO 8312930. The first two numbers of that ID varied with the Date of Build (DOB) because her keel was laid down in Oct. 14, 1983. She was launched in February 2, 1984 and completed on April 17, 1984.

The ship has a steel hull, a bulbous stem and a transom stern and two masts and a single passenger deck. Equipped with bow and stern ramps and a car deck, she is a RORO (Roll-On, Roll-off) ship. She is equipped with two Daihatsu marine diesel engines with a total of 3,200 horsepower driving two propellers. Her original top speed was 18 knots.

As to dimensions, her Length Over-all (LOA) is 70.2 meters and her Breadth is 14.5 meters. Her original Gross Tonnage (GT) was 1,554 and her Deadweight Tonnage (DWT) was then 702.

In 1997, she was sold to Hanil Express Company of South Korea where she became the second Hanil Car Ferry No. 1. Incidentally, the first Hanil Car Ferry No. 1 also came to the Philippines. She was the Asia South Korea of the Trans-Asia Shipping Lines Inc. After ten years in South Korea the second Hanil Car Ferry No. 1 was sold to Gothong Southern Shipping Lines. In this company, she was renamed the Dona Rita Sr., the first ferry of that new shipping company.

In modification, a second passenger deck was added to her which brought her GT to 2,019 and her Net Tonnage (NT) to 1,347. Her DWT rose to 807 and her authorized passenger capacity is 650. Her speed was however down to 16.5 knots.

The lay-out of Dona Rita Sr. is basic. All the Economy accomodations are located in the upper passenger deck. In the lower passenger deck are located the Tourist section and forward of that are the Cabins. The passengers board at the stern and it is there that the front desk (back desk?) is located. On the deck right above that is the restaurant. Both were beautifully done and meals on the restaurant was good although not free. However, the ship lacked lounges and other amenities. The built was more of that of an overnight ferry. The crew, however, was snappy.

Upon completion of modifications, she was first assigned the Manila-Roxas City-Palompon-Cebu route. This route was considered “lucky” in the Alfred Gothong branch, the Carlos A. Gothong Lines Inc. or CAGLI. It was because it heralded the revival of their shipping fortunes in the 1980’s after the final split with Lorenzo Shipping in the late 1970’s.

However, this second time around was not lucky for the company. I knew it would not be since things have already changed from twenty years ago. While there were no intermodal buses and trucks before in that route, in 2007 the conditions were different. The intermodal trucks and buses were already dominant in Panay and Leyte islands in 2007. In fact, Aboitiz Transport System (ATS) earlier withdrew from that exact route because they cannot cope with the intermodal challenge. To Cebu, meanwhile the Dona Rita Sr. was heavily outclassed by the competition.

They did not last in that route. She then tried the Cebu-Cagayan de Oro route. In early fielding she turned on the speed and she had a reputation for an arrival before daybreak. Being smaller and with less amenities compared to competition, maybe she was then seeking an edge. In that route she had a weekly diversion from Cagayan de Oro to Jagna, Bohol.

When Gothong Southern acquired the Our Lady of Good Voyage of Cebu Ferries Corporation to become the Dona Conchita Sr., the Dona Rita Sr. was shunted to the Cebu-Nasipit route with a diversion too to Jagna. However, with simultaneous departure with the Princess of the Earth of the Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation or PSACC, she was marginalized early in that route since the PSACC ship was more established and leaves earlier. I was able to ride her once in that route and I felt she wouldn’t last. There were too few passengers left after the Princess of the Earth left port. I was even wondering why she just not do a Cebu-Jagna-Nasipit route with an alternate Cebu-Maasin-Nasipit run since she has the speed anyway for an intermediate port of call. Some shipping lines did those route before in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.

In 2011, Gothong Southern heeded the writing on the wall  and stopped passenger operations. They forthwith laid up their two passenger ships in the Ouano wharf in Mandaue, Cebu. One after the other, Trans-Asia Shipping Lines Inc. or TASLI acquired the two ferries starting with the Dona Rita Sr. In her new company the ship was renamed to Trans-Asia 8.

With TASLI she was further spruced up in the accommodations (as Dona Rita Sr. her aircon in Tourist was weak; her Economy, however, was already improved before the sale). As a Trans-Asia ship, she was assigned to various routes starting with the Cebu-Iloilo route. In effect, she became the replacement for the sunk Asia Malaysia of TASLI. Later she was assigned the Tagbilaran-Cagayan de Oro route when TASLI sold the Trans-Asia (1) assigned there. Still later, she was also assigned the Cebu-Masbate route when Asia Indonesia was sold to Navios Shipping Lines. Recently, she was used by TASLI in the opening of their Cebu-Iligan route. And sometimes she is assigned in other routes too like the Cebu-Ozamis and Cebu-Cagayan de Oro routes.

Although relatively small as a Visayas-Mindanao overnight ferry, Trans-Asia 8 is still a very reliable and decent ship. To me, it looks like her sailing days will still be long, knock on wood.