To replace the AFRICAN STAR, which had become too small for Panalpina's express cargo service along the West African coast, a new, larger boat was ordered in 1995 in the U.S.A. The boat was constructed by the Equitable Shipyard Inc., New Orleans, La., using a prefabricated, standard hull to reduce the building time. Construction started in July 1995.
On 30.11.1995 the AFRICAN STAR 2 was shifted to a pier down town of New Orleans and with a great party, presented to the customers and baptized by Madame Marie-Laure Feraud. At the same time the "International Work Boat Show" was held nearby, a good opportunity for the shipyard to advertise their latest new building. On 05.11.1995 she was delivered to her owners OK Shipping Ltd., Kingstown. The technical management was allocated to ABCmaritime, Nyon.
The boat’s hull and cabin are built in aluminium and its tonnage is GRT: 290 / NRT: 87 with a DWT of 256 mt. Propulsion is by 5 Diesel engines, Cummins, 6-KTA-19-M3, each coupled to one propeller via a reduction/reversing gear box. The power developped is 600 BHP per engine, giving a total power of 3000 BHP and a speed of 17,3 knots maximum. The AFRICAN STAR 2 was registered under the flag of St. Vincent & the Grenadines with home port Kingstown (official No: 6726, call sign: J8LS8).
After delivery and loading of some containers, the AFRICAN STAR 2 sailed from the builder's yard on 11.12.1995 for West Africa. With one stop in Belem, Brazil for bunkers, the boat arrived in Port Harcourt, Nigeria early January 1996 to take up its commercial service.
Soon the propeller struts commenced to suffer from vibration problems and on 10.08.1997, off the coast of Gabon, one strut broke off and water entered the engine room. To prevent her from sinking, the captain beached the vessel on the sandy beach south of Sette Cama (an old anchorage, used for loading logs). Refloated by Swiss Diving, Berneck on 22.08.1997 and towed by the ABCmaritime supply boat THEO into Port Gentil.
Subsequently the boat was towed by the the Danish tug VLIELAND (GT: 69/Year of built 1970) to the Canary Islands, where another tug, the Danish STORESUND took over at sea and towed her to St. Nazaire, France. The tow arrived on 17.11.1997 in the shipyard. Redesigned and reconstructed the propeller struts and renewed all machinery and equipment in the engine room.
On 31.03.1998 at AFRICAN STAR 2 sailed back to West Africa via Dakar to resume her service. Since, the vessel operated without any further problems and to the satisfaction of everybody.
After the situation on the various smaller air ports along the coast improved considerably over the years, the AFRICAN STAR 2 became superfluous for Panalpina's "African Star Service" and in May 2010 was sold to ABCmaritime. Now she was used as crew boat, mainly in Congo and in Cameroon.
In the following year ABCmaritime sold the boat to Wizton Engineering & Contruction Ltd. Port Harcourt, Nigeria and the AFRICAN STAR was handed-over to the buyers on 09.09.2011 in Douala. Not Renamed. Call sign: 5NUW.
HPS-SwissShips, September 2011