This oil/asphalt/bitumen/chemical tanker was built by the Zhejiang Shipyard, Ningbo, China in 2002 as hull number 093. Keel laid on 02.11.2001 and launched as ARTHA on 30.07.2002 and delivered to her owners Promar Business S.A. in December 2002. IMO No.: 9264116
The ARTHA was registered under the flag of Luxembourg with home port Luxembourg, call sign: LXPQ and was managed by Petromarine S.A., Bruges, France.
Purchased by San Bernardino Schifffahrt A.G., Amriswil (management: ABC Maritime AG, Nyon), renamed SAN BERNARDINO and registered under Swiss flag on 05.01.2005. The tanker was taken over in Fort de France, Martinique on 10.01.2005 at 13:00 hours. Official No.: 174, call sign: HBLV, port of registry is Basel.
The 8 cargo tanks of the SAN BERNARDINO are contrary to conventional tankers not part of the ship's structure, but consist of 2 separate, insulated steel tanks, each divided into 4 compartments. These two tanks are resting on the frames of the ship's bottom and are resiliently mounted to compensate for thermal expansion. Around both tanks a void space is provided to minimise heat transfer to the surroundings. Asphalt and bitumen can be carried at temperatures up to 250 °C. The cargo tanks are heated by a thermal fluid system, the boilers are located in the engine room.
Propulsion is by one 6-cylinder, 4-stroke diesel engine, built by Caterpillar-MAK, Kiel, Germany, type: 6-M-32, coupled to a CP-propeller (controllable pitch). The output is 2880 kW at 600 RPM. A bow thruster of 300 kW is also provided.
Electrical power is supplied by 3 diesel generators, Volvo-Penta, each of 360 kW and one shaft generator of 350 kW, giving A.C. 3-phase, 440/220V, 60Hz. An emergency diesel generator of 125 kW is also provided.
On 04.01.2017 sold at Dordrecht, Netherlands to Bitumen Scheepvaart Elisabeth B.V., Lelystad (Managment: Gebr. van der Lee, Dordrecht) and registered at Limassol, Cypros flag and renamed ELISABETH J. Official Nr.: 9264116. Call sign: 5BRE4.