Ro/ro passenger & vehicle ferry Ritsurin No.2 (りつりん2) arriving at Sakate Port, Shodoshima, 8th October 2021
Since my photo http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2948198 was taken her bows have been painted with a smiley face and the orange character on the observation deck has been removed.
Owner: Kato Kaiun, Kobe (not Kato Kisen, Osaka, as some sources give)
Port of registry: Kobe, Japan
Builder: Hayashikane Shipbuilding Co.
Gross tons: 3,664
Deadweight: 850
Length overall: 115.90 m
Engines: 2 x diesels, total 12,000 b.h.p.
Service speed: 18.5 knots
vehicle capacity: 61 x 8-ton trucks
Passenger capacity: 475
Present service: Kobe-Sakate-Takamatsu (Jumbo Ferry service)
Completed July 1990
Although the name in Roman letters is clearly “Ritsurin II” on the bow & stern, the Japanese hiragana version uses the Arabic numeral “2” and “Ritsurin 2” appears to be the official version.