Progress Ace Departs Baltimore February 8, 2020

This 199x32m ( 653x105ft) was built in 2003 by Shin Kurushima Toyohashi Shipbuilding in Toyohashi, Japan. According to both BalticShipping.com and scheepvaartwest this ship is managed by MMS Co. The former says MMS is also the owner but the latter says Bright Ocean is the owner. The paint and naming scheme suggest ownership by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL).

According to this undated article by Ship Technology she is one of 12 sister ships built in three different shipyards starting with Courageous Ace. One of those is the Paradise Ace which I saw come to Baltimore, Maryland on March 15, 2019. This article indicates the ship can accommodate 6,400 cars. Scheepvaartwest says its capacity is 5,342. The difference of over 1,000 cars is hard to explain but the larger number appears to be correct based on other ships of the same size.

This ship made the news in February of 2018 when she rescued three survivors from a yacht. 10 days later they were handed over to local authorities in Walvis Bay, Namibia according to this Ajot article.

Check out this 2016 video of her on the Elbe River in Germany. Also take a look at this video which appears to be in Japan in 2018.

In my video below she can be seen heading outbound on the Patapsco River as she heads for Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay. The inbound container ship Maersk Utah can be seen passing in the last scene.

You can view my photography (more than just ships!) here and more videos here.