NYK’s Monoceros Leader Celebrates Maiden Voyage at the Port of Hueneme

Port of Hueneme, California - Delivering approximately 900 new Subaru automobiles, the Monoceros Leader completed its maiden voyage from Japan to the west coast of the United States on Wednesday, November 14, 2018. At 200 meters long and 12 stories tall, the vessel has the capacity to carry over 7,000 automobiles, making it one of the largest vessels to call on the Port of Hueneme to date.

“Today, we are proud to welcome a new NYK Line vessel to the Port of Hueneme, a cutting-edge leader in maritime technology and cargo delivery, the Monoceros Leader,” said Oxnard Harbor District President Mary Anne Rooney. “The cargo aboard this vessel, Subarus, are more than just automobiles, they represent the future of our Port expanding the customer base to create new jobs and more economic opportunity for our local community.” The Subaru account was recently secured by the Port through long-time customer Willenius Wilhelmsen Logistics.

Siupolu Belaustegui, longshore worker and foreman of 39 years at the Port took in the magnificence of the new vessel and stated, “I was doing the lashing – every deck is beautiful, the way they have the set up, it’s beautiful. I think it’s the best one I’ve seen so far. It’s wide enough and high enough so they can load high and heavy. The decking is nice and safe.” Belaustegui, the first female foreman at the Port, takes pride in her ability to contribute to the global supply chain and her family stating, “[It’s the] best job a woman could have, to take care of her family.” With safety and efficiency as a top priority, the Monoceros Leader will continue to transport automobiles between Asia and the Port of Hueneme for years to come. 

The Monoceros Leader features a new integrated bridge system developed by the NYK Line to reduce human errors, which account for 50% of marine accidents. The new bridge system will improve the operational efficiency of the vessels navigators through centralizing the navigation instruments and increasing the ease at which information can be shared across the bridge. The new bridge efficiently arranges the vessel maneuvering equipment in two-thirds of the space typically used by other vessels.

Explaining the information integration type bridge, Captain Pavan Peter D'Lima of the Monoceros Leader said, "Since the maneuver can be completed in one place of the bridge. The operability is very wonderful, as the monitor and the console are also installed in the wing. The view from the cockpit is widely designed, the prospect is good, and the risk of accidents such as collision and stranding can be reduced. In the future, we plan to further evolve information-integrated bridges with a view to realizing automatic shipping vessels.”